JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES APPEAL SUPREME COURT’S BAN ON ACTIVITIES IN RUSSIA AS AGENTS RAID KINGDOM HALLS

MOSCOW, Russia – Jehovah’s Witnesses organisation has formerly appealed the decision of Russia’s Supreme court of April 20, 2017 which effectively liquidated its Administrative Centre and 395 local religious organisations, LROs in Russia.

The JWS filed the appeal May 19, 2017, even as state agents and thugs continue to raid places of worship, homes,vandalise and detain members, spokesman of Jehovah’s Witnesses, David A. Semonian, has said.

“Jehovah’s Witnesses around the world are now even more concerned about our fellow worshippers in Russia. These disturbing events are clearly aftereffects of the Russian Supreme Court’s unjust decision against us.

“We have formally appealed this decision on May 19, 2017. This will give Russia another opportunity to end these unwarranted and unjustifiable actions against Jehovah’s Witnesses. We are also filing a complaint against the unjust imprisonment of our fellow worshiper, Dennis Christensen.”

The appeal, submitted to a 3-man panel is coming before the 30 days period required under Russia law for consideration.

Meanwhile, Russia has intensified crackdown on Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia after the April 20 ruling by the Supreme Court.

Few days ago, over 15 heavily armed police and Federal Security Service (FSB) officers raided a peaceful religious service of Jehovah’s Witnesses in the city of Oryol (also known as Orel) on May 26 and arrested a Danish citizen, Dennis Christensen, one of the JWs in the meeting.

“The police collected copies of the identification documents of all in attendance and seized their electronic devices”, the Jehovah’s Witnesses said on their website.

“The FSB also took into custody Dennis Christensen, one of Jehovah’s Witnesses who is a Danish citizen. Shortly thereafter, police officers searched four homes of Jehovah’s Witnesses located throughout the city”, they added.

After being detained overnight in FSB custody, the Soviet District Court of Oryol granted the application of the FSB and ordered Mr. Christensen to be jailed in pretrial detention pending completion of the FSB criminal investigation.

Mr. Christensen is the first foreigner to be included in these official actions against Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia since the Russia Supreme Court decision. If convicted, Mr. Christensen faces the possibility of a lengthy term of imprisonment.

This raid is the latest of over 40 incidents of aggression against Jehovah’s Witnesses perpetrated by authorities and others after the Russian Supreme Court labelled them as extremists and liquidated the Witnesses’ Administrative Center in Russia along with 395 Local Religious Organizations they used throughout the country.

“Vandals have also targeted other places of worship and even homes of Witnesses in Kaliningrad, Moscow, Penza, Rostov, St. Petersburg, Sverdlovsk, Voronezh, and Krasnoyarsk.

“In one incident, on May 24, 2017, in the town of Zheshart in the Komi Republic, a house where meetings of Jehovah’s Witnesses used to be held was badly damaged in an arson attack. In addition to police raids and vandalism, individual Witnesses have been attacked, threatened at school and work, or lost their jobs.