[{"body":"On December 13, 2018, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) informed Jehovah's Witnesses that Russia had commented on the complaint \"LRO Glazova and Others v. Russia.\" The substantive remarks state: \"The Government emphasise that the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of 20 April 2017 and the appellate ruling of the Appellate Board of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of 17 July 2017 do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses and do not contain a restriction or prohibition on the individual practice of the above-mentioned doctrine.\"\n\"In view of the foregoing,\" continues Mikhail Galperin, Deputy Minister of Justice of the Russian Federation, who signed the comments, \" there is no violation of the provisions of the Convention in the present case in connection with the liquidation of the Administrative Center and the prohibition of its activities.\"\n\"The explanations presented to the European Court look mocking, especially for tens of thousands of believers who live in constant fear of a sudden search or arrest,\" believes Yaroslav Sivulsky of the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses, \"As a result of the decision taken by the Supreme Court, 62 people, including 7 women, were imprisoned for their faith. Right now, 26 people are languishing in various Russian pre-trial detention centers. By claiming that there are no violations, the authorities only exacerbate the already desperate human rights situation in Russia.\"\nComplaint No. 3215/18 (LRO Glazova and Others v. Russian Federation) was filed on behalf of 395 local religious organizations (LROs) that were liquidated by the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation in April 2017 along with the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. The ECHR declared the complaint admissible and indicated that it would consider it as a matter of priority.\nSeparately, complaint No. 10188/17 was filed with the ECHR (\"Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia and Kalin v. Russian Federation\"). Russia sent comments on the merits of this complaint to the ECHR in March 2018. In December 2018, Russia submitted observations to the compensation claims for both complaints. Now the complaints have been referred to the court. A ruling is awaited.\n","category":"org","date":"2018-12-19T15:21:11+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/12/546/image_hu_affee45bf96b0592.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/12/546/image_hu_e075a8f6fbebffc0.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/12/546/image_hu_11acd09eadbdfafb.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/12/546/image_hu_4bb9473a29123698.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/12/546.html","regions":["moscow","france"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["echr","international","supreme-court","complaints","mro","administrative-center","liquidation"],"title":"Russia submitted comments to the European Court on the complaint \"LRO Glazova and Others v. Russia\"","type":"news"},{"body":"In connection with the ban on activities and the seizure of property, Jehovah's Witnesses filed 2 complaints with the European Court of Human Rights with a total amount of compensation claims of more than 6 billion rubles (79,215,679 euros). In its response sent to the court on 7 December 2018, the Russian Federation rejected all material claims.\nThe amount consists mainly of the cost of worship buildings turned into state income (believers emphasize that their main demand is not money, but the return of real estate). Thus, a large worship complex in the village of Solnechnoye (St. Petersburg) worth about 2 billion rubles was taken away from believers. Russia turned it into its property, but denies it before the ECHR. How is that possible?\nDeputy Minister of Justice of the Russian Federation Mikhail Galperin wrote to the European Court: \"All the listed property at the time of the liquidation of the organization did not belong to the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. In particular, according to a certificate from Rosreestr, the real estate listed in paragraph 1 of Appendix 18 belongs to the Watch Tower, Bibles and Tracts Society of Pennsylvania, an organization that is not a complainant to the European Court. Accordingly, the complaint of the \"Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia\" in relation to real estate at 6 Srednaya Street in Solnechnoye, St. Petersburg, is not substantiated and is not subject to satisfaction by the court\" (paragraph 8 of the Notes).\nThe position of the Russian authorities in the international court comes into striking conflict with their own position - but in the domestic Russian court. In December 2017, the state appealed to a domestic Russian court, arguing that the Watch Tower Society did not actually own the worship complex, and that the transfer of ownership from the \"Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia\" to it in 2000 was a sham. The court's decision of December 7, 2017 says: \"The court found that the direct transfer by the donor of the thing into the possession, use and disposal of the donee did not take place, the transactions were not actually executed.\" As a result, the court declared the 17-year-old transaction null and void, and the complex was subject to seizure to the state, as if it still belonged to the \"Administrative Center\". (Earlier, during the hearing in the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, the Watch Tower Society petitioned to intervene in the case due to the fact that its interests could be affected by the court decision, informed the court about the property available on the territory of Russia, filed a private complaint against the refusal to involve in the case, and even an appeal against the court decision, but to no avail.)\n\"The tricks of the Ministry of Justice look unconvincing,\" said Yaroslav Sivulsky of the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses. It is sad to realize that Russia \"for export\" is so different from Russia for its own citizens.\nAfter Russia had submitted all its observations, the complaints were referred to the court. The ECHR said it would consider them as a matter of priority. A ruling is awaited.\n","category":"org","date":"2018-12-19T15:15:32+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/12/545/_mg_102425992_0_hu_67c35d9be63344c4.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/12/545/_mg_102425992_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/12/545/_mg_102425992_0_hu_f7f64f05b950b3b2.