Photo: Dennis Christensen in a prison cell for visits during a meeting with a lawyer. Lgov. September 8, 2020
Dennis Christensen can now receive letters in three languages
Oryol Region, Kursk RegionOn March 18, 2021, it became known that Dennis Christensen had the opportunity to receive letters also in English and Danish, in addition to Russian. Dennis is thrilled with this opportunity as he receives dozens of letters every day.
The believer's wife said that in Lgov colony No. 3, where Dennis is serving his sentence, a special program was installed that translates printed text from foreign languages. This will allow more fellow believers from different countries to send letters of support both by regular mail and through the Federal Penitentiary Service. Letters written by hand in a language other than Russian will not be translated or delivered to the believer.
Although the Kursk Regional Court ruled that some of the disciplinary sanctions imposed on Christensen were illegal, the believer is still being held under strict conditions of serving his sentence. He still suffers from pain in his back and arm, so his wife Irina sends her husband the necessary medications. To the delight of the prisoners, hot water was connected to the washstands, which they very much asked the administration of the colony.
The Christensen spouses are again allowed dates. The latest short-term date was on February 13, 2021. These visits usually last four hours and take place in the presence of a representative of the administration.
Support for Dennis Christensen, the first Russian prisoner of conscience from among Jehovah's Witnesses, was expressed by PACE observers, the UN Commissioner for Human Rights, the Kingdom of Denmark, the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation and other influential organizations. “The charge and imprisonment of Christensen just for confessing his faith is an unacceptable violation of the right to freedom of religion,” the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) said.