The Investigative Committee in the Stavropol region opened a criminal case against three Jehovah's Witnesses

The Investigative Committee for the city of Georgievsk, Stavropol Territory, opened a criminal case against three local residents for creating an extremist organization. This was reported on the website of the Investigative Committee for the Stavropol Territory.

The statement from the Investigative Committee said that a case under parts 1 and 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code (organization and participation in the activities of an extremist organization) was opened against two spouses and their 50-year-old acquaintance. The names of those involved in the case are not given.

According to investigators, the 50-year-old suspect held meetings of members of “one of the liquidated religious organizations” in the house of the mentioned spouses.

“During the meetings, the suspects discussed with those who came religious intolerance towards representatives of other faiths, propagated the superiority of the teachings of this organization over other religions, studied literature included in the federal list of extremist materials, and collected funds to finance this organization,” the Investigative Committee said in a statement.

It is also reported that unidentified members of the organization did not fulfill their duties in raising minor children. Earlier, information appeared in the Russian media about a family of Jehovah's Witnesses from the village of Nezlobnaya (Georgievsky district), who allegedly kicked their minor daughters out of their home several years ago.

• In April 2017, the Supreme Court recognized the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia as an extremist organization and banned its activities throughout the country. In August, all communities of Jehovah's Witnesses were added to the list of prohibited ones.
• In February 2019, the court handed down the first sentence in connection with the persecution of supporters of Jehovah's Witnesses with real imprisonment - Danish citizen Dennis Christensen was sentenced to six years in prison. In September, six residents of Saratov were sentenced to up to three and a half years in prison.