RUSSIA RELIGION NEWS


European governments speak up for Jehovah's Witnesses

EUROPEAN UNION DEMANDS RUSSIAN AUTHORITIES CEASE ABUSE OF JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES

Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, 17 March 2020

 

On 12 March 2020, a joint declaration of 27 European states that are members of the European Union was distributed in Vienna (Austria) at a session of the Permanent Council of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). Another 6 countries that are not members of the EU joined the statement.

 

Among other things, the statement says: "Jehovah's Witnesses should have the possibility to peacefully enjoy their human rights, including the right to freedom of religion or convictions, freedom of association and peaceful assembly, and freedom of expressing opinion without discrimination. . . . We call the government to drop all charges from persons who were subjected without basis to prosecution or held accountable for exercising their human rights."

 

The European Union cited shocking statistics: "After the liquidation of all local religious organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, according to reports, 869 searches were conducted in residences, 26 persons are detained in pretrial custody, 23 are under house arrest, 316 have been charged, and 29 have already been convicted."

 

The statement enumerates the most egregious recent incidents of harsh treatment of believers on the part of Russian authorities: "According to reports of the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses, which also were reflected in reports of the Forum 18 organization and articles in news media, on 6 February 2020 in Orenburg personnel of the correctional colony No. 1 beat five citizens (Aleksei Budenchuk, Gennady German, Roman Gridasov, Feliks Makhammadiev, and Aleksei Miretsky). They all suffered serious injuries and one of them needed hospitalization. In addition, on 10 February 2020, according to reports, Vadim Kutsenko, before he was placed in custody, was subjected to tortures. Law enforcement personnel repeatedly beat and strangled him and also zapped him with electric shock, demanding information about other Jehovah's Witnesses."

 

The European Union promised in the future "to closely monitor events developing around the Jehovah's Witnesses in the region of the OSCE." (tr. by PDS, posted 17 March 2020)


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