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/12/545/_mg_102425992_0_hu_f4e4f4447aef578a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/12/545.html","regions":["moscow","france"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["complaints","administrative-center","echr","compensation","buildings-seizure"],"title":"Russia rejects Jehovah's Witnesses' claims for compensation before the ECHR","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 17, 2018, Deputy Minister of Justice of the Russian Federation Mikhail Galperin asked the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) to grant Russia an additional 3-month grace period to prepare comments on the claims for compensation in complaints No. 10188/17 \"Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia and Kalin v. Russian Federation\" and No. 3215/18 \"LRO Glazova and Others v. Russian Federation\". The court granted a reprieve until December 7, 2018.\nThe total amount of compensation claims for these complaints exceeds 6 billion rubles (79,215,679 euros). The complaints were filed in connection with the decision of the Supreme Court of Russia to liquidate and ban the activities of all registered organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses, as well as to turn all their property, primarily all worship buildings, into state revenue.\nIn their application for compensation, the believers emphasize that the main requirement for the Russian Federation is the return of confiscated real estate throughout Russia.\nThe ECHR declared complaints No. 10188/17 and No. 3215/18 admissible and said that it would consider them as a matter of priority. In March 2018, the Russian government sent its comments to the Strasbourg Court on the merits of complaint No. 10188/17 \"Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia and Kalin v. Russian Federation\", stressing that the decision of the Supreme Court and the appellate ruling by which it was upheld \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teaching individually\" (par. 91). However, less than a month after this statement, mass searches and arrests of believers began in Russia, which is of the greatest concern as a direct consequence of the decision of the Supreme Court.\nMikhail Galperin justified the delay in preparing comments on compensation claims by the large number of applicants and the large amount of documentation, as well as the need to verify the stated claims, which implies a request for real estate data from various Russian authorities throughout the country.\n","category":"trial","date":"2018-09-26T09:58:37+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/09/480/shutterstock_34787520526192_2_hu_6e788a2878d27343.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/09/480/shutterstock_34787520526192_2.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/09/480/shutterstock_34787520526192_2_hu_e4d84198bab985c4.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/09/480/shutterstock_34787520526192_2_hu_1c7ef1072df9acb5.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/09/480.html","regions":["moscow","france"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["echr","complaints","mro","administrative-center","liquidation","buildings-seizure"],"title":"Russia asked the ECHR for additional time to prepare a response to the case of Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 7, 2017, the Sestroretsky District Court of St. Petersburg made an unprecedented decision to seize a large real estate complex in St. Petersburg from a foreign organization, recognizing the 17-year-old transaction as invalid.\n\"We are talking about 14 buildings with an area of 33,000 square meters,\" says Yaroslav Sivulsky of the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses.- They are located on 10 hectares of beautiful, landscaped territory in the village of Solnechnoye, this is the Kurortny district of St. Petersburg. And this complex was transferred to the possession of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania in 2000.\nDuring the 4-hour court session, exhaustive evidence was presented confirming the legality of the transfer of the complex to a foreign owner.\nAttorney Victor Shipilov explained, \"For example, in the 2000's, in 2007, the transfer of property to the ownership of the Watch Tower Bible and Tracts Society of Pennsylvania was carefully checked, and no violations by the prosecutor's office were found, no claims were made.\"\n\"The Watch Tower Society had to pay taxes, even though the Administrative Center, as a religious organization registered under Russian law, was exempt from paying taxes on land and real estate,\" lawyer Artur Leontiev explained. This amount amounted to about three million dollars. It is clear that making an imaginary deal purely for the sake of appearance or on paper, no one would spend that kind of money.\nNotably, the Watch Tower Society was not allowed to participate in the April 2017 hearings before the Russian Supreme Court. Then the Supreme Court refused to involve the \"Society\" in the case, arguing that the interests of this organization were not affected in any way.\nArtur Leontiev: \"In simple terms, this situation can be compared with the fact that I, for example, am the owner of the apartment in which my relative lives, and some law enforcement agencies make claims to this relative on far-fetched, perhaps, grounds and say that he violated something. Representatives of the state come to me and say: \"Give me an apartment!\" I say: \"Why?\" - \"Well, because your relative, in our opinion, violated the law.\" I said: \"I'm sorry, I didn't break the law, they didn't make any claims against me. Why do you want to take my property?\" but nevertheless they say, 'Yes, we want to take it.'\"\nIt is worth noting that the Russian Federation did not finance the construction of the complex. An abandoned pioneer camp located on this territory was purchased commercially by Jehovah's Witnesses from one of the Russian enterprises.\nYaroslav Sivulsky: \"This complex was built at the expense of foreign religious organizations and exclusively by the believers themselves. So there is nothing illogical in the fact that these buildings were subsequently donated to the Watch Tower Society, at whose request the construction was carried out.\nAlexander Blokhin recalls: \"We saw with what enthusiasm, dedication, desire, joy fellow believers from many countries take part in this. They came with trailers, they lived there, in these trailers. That is, people made specific sacrifices. Today, seeing that what was built with such love, with such sacrifices, with such dedication, is simply taken away. It's just humanly very sad and painful.\" His wife Olga shares her feelings: \"It seems that a part of your heart was torn off from you, because smells, plants, everything that was there, as if it were all with your own hands, and a lot of soul was put into it.\"\nRecall that this happened in Russia only once, namely 100 years ago, in 1918. Then, by the Decree of the Council of People's Commissars, all the property of the Russian Orthodox Church was taken away. The decision of the Sestroretsky District Court has no analogues in the history of modern Russia.