RUSSIA RELIGION NEWS


Three Jehovah's Witnesses on trial in Sverdlovsk oblast

COURT IN KARPINSK BEGINS CONSIDERATION OF CRIMINAL CASE AGAINST JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES

by Yaromir Romanov

Znak, 13 September 2019

 

The Karpinsk city court began consideration of a criminal case of extremism (part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the RF) against three Jehovah's Witnesses (the organization is forbidden in the RF): 32-year-old Alexander Prianikov, 51-year-old Venera Dudovaia, and her 19-year-old daughter Daria. According to the court file, the first session was held yesterday, 12 September.

 

The court made a decision concerning use of new evidence. The next session will be held on 16 September.

 

According to the account of the investigation, the man and the mother and her daughter preached their teaching among residents of the city, promoting "the ideas of the superiority of some groups of people over others," and "they incited religious strife." The investigators conclude that the defendants distributed in the city information and printed materials and they reproduced video and audio materials about Jehovah's Witnesses, "wishing to exert psychological influence upon society with the goal of promotion of ideas of the superiority of some groups of people over others, incitement of religious strife, and the propaganda of exceptionality."

 

The Jehovah's Witnesses told Znak.com that now they spend a large portion of their time on religious activity. Alexander Prianikov estimates that there are about 40 Jehovah's Witnesses total in Karpinsk and Volchansk. And although in the organization they fear that sooner or later all may wind up in the prisoner's dock, none intend to cease their activity. Znak.com's informants give assurances that in Karpinsk the Jehovah's Witnesses have a good reputation and the accused have not noticed a change in attitudes toward them because of the criminal case either among relatives or among acquaintances. (tr. by PDS, posted 16 September 2019)


Background articles:
Youngest Jehovah's Witness to be taken to court
August 3, 2019
Russian customs finds Jehovah's Witnesses' literature on traveler
August 19, 2019

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