Vladimir Putin: “This does not mean at all that we should enroll representatives of religious communities in destructive organizations”

At a meeting of the Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights, human rights activists drew the president's attention to the fact that more than 400 organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses are included in the list of terrorist and extremist organizations, although they do not practice violence. In response, the president replied that the state should "treat representatives of all religions equally."

December 11, 2018 at a meeting of the Council for the Development of Civil Society and human rights defender Ekaterina Shulman drew the attention of Vladimir Putin to the fact that more than 400 organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses are included in the list of terrorist and extremist, although it is known for sure that they do not practice violence themselves and do not call for it others.

In reply the president said that although the majority of citizens of the Russian Federation consider themselves Orthodox Christians and in addition to Orthodoxy in Russia " there is more three practically traditional our religions, which the state provides assistance ”, to which Jehovah’s Witnesses do not belong, after all the state must " equally treat members of all religions " and shouldn't enroll them to in some destructive, not even terrorist organizations ” .

Let's bring answer in full: "About Jehovah's Witnesses. Perhaps we can and even should at some point be much more liberal towards representatives of various religious sects, but we must not forget that our society does not consist exclusively from religious sects. 90 percent of citizens of the Russian The federation , or so , consider themselves Orthodox Christians. We have three more practically traditional our religions, which the state provides assistance. We must treat representatives equally is true, but still of all religions it is also necessary to take into account the country and the society in which we live . True, this does not mean that we representatives of religious communities should be enrolled in some destructive, not even terrorist organizations . Of course, this is complete nonsense, you need to carefully deal with it, here I am with in ami agree".