Unwanted witnesses

The Taganrog City Court convicted of the case of participation in an extremist organization against 16 members of the Jehovah's Witnesses community, Interfax-South reports . Four accused were also found guilty of involving minors in committing a crime.

"The court found that the four organizers of the extremist criminal group, knowing that the Rostov Regional Court recognized the religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses Extremist and banned its activities in the Taganrog, Neklin and Matveea -Kurgan regions of the Rostov region, continued to develop its activities. In addition, they involved in the forbidden organization of minors," said the one said. Representative of the prosecutor's office of the region Oksana Sukhareva. The rest of the defendants took part in the activities of a religious organization.

Recognized by the organizers Yuri Baklushin, Alexander Skvortsov and Nikolai Trotsyuk were sentenced to five and a half years conditionally, Alexei Koptev - to five years and three months conditionally, the OVD -Info reports . The court also set a fine of one hundred thousand rubles to all four. However, the defendants were released from its payment due to the expiration of the statute of limitations. The court sentenced all the others to fines from 60 to 70 thousand rubles and also exempted from payments.

On July 30, 2014, the Taganrog City Court sentenced the Criminal Code (organization of the activities of an extremist organization) Baklushin, Skvortsov, Koptev and Nikolai Trotsyuk by conditional terms of five to five and a half years and a hundred thousand rubles. Three more members of the community, Sergey Trotsyuk, Karen Minasyan and Andrei Goncharov, were fined from 50 to 60 thousand. From the payment of fines, everyone was exempted due to the expiration of the statute of limitations. The remaining nine accused were justified.

The charges were based on records of a hidden camera installed by special services in the room where the group of believers openly conducted their worship. Nothing illegal is recorded on the records - believers pray, read and discuss the Bible.

Nevertheless, according to investigators, the right to gather for worship was not Jehovah's Taganrog witnesses. In 2009, the local religious organization (MRO) of Jehovah's Witnesses Taganrog was in court liquidated as extremist. However, the believers themselves believed that the liquidation of the MRO does not cancel the constitutional right to freedom of religion, and the law admits a joint confession of faith without the formation of a legal entity.

In December, the court of appeal canceled the decision of the city court and sent the case for a new consideration. Some defendants were offered to withdraw charges in connection with the expiration of the statute of limitations, but they refused because they insisted on an acquittal.

In June 2014, the ECHR ordered Russia to pay 36 thousand euros to members of Jehovah's Witnesses to the police for detention during a worship in Moscow in 2006. The Strasbourg Court admitted that the Russian authorities violated two articles of the European Convention against applicants. This is Article 5 (the right to freedom and personal integrity) and article 9 (freedom of thought, conscience and religion).

The decision was attached to the opinion of the Judge of the ECHR Pinto de Albuckeke. The lawyer said that Russia needs to improve the legislation governing the activities of religious organizations, as well as ensure the real freedom of religion and observance of the rights of religious minorities. Otherwise, I noticed de albuquerque, violations like the considered, will continue to be committed.