SUPREME COURT DECISION PROVOKES VIOLENT ACT OF RELIGIOUS INTOLERANCE IN ST. PETERSBURG
Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, 25 April 2017
Several hours after the Russian Supreme Court announced the decision about liquidating the center of Jehovah's Witnesses, late in the evening of 20 April 2017 a group of men drove up in two passenger cars to the largest Jehovah's Witnesses' house of worship in St. Petersburg, located on Kolomyazhsky Prospect. They blocked the exit from the building with the vehicles. One of the visitors, shouting insults against the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses and threats of physical harm, threw cobblestones previously readied against the façade of the building, including glass doors and windows. The house of worship was substantially damaged.
Such a development of events was predicted by lawyers speaking in court. Somewhat earlier in that day, speaking during the debates, Maksim Novakov, who represented the Jehovah's Witnesses' center, predicted that the trial may provoke a wave of violence against Witnesses: from damage to property to attacks on believers on the basis of religious hatred. These are the inevitable consequences of groundlessly ranking peaceful people along with dangerous criminals. (tr. by PDS, posted 27 April 2017)
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