Jehovah's Witnesses fined in Tula

The local religious organization and its head were held liable in February 2017 under Art. 20.29 of the Code of Administrative Offenses.

In March, it became known that on February 6, 2017, the Proletarsky District Court of Tula held accountable under Art. 20.29 of the Code of Administrative Offenses (possession of extremist materials for the purpose of mass distribution) to the local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses and the chairman of its council, Gurami Labadze. The community was fined 120 thousand rubles, and its head - 3 thousand rubles. Both decisions were appealed to the Tula Regional Court, the hearing of appeals is scheduled for March 16.

The District Court fined the congregation and its leader because on December 14, 2016, during a Kingdom Hall survey, law enforcement found banned editions of What the Bible Really Teach and The Government That Brings Paradise. The Jehovah's Witnesses claimed that the brochures were planted in the premises and that they provided the court with CCTV footage as evidence. However, the court considered that neither the video nor the explanations of the witnesses refute the guilt of the religious organization and its leader in committing an administrative offense.

We believe that the prohibition of the literature of Jehovah's Witnesses as extremist and the persecution of believers for its distribution are unlawful. We regard such actions of the authorities as religious discrimination.

Sources

• Case card No. 5-20/2017 // Website of the Proletarsky District Court of Tula. 2017. February 10.
• Case card No. 5-21/2017 // Website of the Proletarsky District Court of Tula. 2017. February 10.
• Case card No. 7-23/2017 // Website of the Tula Regional Court. February 22, 2017
• Case card No. 7-24/2017 // Website of the Tula Regional Court. February 22, 2017