\nMikhail Sitnikov, journalist: \"If we proceed from normal human understanding, then this is a robbery. Actually, the same violence, the other side of the same violence, which was expressed in discrimination against religion and believers, was expressed in insults when they broke in during worship. It is expressed now in the fact that they are trying to take everything to the skin.\nGerhard Bézier, religious scholar: \"Such a step surprised me, because it harms the image of Russia in certain circles. In my opinion, there is no benefit for Russia in this. We must not give up trying to convey to the public what is happening, and especially to reach out to thinking people around the world.\"\nRoman Lunkin, religious scholar: \"I think that the time will come when the Russian state will have to carry out the same partial restitution of religious property that has been taking place since 2010 in relation to the Russian Orthodox Church and, of course, the state will sooner or later have to return to the principles of religious freedom, which means returning to Jehovah's Witnesses what is now being confiscated.\"\n\"If the case is considered purely according to the law, then we believe that the decision of the Sestroretsky District Court should be canceled and the prosecutor's claim should be denied,\" said lawyer Artur Leontiev. If any other considerations prevail, well, then we will continue the appeal further.\n\"Jehovah's Witnesses have dedicated all the property that can be seized to Jehovah God,\" says Yaroslav Sivulsky. Therefore, we believe that it belongs to God and is taken away from God. And the Bible teaches us to put all our worries on Him.\"\n","category":"overview","date":"2018-04-25T18:24:51+03:00","duration":"6:10","image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/04/305/solnechnoye_hu_80cc18bdd8229dbd.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/04/305/solnechnoye.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/04/305/solnechnoye_hu_b3b41bc3b5c09428.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/04/305/solnechnoye_hu_6bf156ba7abdbb29.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/04/305.html","regions":["stpetersburg"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["review","fabrications","video","administrative-center"],"title":"Seizure of foreign property by Russian authorities","type":"video"},{"body":"On May 3, 2018, the St. Petersburg City Court (second instance) will consider the appeal of the Watch Tower, Bibles, and Tracts Society of Pennsylvania, the owner of the cult complex worth about 2 billion rubles.\nOn December 7, 2017, after a 4-hour court hearing , the Sestroretsky District Court of St. Petersburg (first instance) concluded that the 18- and 8-year-old transactions for the acquisition of real estate by the Watch Tower Company were invalid. The court turned this property into state ownership, referring to the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, adopted in relation to another legal entity that had been operating in Russia since 1991.\nIt is noteworthy that earlier the state checked these transactions and did not find any violations in them. For 15 years, the Watch Tower Society paid high taxes to the treasury of the Russian Federation associated with the ownership of the complex.\nThe Pennsylvania Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society has been active since 1884 and serves the interests of Jehovah's Witnesses around the world. It is obvious that the decision of the Sestroretsky District Court of St. Petersburg is aimed at illegally depriving him of property rights on far-fetched grounds. Such a precedent clearly indicates the real risks of illegal seizure of real estate acquired in Russia, even despite the foreign or international status of the owner. The appeal hearing will begin on May 3, 2018 at 11:30 a.m. in the City Court building at 6 Basseynaya Street in St. Petersburg.\n","category":"property","date":"2018-04-11T11:12:23+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/04/298/180405_spb_gorsud4573_hu_e06c6f0d3b3ed8d6.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/04/298/180405_spb_gorsud4573.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/04/298/180405_spb_gorsud4573_hu_15988acfc5fb2c50.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/04/298/180405_spb_gorsud4573_hu_fb226e1ecf7bfd80.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/04/298.html","regions":["stpetersburg"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","administrative-center"],"title":"In St. Petersburg, the date of the appeal in the case of the seizure of the cult complex in the village of Solnechnoye has been set","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 14, 2017, about 40 employees of various departments, including the Ministry of Emergency Situations, seized and later sealed a huge worship building near the Pionerskaya metro station in St. Petersburg. Details are being clarified.\nThis building with the sign \"Assembly Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses\" was inaugurated in September 1999 at 21 Kolomyazhsky Prospekt. One of the specialized magazines published a brief architectural and design review of this building, as well as an interview with its architect Helenios Osmo Ilmari.\nArchival video (April 11, 2017) shows how believers gather for the last service in this building.\n","category":"from-the-scene","date":"2017-12-14T18:15:08+03:00","duration":"1:22","image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/12/276/20171214_0_hu_807ec00a0d59d588.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/12/276/20171214_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/12/276/20171214_0_hu_6888005e01d4b60b.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/12/276/20171214_0_hu_6e9de9520eaa7560.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/12/276.html","regions":["stpetersburg"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["video","buildings-seizure","administrative-center"],"title":"A liturgical building that served for thousands of St. Petersburg believers was seized and sealed","type":"video"},{"body":"On December 1, 2017, the European Court of Human Rights declared the complaint of Jehovah's Witnesses admissible, decided to consider it as a matter of priority, and ordered the Russian Federation to submit its explanations by March 23, 2018. The Russian Federation was invited to indicate its position regarding the conclusion of an amicable agreement in this case and to submit any proposals.\nThe complaint is titled \"Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia and Kalin v. Russian Federation\" (No. 1018817). It was sent to the European Court in connection with the decision of the Supreme Court of Russia of April 20, 2017 to liquidate all 396 organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia and ban their activities on the grounds provided for by anti-extremist legislation.