Translated material
Ugra: Three activists of Jehovah's Witnesses were arrested
Three activists of Jehovah's Witnesses of 15 people detained last week were arrested. This is written by RIA Novosti with reference to the Investigative Committee of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug.
According to investigators, in the Surgut organization, controlled by Jehovah's Witnesses, there are a clear hierarchy, the functions and tasks of its members were “distributed depending on the significance of adherents”, and “for effective management,“ the organization was crushed into several “meetings” and small groups. A criminal case has been opened on the detainees. "The three most active organizers of the Surgutskaya cell were detained. The court arrested for two months ... He was charged under the article on the organization of the activities of an extremist organization," said Oleg the Menoi, representative of the investigation committee.
SR in mobile SR on Instagram Wed Facebook On February 15, in two cities of Ugra - Surgut and Lyantore - 15 followers of Jehovah's Witnesses were detained and searched their apartments. Suspects in participation in extremist activities were detained and delivered to the investigating authorities.
The investigation of the region announced the initiation of a criminal case on the followers of religion, without specifying how many people appear in it. In addition, the local residents seized prohibited literature, equipment and mobile phones. According to investigators, the members of the organization promoted their teachings, held meetings and "preached superiority over the believers of other religions."
On February 7, in the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug, the Ministry of Internal Affairs reported the detention of a group of followers of Jehovah's Witnesses. Police claims that during the year - from July 2017 to July 2018 - a branch of the Jehovah's Witnesses Religious Organization, which was banned in Russia, entitled "Meeting", acted in Urai. The followers of the “Assembly”, according to the investigation, “promoted their superiority over citizens who are not followers of Jehovah's Witnesses. The press service of the department of the editorial office of Siberia. Realities could not explain how the police confirmed the fact of such propaganda, and also did not name the number of detainees.
- According to the Human Rights Center "Memorial", since April last year, about 40 supporters of the religious organization have undergone criminal prosecution. In August, the Memorial human rights center recognized 29 supporters of the Religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses accused of extremism and urged them to immediately release them.
- On April 20, 2017, the Supreme Court of Russia decided to recognize the managerial center of Jehovah's Witnesses with an extremist organization. 29 of them, a preventive measure associated with the restriction of freedom was chosen: 23 people are in jail, the rest - under house arrest.
- Most of the arrested were accused of organizing the activities of a religious organization, which was decided to liquidate "in connection with the implementation of extremist activities."
- The Memorial separately notes that in the decision of the Supreme Court, there is not a single fact of violation by believers of public order, manifestation of aggression or violence on their part, evidence that their activities threatened the security of the Russian Federation. "