IN ST. PETERSBURG, DATE SET FOR APPEAL OF CASE OF SEIZURE OF LITURGICAL COMPLEX IN SOLNECHNOE
Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, 11 April 2018
On 3 May 2018, a review of the appeal of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania, the owner of the liturgical complex valued at about two billion rubles, will be held in the St. Petersburg city court (second instance).
On 7 December, after a four-hour judicial session, the Sestroretsk district court of the city of St. Petersburg (first instance) made a conclusion about the invalidity of 18 and 8-year old transactions for acquiring immovable property by the Watchtower Society. The court turned over this property to state ownership, citing a decision of the Russian Supreme Court made with regard to another legal entity that has functioned in Russia since 1991.
It is noteworthy that earlier the state checked said transactions and did not find violations in them. Over the course of fifteen years, the Watchtower Society paid into the treasury of the Russian Federation high taxes connected with ownership of the complex.
The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania has functioned since 1884 and sees to the interests of Jehovah's Witnesses throughout the world. It is evident that the decision of the Sestroretsk district court of St. Petersburg aims for the illegal elimination of its right of ownership on false grounds. Such a precedent clearly indicates the real risks of the illegal seizure of real estate, acquired in Russia, even despite the foreign or international status of the owner.
The appellate hearing will begin at 11:30 a.m. on 3 May 2018 in the building of the city court at 6 Bassein St. in St. Petersburg. (tr. by PDS, posted 13 April 2018)
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