RUSSIA RELIGION NEWS


Supreme Court upholds decision liquidating Jehovah's Witnesses

RUSSIAN SUPREME COURT CONFIRMS BAN OF JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES

Portal-Credo.Ru, 17 July 2017

 

The Russian Supreme Court ruled that the liquidation of the organization "Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses In Russia," because of the recognition that its activity is "extremist," is legal, RIA Novosti reports.

 

"The Judicial College of the Supreme Court of Russia resolved to turn down the appellate complaint of the organization against the order of its liquidation," the decision of the court says.

 

In April the Supreme Court found the Jehovah's Witnesses to be an "extremist organization," confiscated its property, liquidated it and banned its activity on the territory of the country.

 

Subsequently the European Union and a number of states and international organization spoke out in defense of the organization. (tr. by PDS, posted 17 July 2017)


 

SUPREME COURT DECISION ON LIQUIDATION OF JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES IN RUSSIA TAKES LEGAL EFFECT

by Oleg Sivozhelezov

RAPSI, 17 July 2017

 

The Russian Supreme Court found to be legal the decision concerning the liquidation of the religious organization "Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia" and 395 local divisions within its structure, a RAPSI correspondent reports on Monday from the courtroom.

 

The Supreme Court declined the appellate complaint of the Jehovah's Witnesses against the decision recognizing the religious organization as extremist, banning its activity, and liquidating all local divisions within its structure.

 

The decision of the first instance of the Supreme Court, which granted the lawsuit of the Ministry of Justice, has taken legal effect.

 

The religious organization reacted negatively to the fact of filing an administrative lawsuit for liquidation in the Supreme Court; in particular the opinion was expressed that such action is aimed at infringing the rights of citizens to freedom of religious confession. Since the issue concerns the Russia-wide "Administrative Center," the case directly affects about 400 registered local religious organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia and also applies to all 2,277 religious groups throughout the country, uniting 175,000 adherents of Jehovah's Witnesses.

 

Jehovah's Witnesses is an international religious organization with headquarters in Brooklyn, New York. As reported on the website of the Jehovists, Witnesses have existed in Russia more than 100 years. Beginning in 2004 a number of congregations and local divisions of Jehovah's Witnesses in the regions were found to be extremist—in Belgorod, Samara, Rostov, and Orel provinces and in other constituent entities of the Russian federation. (tr. by PDS, posted 17, July 2017)


 

SUPREME COURT TURNS DOWN JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES. THEY PREPARE APPEALS TO EUROPEAN COURT

Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, 17 July 2017

 

On 17 July 2017, the Russian Supreme Court missed its last chance to restore right and justice for 175 thousand citizens of Russia who profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. It took a panel of three judges of the Supreme Court less than an hour of conference in order to leave without change the decision made earlier by Judge Yury Ivanenko for liquidating and banning all registered organizations of this religion without exception.

 

Inasmuch as there are no more effective domestic Russian means of legal defense, believers will appeal to the European Court of Human Rights and other international organizations. (tr. by PDS, posted 17 July 2017)


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