Jehovah's Witnesses deny their involvement in the suicide of a Penza teenager

On October 20, the RTR TV channel aired a report from Penza, which claimed that the organization "Jehovah's Witnesses" was involved in the suicide of one of the teenagers (when examining the apartment where the teenager lived, the corresponding religious literature was found). The report also reported that in the near future the Penza prosecutor's office was going to charge this organization with incitement to suicide. In this regard, the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia issued an official refutation. The statement said that Jehovah's Witnesses "have nothing to do with this tragic event," and suicide, from the point of view of their doctrine, is a sin.

According to the authors of the statement, this is another campaign against Jehovah's Witnesses unleashed by "opponents of religious freedom." The document also expresses confidence that the prosecutor's office will establish the non-involvement of Jehovah's Witnesses, and the media will show objectivity.

Sources

• Leadership of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia Declares Religious Organization Not Involved in Penza Teenager's Suicide // Portal-Credo.ru. 2003. October 22.