The leader of the Jehovah's Witnesses community was fined in Bashkortostan

The head of a local religious organization was punished for holding a meeting after the suspension of its activities.

On May 18, 2017, the prosecutor's office of the Republic of Bashkortostan reported that in the city of Uchaly, the world court found the chairman of the committee of the local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses guilty of committing an administrative offense under Part 1 of Art. 20.28 of the Code of Administrative Offenses (organization of the activities of a religious association, in respect of which a decision has been made to suspend its activities). He was fined (the amount of the fine was not specified).

The prosecutor's office stated that in March 2017, the chairman of the committee organized a meeting of the Jehovah's Witnesses community in a rented building. However, by that time the activities of the organization were suspended.

The activities of the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses and the rights of the local religious organizations included in its structure were suspended by the Russian Ministry of Justice on March 15, 2017 in connection with the ministry's appeal to the Supreme Court with a claim for their liquidation. Later, on April 20, this claim was satisfied .

Earlier it became known that the head of the local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses in Kyzyl was fined in April on similar grounds .

From our point of view, the liquidation of organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses for extremism, the persecution of members of their communities and the banning of texts have no legal basis and are a clear manifestation of religious discrimination.

Sources

• MEMBER OF JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES FINED FOR ILLEGAL ORGANIZATION OF RELIGIOUS EVENT // Website of the Prosecutor's Office of the Republic of Bashkortostan. 2017. May 18.