Renovation under the oath

In Crimea, the military registration and enlistment office demanded that the Jehovah's conscript submit a document on the transition to another faith, according to the Jehovah's Witnesses website. A copy of the summons received by the summons of the agenda was published.

On June 9, 2017, the draft committee of the military enlistment office of the Bakhchisarai district invited the conscript to undergo an alternative civil service. He agreed, noting that for a long time he was seeking this.

However, then the conscript said that the right to pass the AGS would be granted only if the religion is transferred to another. Two summons from Jehovist were demanded to appear at the military registration and enlistment office "to provide documents for a change of faith." The believer was not explained in which faith he should go, as well as where to get such documents. At the same time, he was warned that in case of refusal, a criminal case would be instituted.

Article 59 of the Constitution guarantees a citizen the right to AGS, "if his beliefs or religion contradicts military service." The Law on the AGS allows the citizen to refuse an alternative service only if "the documents characterizing him and other data do not comply with the citizen’s arguments that military service contradicts his beliefs or religion," as well as when providing obviously false information. The law does not stipulate what kind of beliefs the conscript should have, and also does not require membership in any organizations.

On May 12, in Chuvashia in the city of Shumerl, the draft commission refused to 18-year-old Jehovistan Abel Lukin, in the right to alternative civil service. One of the members of the commission, referring to the decision of the Armed Forces on the prohibition of the activities of the managerial center of Jehovah's Witnesses, told the young man: "You can leave your beliefs with you, and your faith."

On April 20, the judge of the Supreme Court Yuri Ivanchenko, in the lawsuit of the Ministry of Justice , banned the management center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia , declaring it an extremist organization. Outlawed 175 thousand believers. Now all of them can be held accountable under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code (organization of activities of an extremist organization or participation in it), which provides for up to 10 years of the colony.

Representatives of the Ministry of Justice said that Jehovah's management center imports the literature included in Russia, included in the list of extremist materials, does not take measures to prevent the manifestations of extremism in regional departments, and also finances prohibited religious organizations on the ground. Since 2009, 95 publications of Jehovah's witnesses were declared extremist in Russia, and eight local departments were liquidated. In addition, a warning about the inadmissibility of extremist activity, issued by the Management Center by the Prosecutor General’s Office, entered into force.

Representatives of the defendant, in particular, announced the falsification of materials by law enforcement officers. In a number of cases, prohibited literature was thrown, and the testimonies of the witnesses were false. It was also emphasized that the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses are peaceful. It was noted that the lawyer’s lawsuit caused concern to the UN and international human rights organizations.

The management center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia unites 2277 local communities, which include 175 thousand believers. As noted , after a positive decision on the lawsuit of the Ministry of Justice, all of them can be held accountable under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code (organization of activities of an extremist organization or participation in it), which provides for up to 10 years of the colony.

Jehovah's witnesses were subjected to repression under Stalin. They were also brutally pursued in Germany with the Nazis.