RUSSIA RELIGION NEWS


Authorities interfere with release of Danish Jehovah's Witness

JEHOVAH'S WITNESS DENNIS CHRISTENSEN WILL NOT LEAVE COLONY IN NEAR FUTURE

Website of Za prava cheloveka, 1 July 2020

 

The Jehovah's Witness (an organization ruled to be extremist in the RF) Dennis Christensen, who is serving a prison term in the Lgov penal colony on a charge of extremism, will not leave it in the coming weeks, despite the decision of a court concerning a probationary release. The reason for that is an appeal that was filed by the prosecutor's office against the decision of a court that mitigated the punishment for the believer. This information was posted on his Facebook page by an official representative of the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses Ivan Belenko.

 

Ivan Belenko also reports that the administration of the penal colony sent Dennis Christensen to an E.P.K.T. ["Edinoe Pomeshchenie Kamernogo Tipa"—a special disciplinary facility]. Placement in an E.P.K.T. is the severest measure of punishment in places of incarceration and it is used for incorrigible violators of prison procedures.

 

"Lawyers are looking into the circumstances, and fellow believers are offering prayers and seeking opportunities for rendering to him practical help. It is reported that Dennis Christensen himself is not discouraged," Ivan Belenko writes.

 

Previously, the Lgov district court granted the petition of Dennis Christensen's lawyers for probationary early release, although it ordered that Christensen will have to pay a fine of 400,000 rubles.

 

We recall that the Dane Dennis Christensen, who was living in Orel, was charged with organizing an extremist community (part 1 of article 282 of the CC RF). On 6 February 2019 Christensen was sentenced by the Zheleznodorozhny district court of the city of Orel to 6 years in a penal colony of general regime. He is serving his sentence in Correctional Colony No. 3 of Lgov in Kursk oblast. Christensen has frequently complained of pressure on the part of the administration of the colony. According to lawyers for the Jehovah's Witness, the administration falsifies or tries to provoke Christensen into violations, imposes ridiculous punishments on him, and forces him to stop communicating with other prisoners and discussing his religious views with them. (tr. by PDS, posted 1 July 2020)


 

JEHOVAH'S WITNESS FROM OREL DENNIS CHRISTENSEN STILL HAS NOT BEEN RELEASED FROM PENAL COLONY; PLACED IN SPECIAL CELL

Credo.Press, 1 July 2020

 

On 26 June, the Kursk prosecutor for monitoring correctional facilities appealed the decision of a court mitigating the penalty of the Jehovah's Witness from Orel, Danish citizen Dennis Christensen. On the same day, prison personnel placed him for ten days in a special punishment unit intended for incorrigible violators of regulations, a correspondent of the Credo.Press portal reports, citing a source among Russian Jehovah's Witnesses.

 

A defense attorney will file a challenge to the appeal of the prosecutor's office. Nevertheless, Dennis Christensen will still not be able to leave the colony for a long time.

 

On 23 June, the Lgov district court of Kursk oblast ordered to mitigate the punishment for Christensen, substituting a fine of 400,000 rubles for the unserved portion of the sentence. During the trial, the prosecutor supported the believer's petition for substituting the fine for incarceration.

 

Dennis Christensen was held criminally liable back before the liquidation in April 2017 by the Russian Supreme Court of all 396 religious organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses, which were ruled to be extremist. At the time, the Orel organization of Jehovah's Witnesses had already been liquidated as extremist. The main evidence of the prosecution in his case was investigative video recordings of Christensen opening the gate of the house of worship, clearing snow in the yard, and welcoming fellow believers. (tr. by PDS, posted 1 July 2020)


Background article:
Jehovah's Witness Dennis Christensen to be released from prison camp
June 23, 2020

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