ABAKAN JEHOVISTS LIVE BY THEIR OWN LAWS
Realnaiakhakasia.rf, 17 June 2015
An Abakan city court found local Jehovists guilty of committing the administrative violation of law provided by article 20.2 of part 2 of the Code of Administrative Violations of Law of RF, which consists in violation of the established procedure for planning or conducting a meeting, rally, demonstration, march, or picketing, that is, planning or conducting a public event without providing notice about the conduct of a public event in accordance with established procedure.
A representative of the local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses "Southern, Abakan" did not appear in the judicial session, although it had been notified in the required form.
Certainly cases with participants who are civil activists, political parties, and religious communities evoke broad public resonance and judicial proceedings regarding them also are under close scrutiny.
It was in this judicial session that all materials concerning administrative violation and articles of Russian laws and normative acts effective in this sphere were investigated.
Indeed, the constitution of the RF really permits citizens to assemble peacefully, without weapons, and to conduct meetings, rallies, protests, demonstrations, marches, and picketing. But all of these public actions of protest are regulated by federal legislation according to which it is necessary to notify authorities about one's intentions.
Evidently not considering street religious action in the form of a worship service to be a public event, local Jehovists decided not to warn Abakan authorities about their intentions.
As they usually do, they assembled as a group, this time in Abakan at the railway station square, and they began to explain to people the specifics of their teaching, handing out books, leaflets, magazines, and booklets. Such activity led to a fine for the Jehovists of 70 thousand rubles for an unsanctioned public event that in juridical language is called a group picket.
Jehovah's Witnesses have been punished not only in Khakasia. For example, Tiumen Jehovah's Witnesses were fined 50,000 rubles for distributing forbidden literature.
And not so long ago the Center for Combating Extremism of UMVD for Tiumen province turned over to the Tiumen prosecutor's office materials regarding the Jehovah's Witnesses organization for examination and adoption of necessary measures.
It was established that in the Tiumen Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses, in the period from October 2014 to January 2015, religious literature was distributed to the audience during meetings for their information. These involved books and magazines that are included on the federal list of extremist materials: "Humanity in Search of God," "Draw near to Jehovah," "Life—How did it arise? By means of evolution or by means of creation?" "What does the Bible Really Teach?" "Heed Daniel's Prophecy," and leaflets, "Jehovah's Witnesses, Who are they? What do they Believe?" "What Does God Require of Us?" as well as the magazine "Awake" for January 2007. This literature was ruled extremist in 2009 and its distribution prohibited.
During an inspection, maximalist literature was confiscated. And a criminal case for its distribution was opened with regard to the religious organization.
Moscow also did not avoid action by the police, who conducted a widespread operation for putting an end to the activity of Jehovists of the capital. (tr. by PDS, posted 21 June 2015)
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