An examination carried out in Nizhny Novgorod at the request of law enforcement agencies recognized Jehovah's Witnesses as an organization alien to Russia

On September 18, experts from the Nizhny Novgorod State Linguistic University (NSLU) named after. N.I. Dobrolyubov published the results of a linguistic examination of the brochures distributed by Jehovah's Witnesses: “The Government that Will Bring Paradise,” “Rejoice in Life on Earth,” and “Who Are They - Jehovah's Witnesses.” The examination was carried out at the request of law enforcement agencies (which structure was not specified). The security forces were interested in whether the brochures used manipulative techniques to influence the reader and statements aimed at inciting religious hatred.

The examination found that the authors of the brochures “exploit themes of fear and curiosity,” “interpret individual biblical quotations in an unconventional way,” and “the vocabulary of these brochures has a political rather than a religious sound.”

“Jehovah’s Witnesses are a network agent group that wants to destroy the social peace in Russia and instill discontent in people,” says Tatyana Markova, a member of the guild of linguists and experts in information and documentary disputes.

According to the head of the department of Russian philology and general linguistics of the NSLU, Mikhail Grachev, “Witnesses” are “an anti-government organization, alien to Russia.”

The opinion of experts is shared by representatives of regional authorities. “This sect has a lot of senile dogmas that endanger the lives and health of people. These people are engaged in active missionary activity - they go from house to house, offer literature, start conversations, although even our Orthodox leaders do not do this. Therefore, we believe that the Witnesses “Jehovahs” are to some extent a fifth column, ” Dzerzhinsk Mayor Viktor Portnov told Vremya Novostey .

Let us recall that the prosecutor's office of Gorno-Altaisk is seeking to recognize the materials of Jehovah's Witnesses as extremist; in September the organization of Jehovah's Witnesses in Taganrog was liquidated, and in July the criminal case against Jehovah's Witnesses in Asbest was resumed.

Sources

• Anisimov S. “To some extent a fifth column” // Vremya Novostei. 2009. September 30.
• Experts from NSLU named after. N.I. Dobrolyubova conducted a linguistic examination of literature distributed by Jehovah's Witnesses // NIA. 2009. September 18.