PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE OF KURSK RECOGNIZES AS LEGAL ORDER FOR OPENING CRIMINAL CASE FOR RECRUITMENT INTO ACTIVITY OF EXTREMIST ORGANIZATION
Website of prosecutor's office of Kursk province, August 2017
The prosecutor's office of the Central Administrative District of the city of Kursk received materials of an inspection based on a statement of a local resident about the illegal distribution of propaganda leaflets of a forbidden religious organization. In the course of the inspection, personnel of law enforcement agencies established that on 4 August 2017, in the Central Market, a woman resident of the city of Kursk and her 15-year-old son distributed leaflets urging passers-by to become members of the religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses. They had in their possession corresponding authorizations.
At the same time, on 20 April 2017, the Supreme Court of the Russian federation ruled the religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses to be extremist and its activity on the territory of the Russian federation was prohibited.
On the basis of the foregoing, investigative agencies opened a criminal case based on part 1.1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the RF (recruitment into activity of an extremist organization).
At the present time, a preliminary investigation is being conducted, the course and results of which are under the supervision of the prosecutor's office of the Central Administrative District of Kursk. (tr. by PDS, posted 13 August 2017)
CRIMINAL CASE OPENED NOT FOR VIOLATION BUT FOR FOLLOWING FUNDAMENTAL LAW
jw-ru.blogspot.com, 12 August 2017
From a report on the official website of the prosecutor's office of Kursk province it has been learned that the prosecutor's office of the Central Administrative District of the city of Kursk received materials of an inspection based on a statement of a local resident about the illegal distribution of propaganda leaflets of a forbidden religious organization. In the course of the inspection, personnel of law enforcement agencies established that on 4 August 2017, in the Central Market, a woman resident of the city of Kursk and her 15-year-old son distributed leaflets urging passers-by to become members of the religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses. They had in their possession corresponding authorizations.
As of the present, it is unknown whether this woman really is a Jehovah's Witness. Considering the fact that the Jehovah's Witnesses, when they were not forbidden in the past several years did not received any literature at all, the question arises of just which propaganda leaflets she was distributing. If the woman had religious convictions and, acting in accordance with them, distributed them, then it is incomprehensible how it is possible to blame a person not for violating but obeying article 28 of the fundamental law [constitution] of the RF.
And the most important question for the prosecutor's office: What kind of authorization are you talking about? In the first place, the religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia has been deprived of legal status and at the present time does not have any power to issue any authorizations. Second, the Jehovah's Witnesses never have issued authorizations to believers. It seems that she had in her possession ordinary identification or a passport. How is this contrary to the law? These and other questions for now remain open.
As of the present, it is known that on the basis of the foregoing, investigative agencies have opened a criminal case based on part 1.1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the RF (recruiting into the activity of an extremist organizations).
At the present time, a preliminary investigation is being conducted, the course and results of which are under the supervision of the prosecutor's office of the Central Administrative District of Kursk. (tr. by PDS, posted 13 August 2017)
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