JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES IN TOMSK PAY 100,000 RUBLES FINE FOR EVANGELISM IN PERIOD OF SUSPENDED ACTIVITY
Interfax-Religiia, 31 May 2017
A magistrate judge of the October judicial district of Tomsk ordered the fining of the Tomsk religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses for evangelism in the period of the suspension of activity by the Russian Ministry of Justice, the court's press service reports on Wednesday.
"In late March 2017, the religious organization distributed information about its beliefs among Tomskans who are not adherents of this religious association, with the goal of attracting them to become members in the period of its suspension by order of the Russian Ministry of Justice," the report says.
In court, the lawyer for the religious organization did not admit guilt, explaining that the association did not know about the suspension of activity and had not received the order of the Russian Ministry of Justice, and the worship service itself was conducted by a different religious organization.
Nevertheless, the judge found the organization guilty of committing an administrative offense under part 4 of article 5.26 of the Code of Administrative Violations of Law of the RF (conducting missionary activity with violation of the requirements of legislation) and fined it 100,000 rubles. (tr. by PDS, posted 31 May 2017)
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