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Russia: Trials of Jehovah’s Witnesses Continue


Taganrog re-trial of 16 Jehovah’s Witnesses continues

After multiple delays, the re-trial of 16 Jehovah’s Witnesses charged with “continuing the activities of an extremist organisation” after their community was dissolved in 2009 began on 18 March at Taganrog City Court. There have been 10 hearings so far, and a further six adjournments because of a defendant’s illness or for “other reasons”, according the court website. The next hearing is due to take place on 27 May.


The 2009 liquidation of the Taganrog Jehovah’s Witness community as allegedly “extremist” was used to justify banning all Jehovah’s Witness activity in the city, a ban subsequently upheld by the Supreme Court.

The Samara and Abinsk Jehovah’s Witness communities have also been liquidated as “extremist”. Both the Taganrog and Samara Jehovah’s Witness communities appear on the Federal Financial Monitoring Service (Rosfinmonitoring) list of “terrorist and extremist” organisations and the list of banned “extremist” organisations on the Justice Ministry website.

Four of the 16 Taganrog Jehovah’s Witnesses were in July 2014 convicted under both Criminal Code Article 282.2, Part 1 (“Organisation of extremist activity”) and Article 150, Part 4 (“Involving a minor in the commission of a crime”). Another three were convicted under Criminal Code Article 282.2, Part 2 of the lesser offence of participation in “extremist” activity and the remaining nine people were acquitted. The “crime” of those convicted was to continue to meet together for prayer and Bible study.

After the August 2014 convictions of those convicted of meeting together in Taganrog for prayer and Bible study, they appealed to Rostov Regional Court. At the Rostov appeal hearings on 11 and 12 December 2014, both convictions and acquittals were overturned and the case sent back for re-examination.
http://www.eurasiareview.com/

3 comments:

  1. Carmela Underwood PettyJune 1, 2015 at 6:18 AM

    Very interesting! Wish we had this fine example for our children, however I believe they e out just fine!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Jehovah, please comfort and strengthen the brothers in Russia! Satan can't stop the truth..

    ReplyDelete
  3. Yes indeed pray for our brothers in Russia. They need every one of our prayers

    ReplyDelete

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