RUSSIA RELIGION NEWS


Jehovah's Witnesses released from pretrial custody

AFTER 176 DAYS IN SIZO TWO BELIEVERS PLACED UNDER HOUSE ARREST IN MURMANSK

Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, 11 October 2018

 

On 10 October 2018, the Polyarny district court of Murmansk oblast ordered a softening of the measure of restriction for 61-year-old Viktor Trifimov and 44-year-old Roman Markin, and put them in house arrest. They were arrested on 18 April 2018 by personnel of the SU SK RF [Investigation Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation] for Murmansk oblast.

 

Both face up to 10 years of prison on the basis of the article on "planning the activity of an extremist society" (part 1, article 282.2 of CC RF). After the Russian Supreme Court liquidated and found to be "extremist" all 396 organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses, law enforcement agencies throughout the country mistakenly have interpreted peaceful meetings of believers as "extremist activity." In all, no fewer than 43 persons were sent to prison, the majority of whom, 26 persons, are still in a SIZO [Investigation cell] or IVC [Temporary detention cell]; the measure of restriction for the rest has been mitigated.

 

At the same time, the government of Russia has confirmed at the European Court of Human Rights that the decision of the Supreme Court and an appellate determination by which it was left in force "do not give an assessment of the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses and do not contain a restriction or prohibition on professing individually the aforementioned teaching" (par. 91 of comments by authorities of the Russian Federation on appeal No. 10188/17, Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia and Kalin v. Russian Federation). Dozens of rights advocates and also the Council on Human Rights under the president of the RF express concern over the growing religious repressions. (tr. by PDS, posted 12 October 2018)


Background articles:
Jehovah's Witnesses seek asylum in Europe
April 20, 2018
Federal crime fighting bureau directed against Jehovah's Witnesses
April 20, 2018

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