A case has been opened in the Amur region regarding the involvement of minors in the activities of the organization of Jehovah's Witnesses

The media reported the initiation of a case under Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code on the involvement of minors in the activities of the Jehovah's Witnesses organization, recognized as extremist.

On February 5, 2020, information was disseminated through the media that the Investigative Directorate of the Russian Investigative Committee for the Amur Region opened a criminal case on the involvement of minors in the activities of the banned organization of Jehovah's Witnesses.

It is reported that a case has been initiated against two residents of the region under Part 1.1 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code (inducement, recruitment or other involvement of a person in the activities of an extremist organization). No other details are provided.

Previously, in the Amur region, two criminal cases were opened against Jehovah's Witnesses in Blagoveshchensk, two cases in Zeya and one in Tynda.

The accusation of Jehovah's Witnesses being involved in the activities of an extremist organization is due to the fact that in April 2017, the Supreme Court of Russia decided to recognize the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia and 395 local religious organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses as extremist. We believe that this decision, which resulted in massive criminal prosecution of believers, had no legal basis, and we regard it as a manifestation of religious discrimination.​

Sources

• Dina Ushakova. The involvement of children in extremist activities is being investigated in the Amur region // SM-News. 2020. February 5.