Says sentencing 69 year old stroke victim is cruel
Emmanuel Thomas l Friday, February 26, 2021
WASHINGTON – The United States of America has called on President Vladimir Putin of Russia to lift current ban on Jehovah’s Witnesses.
The United States reacted following recent ruling by a Russian court sentencing Valentina Baranovskaya and her son, Roman Baranovsky, to terms of two and six years in a Russian penal colony, respectively, simply for being practicing Jehovah’s Witnesses.
In a statement, Spokesman Department of State, Ned Price said the United States is disturbed by the report.
“We are disturbed by reports that a Russian court sentenced Valentina Baranovskaya and her son, Roman Baranovsky, to terms of two and six years in a Russian penal colony, respectively, simply for being practicing Jehovah’s Witnesses”, the statement said.
According to the United States, “sentencing of Valentina, a 69-year-old stroke victim, is particularly cruel. It also marks the first time a Russian court has sentenced a female Jehovah’s Witness”, the statement added.
It stressed that the decision by the Russian court is the latest development in an ongoing crackdown on members of religious minority groups in Russia.
“ Since the Russian Supreme Court designated the Jehovah’s Witnesses an “extremist” organization in 2017, 52 Jehovah’s Witnesses have been imprisoned for exercising their beliefs, including Alexandr Ivshin, who was recently given a record-length 7.5 year sentence for a Jehovah’s Witness by a Russian court”.
Starconnectmedia reports that Russia under Vladimir Putin did not only proscribe Jehovah’s Witnesses, describing them as an “extremist organization”, just for preaching about God’s incoming kingdom, and love of neighbor, Russia under Putin has equally banned the Holy Bible, called New World Translation by the Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Since the bank the Russian forces have continued to terrorise Jehovah’s Witnesses in the places of worship, invading and arresting them , even in their homes and arraigning them under frivolous charges, while their properties have been taken over by the state.
