DOCUMENT: FOR THE INFORMATION OF CITIZENS ADDRESSING THE RUSSIAN MINISTRY OF JUSTICE REGARDING THE RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATION "ADMINISTRATIVE CENTER OF JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES IN RUSSIA"
In connection with numerous appeals to the Russian Ministry of Justice from citizens of the Russian federation and countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States on questions of the activity of the religious organization "Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia," the Russian Ministry of Justice reports the following.
In the period from 8 to 27 February 2017 the Russian Ministry of Justice conducted an unscheduled documentary inspection of the compliance of the activity of the religious organization "Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia" with the goals and task declared in its charter and with legislation of the Russian federation.
As a result of the inspection, it was established that the activity of the aforesaid organization is conducted with violations of the charter goals and tasks and also of current legislation of the Russian federation, including the federal law of 25 July 2002, "On combating extremist activity."
Thus, 95 materials of the Jehovah's Witnesses, which had been imported and distributed on the territory of the Russian federation since 2009 were found to be extremist. In the same period, 8 local religious organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses were found to be extremist and were liquidated. In connection with this, on 2 March 2016 the office of the prosecutor general of the Russian federation issued to the organization a warning in accordance with article 7 of the federal law "On combating extremist activity." Said warning was appealed by the organization in court, but it was ruled to be legal and reasonable.
On 15 March 2017, the Russian Ministry of Justice filed in the Supreme Court of the Russian federation an administrative plaintiff's declaration for finding the organization to be extremist, banning its activity, and liquidating it and removing information from the Uniform State Register of Legal Entities.
On 20 April 2017, the Supreme Court of the Russian federation granted the administrative plaintiff's declaration of the Russian Ministry of Justice for finding the religious organization "Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia" to be extremist and banning its activity.
24 April 2017
(tr. by PDS, posted 27 April 2017)
Russian original posted on official website of Russian Ministry of Justice, 24 April 2017
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