\nRepresentatives of the Russian state will have to explain in writing to the international court: was there a violation of Article 11 of the European Convention, which guarantees the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and freedom of association with others? Has there been a violation of article 9, which guarantees the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, freedom to change one's religion or belief and freedom to manifest one's religion or belief, either individually or in community with others and in public or private, in worship, teaching or practising religion? Had there been a violation of article 14, which prohibits discrimination and guarantees equal rights for all, regardless of their religious beliefs or other characteristics? Separately, the question was raised whether there had been a violation of article 1 of Protocol 1 to the European Convention, which guarantees every natural or legal person the right to respect for their property, which implies that no one shall be deprived of his property except in the public interest and under the conditions provided for by law and general principles of international law?\nIt is well known that the decision to liquidate and ban all organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia entailed numerous violations of the rights of believers both by officials and by the aggressive part of society. With regard to individual believers, operational-search measures are being carried out, criminal cases are being initiated. Jehovah's Witnesses insist on the illegality of the decision against them.\n","category":"rights","date":"2017-12-11T23:48:02+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/12/275/shutterstock_34787520526192_hu_1916d43704934efe.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/12/275/shutterstock_34787520526192.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/12/275/shutterstock_34787520526192_hu_84ec0e7174c03c17.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/12/275/shutterstock_34787520526192_hu_5a4765714fb8a787.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/12/275.html","regions":["france"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["echr","complaints","administrative-center","mro"],"title":"The European Court will review the decision to ban Jehovah's Witnesses organizations in Russia as a matter of priority","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 7, 2017, after a 4-hour court hearing, the court announced the decision to invalidate the 17-year-old transaction. If this decision remains in force, it may entail the conversion of a large real estate object in the village of Solnechnoye (St. Petersburg) to the state. This decision casts a shadow on the inviolability of property rights in the Russian Federation, where no organization, even on an international scale, can be calm about its transactions, even if they are officially registered by authorized bodies.\nJehovah's Witnesses have dedicated all the confiscated property to Jehovah God, so they believe that it belongs to God and is being taken away from him. As the Bible calls, Jehovah's Witnesses place all their worries on God (1 Peter 5:7).\n","category":"property","date":"2017-12-07T18:23:50+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/12/274/2017-12-07-0-r_hu_871104ce5a17dd96.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/12/274/2017-12-07-0-r.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/12/274/2017-12-07-0-r_hu_df2e4c3ab98cd434.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/12/274/2017-12-07-0-r_hu_2ea88d9ebe752d46.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/12/274.html","regions":["stpetersburg"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","administrative-center","liquidation"],"title":"Sestroretsk District Court legalized the seizure of foreign property","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 7, 2017, at 2:00 p.m., the Sestroretsky District Court of St. Petersburg will begin consideration of a lawsuit filed by the prosecutor's office aimed at seizing a large real estate complex in St. Petersburg from a foreign organization, the Pennsylvania Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society.\nWe are talking about 14 buildings with an area of 33 thousand square meters, located on 10 hectares of landscaped territory in the village of Solnechnoye, Kurortny district of St. Petersburg. The complex has been openly owned since 2000 by the Watch Tower Society, an association that has been active since 1884 and serves the interests of Jehovah's Witnesses throughout the world.\nThe Russian Federation did not finance the construction of the complex. The abandoned pioneer camp was purchased commercially by Jehovah's Witnesses from a Russian company. The ownership of this complex, owned by the Watch Tower Society, was officially registered by the authorized bodies of the Russian Federation and was not disputed by anyone for 17 years. Over the years, the Watch Tower Society, as the owner of real estate, has transferred tens of millions of rubles in taxes to the Russian budget.\nContrary to official statements about the inviolability of private property in the Russian Federation, the prosecutor's office by its actions damages the country's business reputation. No one can feel protected in a state in which the property rights of even foreign associations of international scale are openly violated.\nThe hearing, chaired by Judge N.L. Bogdanova, will be held on December 7 at 14:00 in the Sestroretsk District Court at the address: Sestroretsk, Volodarsky Street, 41.\n","category":"property","date":"2017-12-04T12:21:23+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/12/268/_mg_102425992_hu_7914d1e424a1fcfa.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/12/268/_mg_102425992.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/12/268/_mg_102425992_hu_1d7775344fcebdea.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/12/268/_mg_102425992_hu_e25c39e0059d09a6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/12/268.html","regions":["stpetersburg"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["administrative-center","belongings-arrest"],"title":"Attempted seizure of foreign property by Russian authorities","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 17, 2017, at 11:00 a.m., a panel of three judges of the Supreme Court begins consideration of an appeal against the decision made by the same court to liquidate all 396 Jehovah's Witnesses organizations existing in Russia. A report from the courtroom is underway.\n","category":"org","date":"2017-07-17T10:13:45+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/07/194/img_7269_750_hu_b1604d4c134fa85d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/07/194/img_7269_750.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/07/194/img_7269_750_hu_deb8423c3f94b009.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/07/194/img_7269_750_hu_30f7705e2e2817ef.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/07/194.