RUSSIA RELIGION NEWS


 

 

Jehovah's Witnesses literature seized

PROSECUTOR DOES NOT ADMIT MILLION JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES BROCHURES INTO ST. PETERSBURG

Fontanka, 21 August 2015

 

The northwestern transport prosecutor's office [Severo Zapadnaia Transportnaia Prokuratura—SZTP] declared a struggle against importing extremist materials into Russia. This includes printed productions of the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. This was reported by the press service of the SZTP, announcing the adoption of a complex of measures.

 

The prosecutor's office gave several examples. Thus, during an inspection by the Pulkovo customs it was discovered that printed editions and CD disks, containing among other things informational materials included in the federal list of extremist materials, had arrived at the postal customs office.

 

"Meanwhile, during customs inspections such measures as selection of samples of materials and conducting customs expert analysis for determining whether these materials are extremist were not taken," SZTP notes.

 

As a result, the chief of the Pulkovo customs received a notice. The violation was removed. All questionable productions were transferred to investigative agencies.

 

In Leningrad province, a lawsuit was filed in court regarding recognizing extremist literature which arrived in March 2015 at MAPP Svetogorsk. The cargo was intended for the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.

 

More than a million brochures were found in the truck.

 

"An expert analysis of these materials showed that they contained signs of reasons or justifications for refusal by citizens to fulfill civic duties and encouragement of hostile reception of people professing other religions," the prosecutor's office noted.

 

The brochures were seized and a case on the basis of part 1 of article 16.3 of the Code of Administrative Violations of Law of the RF ("Failure to comply with bans or restrictions on importing of goods on the customs territory of the Customs Union") was opened. An administrative investigation was conducted regarding the case.

 

"The work of the northwestern transport prosecutors office is continuing in this direction," the oversight agency emphasized. (tr. by PDS, posted 21 August 2015)


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