OVERVIEW OF HEARING IN CASE OF DANISH BELIEVER IN OREL
Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, 17 May 2016
On 15 May 2018, two witnesses called by the state prosecution were questioned. It was the continuation of the questioning of F.S.B. officer Pavel Azarenkov, who conducted search operational events regarding Christensen. A local resident, Elena Chernitsova, also was questioned, who, like Christensen, professes the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.
To questions of lawyers, the F.S.B. officer explained that the Orel oblast court and the Russian Supreme Court have not banned the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, and that in Orel, as in the past, it is permissible to profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, it is permissible to read the Bible and pray along with others, and also it is not forbidden to disseminate one's religious convictions, including on the street. It is noteworthy that such a clear understanding of these questions was declared the day before, 14 May, during questioning in the court of precinct policeman Maksim Ranen.
During questioning of witness Elena Chernitsova, the judge insistently asked how her religion differs from Orthodoxy. Yet another question that was of interest to the judge and the prosecution: who organized the cleaning up of the hall for worship services and who urged her to participate in it? The witness explained that she worked in cleaning up on her own initiative, motivated by religious feelings, because Jehovah God is pure and holy. However understanding such an answer was clearly difficult for the judge and prosecution.
To the judge's question about her place of work, witness Chernitsova explained that she worked as a housekeeper in kindergarten No. 11 of the city of Orel, although shortly after Christensen's arrest she was required to be dismissed because F.S.B. agents came to her place of work and explained to the director, T. Kostina, that Jehovah's Witnesses "do not have the right to work in kindergartens." When lawyers tried to clarify with the witness what are the names of those F.S.B. personnel, the court declared that it was removing all questions associated with that incident.
The hearing was scheduled to continue on 16 May 2018. (tr. by PDS, posted 17 May 2018)
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