Russia intensifies Jehovah’s Witnesses crackdown with new jailings

Russia has widened a crackdown against Jehovah’s Witnesses, jailing six adherents of the Christian denomination for extremism in a move rights activists said was unjust and flouted religious freedom.

Russia moves to label Jehovah Witnesses extremists

A regional court in Saratov jailed six Jehovah’s Witnesses on Thursday for up to three-and-a-half years, a court spokeswoman said on Friday.

“Yes they were convicted,” the spokeswoman, Olga Pirueva, said. “Punishments ranged from three years and six months down to two years (in jail).”

The court found the six men guilty of continuing the activities of an extremist organization, a reference to a 2017 ruling from Russia’s Supreme Court which found the group to be an “extremist” organisation and ordered it to disband, Reuters reported.

The US-headquartered Jehovah’s Witnesses have been under pressure for years in Russia, where the dominant Orthodox Church is championed by President Vladimir Putin. Orthodox scholars have cast them as a dangerous foreign sect that erodes state institutions and traditional values, allegations they reject.

The latest jailings follow the conviction in February of a Danish builder in Russia for his association with Jehovah’s Witnesses. Dennis Christensen was found guilty of organizing an extremist group and jailed for six years.

Over 250 Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia are facing criminal charges, according to the group, with 41 in detention and 23 under house arrest.

Under Thursday’s ruling, Konstantin Bazhenov and Alexei Budenchuk were sentenced to three-and-a-half years in jail, Felix Makhammadiev to three years, and Roman Gridasov, Gennady German, and Alexei Miretsky to two years in prison each.

According to the report by Reuters, the court also banned them from holding leadership positions in public organisations for five years.

Jehovah’s Witnesses say Russia’s constitution guarantees their adherents right to exercise freedom of religion and deny wrongdoing.

“The whole logic of the accusation was based on the speculative thesis that faith in God is ‘a continuation of the activities of an extremist organization’,” Jarrod Lopes, a US-based spokesman for the group, said in a statement.

“Instead of searching and proving the guilt of the defendants, the aim of the investigation was to prove their religious affiliation, despite the fact that no religion is prohibited in Russia.”

Lawyers for the men plan to appeal what they regard as absurd convictions, said Lopes, according to Reuters report.

With about 170,000 followers in Russia and 8 million worldwide, Jehovah’s Witnesses are a Christian denomination known for door-to-door preaching, close Bible study, and rejection of military service and blood transfusions.

They believe the end of the world as we know it is imminent, an event “the obedient” will survive to inhabit the Kingdom of God they believe will follow.

Rachel Denber of US-based Human Rights Watch condemned the court’s ruling, saying the men had been jailed for nothing.

“They should be freed,” Denber said on social media.

Source:
https://www.vanguardngr.com/2019/09/russia-intensifies-jehovahs-witnesses-crackdown-with-new-jailings/amp/

Ok, we don hear!

Religion making hell out of humans....

Mmmm

I think their practice in Nigeria is even worse than Russia

Can anyone explain wat JW did to Russia to get this type of punishment?

HRHQueenPhil:
Can anyone explain wat JW did to Russia to get this type of punishment?

Good question!

Russia and America have been rivals for over a century now, therefore both countries are always at each other's throat.

God established his pure worship in America because that is the first world power to say there should be FREEDOM of SPEECH, EXPRESSION and WORSHIP!
Thus America granted all worshippers freedom no matter the kind of worship, as long as it's not intended to harming their neighbours!
All other past world powers do oppress the worship of the minority, making it extremely difficult for God's people who are always few to worship freely!

Russia planned to dominate the world, but America used diplomacy to divide them. Now they're trying to make all their people loyal to the Russian authorities so that they can re~strategize. But the most faithful and loyal ones amongst them have chosen to live for Christ {the Prince of Peace} this means such ones won't just join in killing someone simply because the politicians ruling their country gives such orders!

Moreover Jehovah's Witnesses will never carry weapons to kill anyone, so Russia felt that America has been using all forms of diplomatic means to sabotage all their efforts but this time they're ready to kill any infidel in Russia. So all Jehovah's Witnesses who have chosen to love their neighbours as themselves are now been treated as INFIDELS in their own country!

Just two years ago, the Russian authorities declared Jehovah's Witnesses a terrorist group. This called the attention of all other countries in Europe because everyone throughout the globe knew that Jehovah's Witnesses (though stringent with our beliefs) are the most peaceful religion on earth!

Russia is suffering from Jehophobia.

Good. Those guys are thoughtless extremists. I like what Russia is doing to them. Let them feel the pain they have been inflicting on others.

They like tearing families apart and ostracizing people who leave their church while their leaders engage in abuse of power and other sexual malfeasance.

Now feel it!!!

Russia is a country with responsible government.
Nigeria government is very irresponsible.

Jail them All

Nice

Let's sit back watch.... The more you cut the branch the bigger it get

ghfdd

No be small extremism

HRHQueenPhil:
Can anyone explain wat JW did to Russia to get this type of punishment?

Sister.. We no do anything o.... Na religious leader wan finish us because say we dey expose there lies and people are seeing this and are leaving there church.

Moreover Jesus has prophecied that if they persecute him they would definitely persecute his TRUE followers

Buliwyf:
Good. Those guys are thoughtless extremists. I like what Russia is doing to them. Let them feel the pain they have been inflicting on others.

Hmmmm

Houston we have a problem

That's the problem with a Communist society. It lacks the opportunities provided in democratic settings like freedom of speech.

I know wen dis case started in 2017, I wasn't in support of the Russian state for labelling JW extremists, but now I see they reason. Those guys re extremists.
How can someone choose to die instead of receiving blood to live. It takes an extremist to do dat.
Where I work, one JW lady can never participate in d prayers. If others re standing, she'll be sifted. U can nva hear her sing d conventional Christian songs, but d moment she hears u sing any worldly music, she'll chorus along

this is absurd, how can you be jailing peaceful JWs when there are nearly 10million Jihadists walking freely in Russia

Not a member, But i am totally against this

Buliwyf:
Good. Those guys are thoughtless extremists. I like what Russia is doing to them. Let them feel the pain they have been inflicting on others.

Huh!!?

Buhari needs to ban Public practices of religions in Nigeria.

Anything you want to do with regards to your God should be done in your private abode.

The menace has caused Nigeria more harms than good and still can't salvage the country from it's woes.


All religious houses should be converted to housing units for the less privileged.

Buhari needs to ban Public practices of religions in Nigeria.

Anything you want to do with regards to your God should be done in your private abode.

olisaEze:


Huh!!?

Oh u don't know that JWs ostracize people who left their cult abi? Now they know how it feels.

okay

paxonel:
Russia is a country with response government.
Nigeria government is very irresponsible.

You appeared to be off point . Take a chill pill

Those people are the real and true Christians, not the rest of us who cannot preach to people except during Church evangelism.
They no dey make noise with speakers up and down
If you go to their worship centr abi wetin they call am, you will see calmness. They no dey compete for bible reading. They are orderly.
Their testimonies involve "I gave my life to Jesus', not "I don build house ooo.'
They no dey cause traffic for road
They are very kind
During their conventions or whatever, they make sure you see food to eat, not doing everyone on his or her own.
They are special