Organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses included in the list of prohibited

The Ministry of Justice has included the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia and 395 of their local communities on the list of organizations banned for extremism. From that moment on, ordinary believers are under the threat of criminal prosecution under Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code.

August 17 2017, the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation included in the List of non-profit organizations, in relation to which the court has adopted a final decision on liquidation or prohibition of activities on the grounds provided for by the Federal Law "On countering extremist activities" at number 62 Management Center Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia and 395 local organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses (all of them listed under the same number 62).

From now on, any of the approximately 175,000 followers of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, be prosecuted under Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code for the continuation of the activities of the organization, recognized as extremist.

As a reminder, July 17, 2017 The Appellate Board of the Supreme Court of Russia dismissed   the appeal against on April 20, 2017, the decision of the Supreme Court on recognition of the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia as extremist organization and its liquidation, after which this decision came into force. According to the Administrative Center itself and 395 local religious organizations as its structural subdivisions, and their property turns into state income. Jehovah's Witnesses are appealing the decision of the Supreme Court in European Court of Human Rights.

From our point of view, the prohibition of organizations and doctrinal texts of Jehovah's Witnesses, as well as the persecution of believers, is not have legal grounds and are a clear manifestation of religious discrimination.

Sources

• The list of non-profit organizations in respect of which the court has made a decision that has entered into legal force to liquidate or ban activities on the grounds provided for by the Federal Law "On countering extremist activity" // Website of the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation.
• 1. 17 August.