Residents of Dzerzhinsk protest against the construction of a religious building in the city by Jehovah's Witnesses

The city hall of Dzerzhinsk, Nizhny Novgorod region, has begun checking on complaints from residents about the actions of the Jehovah's Witnesses, which, despite the ban, are building a religious building, the Religion and Media portal reports , citing the city hall of Dzerzhinsk.

"The mayor of Dzerzhinsk, Viktor Portnov, received a complaint from residents of the microdistrict" Settlement im. Ya.M. Sverdlov" on the illegal construction of a religious building by representatives of the "Jehovah's Witnesses", - said the employee of the press service.

In May 2006, in Dzerzhinsk, as a result of public hearings, Jehovah's Witnesses were denied the allocation of land for the construction of a lecture hall. According to residents, despite the ban, having acquired a plot under a burned-out house, representatives of the organization are building a building of a cult orientation.

On September 9, about 20 people again held a picket demanding a ban on the construction of the Jehovah's Witnesses building. The mayor's office confirmed that the protest was sanctioned. The city authorities intend to seek a ban on construction through the courts.

However, experts, Kommersant notes, argue that from a legal point of view, the construction of the house of Jehovah's Witnesses is legal, and the mayor's office of Dzerzhinsk is simply looking for a reason to ban the activity of a religious organization.

Sources

• Jehovists illegally build a religious building in Dzerzhinsk // Religion and Mass Media. 2008. August 5.
• Residents of Dzerzhinsk protest against the construction of a religious building in the city by Jehovah's Witnesses // Blagovest-info. 2008. September 10. (Article by Yu. Sukhonin and V. Zubarev from Kommersant)