FIREFIGHTER FIRED FOR BELONGING TO JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES IN SURGUT
Sibir.Realii, 25 February 2019
In Surgut, a firefighter was forced to resign because of his affiliation with adherents of the religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses. Later representatives of law enforcement agencies arrived at his home, the Jehovah's Witnesses website reports.
The report notes that the dismissed man is the father of three children. He has worked as a firefighter for more than 20 years and he did not have complaints regarding his service, but now he "was ordered to sign an application for retirement."
"My three children cried when the agents burst through the door," the former firefighter said. Now he has no job.
On 19 February in Surgut, three activists of the organization of Jehovah's Witnesses out of 15 persons who had been detained were placed in custody. The next day, the detained adherents of the Jehovah's Witnesses declared that they had been tortured in the building of the Investigative Committee. They said that during interrogation they refused to incriminate themselves and their fellow believers.
On 20 April 2017, the Russian Supreme Court issued a decision to find the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses to be an extremist organization. (tr. by PDS, posted 25 February 2019)
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