RUSSIA RELIGION NEWS


Two Jehovah's Witnesses indicted in Kamchatka

INVESTIGATION OF CRIMINAL CASE ON ARRANGING ACTIVITY OF EXTREMIST ORGANIZATION COMPLETED

Investigative Committee of Russia for Kamchatka territory, 3 September 2019

 

The investigation department for the ZATO [closed administrative territorial district] of the city of Viliuchinsk of the investigation directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation (SKR) for Kamchatka territory has completed the investigation of the criminal case against a 57-year-old man and 56-year-old woman. They are accused of committing crimes specified by part 1 of article 282.2 and part 1.1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the RF (arranging the activity of an extremist organization;  encouragement, recruitment, or other involvement of a person in the activity of an extremist organization).

 

According to information of the investigation, in the period from April 2017 to April 2018, the man, who was the founder, and the woman, who was a member of the Viliuchinsk local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses (ruled to be an extremist organization in accordance with a decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of 20 April 2017, that took legal effect on 17 July 2017, because of conducting extremist activity) undertook vigorous actions of an organizational character, aimed at the continuation of the illegal activity of the Viliuchinsk local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses (which was prohibited by a court), expressed in the convoking of a meeting in March 2018 in premises located in the ZATO city of Viliuchinsk, making extremist speeches at the meeting in accordance with the ideology of adherents of the Jehovah's Witnesses, distributing literature of extremist contents, and drawing other persons into participation in the activity of the Viliuchinsk local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses. They organized the viewing of video materials of a forbidden extremist structure, by which they drew said persons into the activity of the Viliuchinsk local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses, and they continued the use of the residence for conducting meetings of the organization and drew other persons into the activity of the organization.

 

The crime was discovered by personnel of the directorate of the Russian FSB for Kamchatka territory and personnel of the directorate of the Russian FSB for the Pacific Ocean fleet.

 

The investigation assembled a sufficient evidentiary base so that a criminal case with a confirmed indictment was sent to a court for consideration on the merits. (tr. by PDS, posted 3 September 2019)


Background articles:
Judges countermand law enforcement against Jehovah's Witnesses
August 11, 2018
Searches lead to criminal charges of Jehovah's Witnesses
December 6, 2018


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