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["liquidation","appeal","supreme-court","mro","courtroom","administrative-center"],"title":"Hearing in the Russian Supreme Court on the Appeal of Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 17, 2017, the Supreme Court of Russia began hearings on the appeal the decision of April 20, 2017 to liquidate the Religious Organization \"Administrative Center of Witnesses\" Jehovah in Russia\". There is a text report from the\u0026nbsp;courtroom.\nApril 5–20, 2017 July 17, 2017 July 17, 2017 09:30 Dark clouds are falling over Moscow's Arbat district, where Russia's Supreme Court is located. At the entrance to the A large group of citizens has gathered in the courthouse, their number is approaching 150. Those who stand in At the beginning of the queue, we came to the entrance at 4 am. Journalists armed with filming equipment are noticeable. The Moscow police ensure public order. 10:00 The largest meeting room has been made available for hearings again. On the faces of the court employees there is a solemn expression, everyone tries to perform their duties flawlessly. A subdued hum can be heard in the hall. 10:05 Foreign speech is heard in the courtroom: there are quite a few foreign observers, most represent Jehovah's Witnesses organizations in different countries. There are also observers, who drove up to the courthouse in cars with diplomatic plates.\n10:40 The position of the administrative plaintiff is still empty. On the part of the administrative defendant — representative of the religious organization Vasily Mikhailovich Kalin, lawyers Viktor Zhenkov and Anton Omelchenko, lawyer Maksym Novakov.\n10:50 In the courtroom, leaning over their tablets, journalists from the Russian media are working. The place of the administrative plaintiff is taken by Svetlana Konstantinovna Borisova, who represented The Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation in the court of first instance. 11:10 Silence fell in the courtroom, the parties and observers awaited the appearance of the judges.\n11:11 The judges who will hear the case enter the courtroom. By announcing the case, they establish who represents Side. In addition to Kalin, Zhenkov, Omelchenko and Novakov, the side of the administrative defendant represents lawyer Yuriy Toporov. The composition of the Judicial Collegium is Judge Manokhina Galina Vladimirovna (Chairman), Vladimir Yurievich Zaitsev and Vladimir Valentinovich Popov. Neither side has It turns out that there are reasons to challenge one of the judges. 11:17 After the introductory remarks, Omelchenko's lawyer filed a motion to postpone the consideration of this until a decision is reached on the numerous private complaints that have been accepted for proceedings by the Appellate Chamber of the Supreme Court. The lawyer explains that the court's decision of 20 Numerous complaints were filed by persons who substantiated in detail that the decision was Their rights and interests were affected, which means that they should have been involved in the case. The fact that they don't had the opportunity to participate in the case, in itself indicates that the decision should be Automatically canceled. However, all these complaints were returned without any analysis of the cited Arguments. The court only stated that \"the appealed judicial act did not resolve the issue of their rights and responsibilities.\" In response, citizens filed private complaints, but contrary to all logic, the court intends to file them after the final decision on the case has been made. That's why the lawyer Requests that this hearing be adjourned pending the determination of the full number of participants in the proceedings on the appeal against the decision. 11:22 Omelchenko's lawyer files a motion to interrogate rehabilitated citizens from the number of Jehovah's Witnesses. The court of first instance refused to question them. Contrary to its promise, the court did not investigated to a proper extent the circumstances of political repression against Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, for example, did not pay attention to the question of what actions of state authorities have already recognized as political repression, and did not check whether these actions continue to be committed in the Jehovah's Witnesses at the present time. 11:28 Omelchenko's lawyer continues to petition for the interrogation of witnesses Pavel Bezhenar and Anatoliy Yasinsky. They are recognized victims of political repression as Jehovah's Witnesses. Them It is a well-known fact that the ban on religious organizations causes severe and unjustified persecution of believers of this religion. Thousands of Jehovah's Witnesses lost their lives in April 1951 of their property and were deported in freight cars from the western regions of the USSR for eternal settlement Subsequently, they were subjected to searches, confiscation of religious literature, and discrimination and imprisonment only because they lived according to the commandments of the Bible.\nBejenar, for example, is aware that in 1951 he and members of his family were deported from Moldova to the Tomsk region. Subsequently, he was convicted twice and spent 8 years in prisons imprisonment because he followed Christ's commandment: \"Return thy sword to its place; for all who take the sword shall perish by the sword.\" As a result of discrimination, he had to change his religion six times residence. In 1982, he faced a search and seizure of religious literature.\nRecognizing these people as victims of political repression, the state condemned \"years of terror, unleashed by the Bolshevik Party-Soviet regime against the clergy and believers of all denominations\", and also undertook to \"seek real guarantees of rule of law and human rights\". In fact, the state promised to make sure that the what they're up against.\n11:31 Novakov's representative files a motion to interrogate witnesses to the planting of extremist literature and other falsifications that were organized or used by law enforcement agencies, cases on which the Ministry of Justice relies in its lawsuit. Witnesses came to the courtroom and are ready to testify. 11:40 Novakov says that four witnesses came to the courtroom. The Court, without making a ruling on the asked if there were any other motions. Novakov petitions to be summoned to the hall another 53 witnesses of falsifications. 11:45 Omelchenko's lawyer files an extensive motion to demand evidence from the courts, to which refers to the Ministry of Justice, trying to prove \"extremism\" among Jehovah's Witnesses. A similar request was made It was filed in the court of first instance, but the court dismissed it. Therefore, the defendant requests The Court of Appeal should nevertheless request from the courts those materials of Jehovah's Witnesses that were recognized as \"extremist\". After all, court decisions in themselves do not have a prejudicial significance for of this case, as recognized by the court of first instance, due to the fact that the Administrative Center was not involved in the pending. 11:50 Omelchenko's lawyer reminds that the law obliges the court to directly investigate everything Evidence. For example, given the seriousness of the case to religious freedom throughout the world, territory of the Russian Federation, the Supreme Court must directly investigate the grounds for recognizing the literature of Jehovah's Witnesses as extremist, and whether these grounds are sufficient to meet the requirements of the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation. The court could be convinced that in the literature of the Witnesses There are no signs of incitement to hatred or enmity in the form determined by the Plenum of the Supreme Court in its judgment of 28 June 2011. Not a single court has found otherwise! (Under incitement to hatred and enmity, according to the Plenum, means statements justifying the need for genocide, repression, deportations, the use of violence against representatives of any nation, race or religion. As the Plenum emphasized, even criticism of religious beliefs or religious practices should not be seen as extremism.) 11:55 Continuing to speak about the need to demand evidence, counsel recalls that in the under a new clause in the law on combating extremist activity The Bible and Quotes from it cannot be recognized as extremist materials. Upon requesting evidence, the court may to make sure that the literature of Jehovah's Witnesses is always based on the Bible, encourages people to love of God and love of neighbor and strengthens faith in the Bible. This all means that literature Jehovah's Witnesses was recognized as \"extremist\" by misunderstanding, and in any case cannot serve grounds for banning an entire religion that has hundreds of thousands of adherents in Russia. 11:59 Having failed to resolve the previous motions, the court invited the lawyer Zhenkov to read out his petitions. 12:00 Zhenkov petitions for the interrogation of experts (religious scholars, linguists). In the court of first instance, the court unreasonably refused to do so. In the meantime, the explanations of specialists are necessary for the adoption of a legal and informed decision. For example, a specialist in religious studies could clarify the specific concepts that are used in the charter of a religious organization, as well as how the stated goals and objectives of Jehovah's Witnesses are put into practice. Importantly, he is a religious scholar could clarify whether belief in the truth of one's religion is unique to Jehovah's Witnesses or whether it is A characteristic feature of any religion. 12:03 The participation of a linguistic specialist is necessary because all accusations of extremism brought against the To Jehovah's Witnesses, they are not taken from real life or established offenses, but only from of their liturgical texts. It is linguists who are engaged in the analysis of texts. 12:04 Zhenkov filed another motion to admit new evidence. It's about events acts of vandalism and other offences that have taken place since the April 20 decision; provoked by the decision. These events are captured on video, and Zhenkov is petitioning to see them in the courtroom. 12:07 Since there are no more petitions, the court invites a representative of the Ministry of Justice to express his opinion. The representative of the Ministry of Justice objects to the postponement of the hearing, to the video recording, to the interrogation Witnesses are citizens of victims of political repression. In addition, the Ministry of Justice is against the interrogation of witnesses falsifications, against the demand for evidence from the courts. The representative of the Ministry of Justice believes that The petitions are aimed at reviewing the court decisions that have entered into force, which, in his opinion, Invalid. The representative of the Ministry of Justice considers the video with the facts of violation of the rights of citizens to be irrelevant Proof. 12:15 The court shall adjourn for deliberation on the motions. 12:25 Upon returning from the deliberation room, the court refuses to satisfy all the petitions. 12:30 Judge Manokhina begins her presentation of the essence of the case. 12:45 Having stated the arguments of the statement of claim, the position of the defendant, the court retells the essence of the decision, issued on April 20, 2017. 12:51 The court proceeds to retell the appeal filed on behalf of the religious organization. 12:58 At the end of the report, the court invites the defendant to give its explanations. The lawyer is the first to speak Zhenkov. Zhenkov's first thesis is that the court did not indicate evidence in its decision extremist activities of the Administrative Center. Zhenkov cites an excerpt from the court transcript of the first instance. The Court: \"How does it confirm that the organization carried out extremist activities? activity?\" Ministry of Justice: \"The religious organization has not taken any effective measures aimed at suppression of these activities...\" The court also inquired from the administrative plaintiff whether the Inadequate measures, or even inaction to be a sign of extremism? The Ministry of Justice, with reference to the law, was I have to admit that no, only deliberate actions can be extremism. 13:04 Zhenkov: \"If the Administrative Center did not commit extremist actions, then we are at the representative of the The Ministry of Justice was investigated in court whether each of the 395 local religious organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Has Russia committed extremist acts? The response of the Ministry of Justice was that only in relation to 10 Of these, there are court decisions, but there are no such data for the rest. A natural question is: if in the the court did not find that the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia and at least 385 local religious organizations committed any extremist actions, why did the court recognize them? extremist and liquidated?\" 13:08 It follows from the record of the hearing that the court of first instance gave the plaintiff clear legal issues that are important for the correct resolution of the case. The Court received replies that extremism is the specific actions listed in the law, and that the Administrative Center and more 300 local religious organizations did not commit such actions. But the court decision at the same time For some reason, the court ruled the exact opposite: to recognize all 396 organizations as extremist and eliminate them.\n\"How so, dear court? \"Shouldn't you, as a panel of judges, have that raise questions? If there are no extremist actions, then what is there to recognize? extremist?!\"\n13:10 Zhenkov gives an example. He says that during the court hearing we found out that there are Witnesses in Crimea For decades, Jehovah has been peacefully carrying out his religious activities. Once on the territory and in compliance with Russian law, Jehovah's Witnesses in Crimea asked the Russian Ministry of Justice register 22 of their local religious organizations. And the Ministry of Justice, recognizing the legitimacy of their the existence and legitimacy of their creed, in 2015 registered them. In this way, the state recognized that it is possible to believe in Jehovah God on the Crimean peninsula, and therefore a religion called Jehovah's Witnesses have the right to legally exist and act. So what's next? Less than two years later, without establishing signs of extremism in their actions, only on the instructions of the Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation, the same Ministry of Justice that registered them appealed To the court with a demand to recognize them as extremist organizations and to take away all their property. And the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, even without the participation of these legal entities, declared them extremist and liquidated, and also allowed all their property to be taken away. \"This raises questions that are both legal and universal,\" says Zhenkov, Why are believers in Crimea being punished in such a way? For what specific actions? Answers to these questions There are no questions in the court's decision. But can such a decision be legitimate?\"\n13:15 Zhenkov's second thesis is that the conclusions of the court of first instance do not correspond to circumstances of the administrative case. For example, the court's decision states: \"As follows from the over the past seven years, annually in accordance with the procedure prescribed by law the facts of extremist activities of the Organization are being established...\" However, the court established explicitly reverse. Lawyer Zhenkov: \"The administrative plaintiff admitted in court that in his actions The facts of extremist activity have not been established directly by the Administrative Center, and the court writes \"Established.\" 13:20 Zhenkov's third thesis: the court of first instance incorrectly determined the circumstances that are important for an administrative case. Zhenkov lists a number of examples. 13:30 Zhenkov cites an excerpt from the document of the Ministry of Justice: \"Recognition of information materials denominational Jehovah's Witnesses are extremist... Confirms... The fact that there is a in a manner that is impermissibly offensive from the point of view of the legislation of the Russian Federation expressing conviction in the truth of their religious beliefs, and in this case not even in the truth of beliefs, but in the interpretation of the ordinances contained in the Bible.\"\nSuch a characterization does not correspond to reality. Zhenkov draws attention to the fact that the overwhelming majority of Jehovah's Witnesses' publications were recognized as \"extremist\" eight years ago. At that time, there was no Resolution No. 11 of the Plenum of the Supreme Court, in which clarification of what the courts should understand by incitement to hatred or enmity.\nPrior to 2011, some courts erroneously held that if the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses is named in literature, the only true one, is a sign of incitement to hatred, since it is an insult for other religions. And if the literature of Jehovah's Witnesses says that the Trinity is not biblical teaching, such an interpretation of the Bible is all the more so, in the opinion of some judges, incited hatred. But that wasn't until 2011, when the Supreme Court clarified that the criticism religious associations, religious beliefs, religious customs shall not be considered as an action aimed at inciting hatred or enmity. It took years for all They finally understood that to consider only their religion to be true is not extremism, but the norm for Believer. 13:45 Zhenkov draws attention to the fact that the Administrative Center was denied participation in the court cases on the recognition of printed materials as extremist. In some cases, believers They don't even know why this or that book was recognized as extremist, since the court considered that Jehovah's Witnesses had nothing to do with it. The same position has been consistently taken by the Supreme Court of Russia, as a result, the Administrative Center had no right either to participate in the process or to lead to the court, their arguments, nor to appeal against the court's decisions. And now, for some reason, the court of first instance took the exact opposite approach. The court now considers that on the basis of these decisions The administrative center can be liquidated.\n\"Dear court,\" says Zhenkov, \"you have the opportunity to correct this injustice. It is important for the Supreme Court to be consistent, because it is a model for all courts in Russia.\"\n13:50 Zhenkov's fourth thesis is the disproportionality of the court's decision. Zhenkov cites an excerpt from the court's decision: \"Contrary to the Organization's objections, such interference is proportionate and necessary ... so how to ensure the elimination of violations of the rights, freedoms and legitimate interests of an indefinite number of persons, a real threat of harm to the person, the health of citizens, public order, public security, society and the state.\" 13:52 \"But, dear Court, let's look at the facts and see who is threatening whom and who is hurting whom \"In the court of first instance, it was established that for 26 years of official the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia have not been harmed either by the state or by morality in the Society. There are no acts of vandalism on the part of Jehovah's Witnesses, no violence. There is no violence, even acts of protest! It turns out that the threat that the court writes about in its decision is imaginary, far-fetched. If it were real, it would have been in the 26 years of its official existence in Russia and in the 100 years unofficial, it would have come true. But the court's decision does not contain facts of harm from their Activities. What kind of threat to society and the state can we talk about if just recently, on May 31, In 2017, the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin presented the Order of Parental Glory in the Kremlin the family of Jehovah's Witnesses?\" 13:55 On the other hand, because of the court decision, the believers themselves are subjected to a significant violation of their rights. Zhenkov cites various facts confirming this. For example, the facts of refusing believers to replace military service as an alternative civilian service on the basis of a court decision. Completing his Zhenkov attaches copies of draft commission protocols and summonses from the military registration and enlistment office to the case. 13:56 It is the turn of Representative Toporov to give explanations. The first point of his speech focuses on Article 310 of the Administrative Procedure Code of the Russian Federation, according to which \"decisions of the court of first instance are subject to unconditional cancellation in the event of a court decision on the rights and obligations of persons not involved in the participation in an administrative case.\" 14:00 By a court decision, the religious organization \"Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia\" and local religious organizations that are part of its structure. All these local religious Organizations are clearly listed in the decision of the court of first instance, and this transfer takes up half of the the text of the entire decision. However, these 395 organizations were not involved in the trial. 14:20 The conclusions of the court of first instance contradict all the long-standing established judicial practice cases against local religious organisations, Toporov said. Qua evidence he cites the ruling that the Russian Supreme Court indicated in its judgment of 8 December 2009:\n\"Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia and Local religious organization Jehovah's Witnesses \"Taganrog\" are independent organizations, which is also confirmed by the evidence accepted by the court of cassation, including a scheme for the structure of religious organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses \"Taganrog\". The question of rights and obligations of the Administrative Center by the Rostov Regional Court the above-mentioned statement of the prosecutor of the Rostov region was not resolved by the decision of Rostovsky On September 11, 2009, the regional court recognized as extremist and liquidated the local Religious Organization of Jehovah's Witnesses \"Taganrog\".\nAt the same time, this ruling of the court is of prejudicial importance for the present case, since it was issued by the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation in respect of the administrative defendant. It sets that the fact that the liquidation of a local religious association that was part of the structure of the Administrative Center, does not affect the rights and obligations of the latter, since this local The religious association and the Administrative Center are independent organizations. Court of the first instance ignored this evidence, which led to his misapplication of the the rules of substantive law when making the Decision.\n14:24 The above argument supports Toporov's second thesis: the court's decision is subject to cancellation due to improper application of substantive law. Trying to justify the recognition of LROs as structural subdivisions of the administrative defendant, for the actions of which he should be responsible, the court allowed misapplication of substantive law by applying laws that are not applicable, and namely the laws \"On Political Parties\" and \"On Public Associations\". The Court Gave Wrong interpretation of the law \"On Freedom of Conscience and Religious Associations\", \"On Counteraction to the Religious Association\" extremist activity\", the Administrative Procedure Code of the Russian Federation, including without taking into account the legal positions contained in the decisions of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation, the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation and the Presidium of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation courts of the Russian Federation. 14:32 The third thesis of Toporov's speech is that the court's decision is subject to cancellation in connection with the failure to prove the circumstances established by the court of first instance. 14:35 As an example of the failure to prove the circumstances specified in the court decision, Toporov cites an excerpt from the decision that the Administrative Center participated in the financing of LROs that are recognized as Extremist. This fact is cited in order to prove its extremist nature activities of the Administrative Center. However, the Ministry of Justice did not submit to the court (according to Toporov, deliberately!) relevant donation agreements and donation decisions of the Administrative Centre, from which it follows that the donation of funds to these organizations was carried out, firstly, several years before they were recognized as extremist and, secondly, for clearly defined purposes: construction of worship buildings, assistance to victims of natural disasters, payment of utility bills payments and fulfillment of other obligations to the state. All these contracts and decisions have been transferred By the Administrative Center to the Ministry of Justice in the course of the inspection that preceded the appeal of the Ministry of Justice to the court. 14:45 Explanations to the court are given by the representative Novakov. And his first thought is that the circumstances referred to by the court related to the commission of administrative offences, have no prejudicial effect in this case. 14:54 Novakov shows the court a sequence of CCTV footage clearly showing that extremist publications were planted on Jehovah's Witnesses. He cites other egregious facts testifying to the falsification of evidence against Jehovah's Witnesses in the regions of Russia. All of these falsified cases are at the heart of this case. 15:10 Novakov draws attention to paragraph 34 of Resolution No. 16 of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of the Federation on June 15, 2010. The Plenum clarified that \"new facts\" (i.e., facts revealed by Within 12 months of the issuance of the warning) may not be recognized those violations that are were identified after the warning was issued, but were admitted in materials distributed earlier Warning. Novakov draws attention to the fact that the court of first instance did not give any assessment of this the fact that, although these warnings were issued after March 2, 2016, they were announced in the events that \"took place\" prior to the issuance of the warning by the Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation Federations in Voronezh, Snezhnogorsk, Stavropol. 15:24 Omelchenko's lawyer begins to give his explanations. In response to the court's request not to repeat the explanation of his colleagues, Omelchenko loud and clear declares his intention to focus on the violation international law. 15:25 Omelchenko draws attention to the fact that there is a violation of the right to a fair trial, guaranteed by Article 6 of the European Convention. 15:29 Omelchenko convincingly argues that the court also violated the ban politically motivated prosecution under Article 18 of the Convention, read in conjunction with Articles 9 and 6 Convention. The European Court of Human Rights in its judgment in the case of Merabishvili v. Georgia\" points to the clearest signs of political repression: when state authorities unequivocally resist the repeated appeals of the complainant, the public and even some high-ranking civil servants about an objective and thorough investigation, to argue that the measures applied to the applicant are not a means of a legitimate response to his behavior, but by means of political persecution. This is exactly what is happening to Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. 15:35 Omelchenko points out that there was a violation of the right to freedom of religion, speech and association. