TWO
JEHOVAH'S
WITNESSES FROM MURMANSK OBLAST AWAITING TRIAL
Investigators
reported
the conclusion of investigative actions regarding two leaders of
the
religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses in Murmansk
oblast.
The
decision finding
the center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia and 395 local
organizations to be
extremist was made by the Russian Supreme Court in April 2017.
Since then,
throughout the country arrests of followers of the religious
denomination have
been occurring.
In
Murmansk oblast
in 2018, Roman Markin and Viktor Trofimov were taken into
custody and sent to a
SIZO.
After
six months,
the Jehovah's Witnesses were transferred to house arrest, which
they served for
another four months.
Now in
the run-up to
a trial, the men are in the status of suspects and they have
signed a promise
not to depart.
"This
is
complete nonsense; it is necessary to deal attentively with
this,"
President Vladimir Putin commented on the inclusion of Jehovah's
Witnesses in
the list of extremist organizations. The relevant question was
posed to him at
a session of the Council on Development of Civil Society and
Human Rights,
which was held in Moscow on 11 December 2018. (tr. by PDS,
posted 14 May 2019)
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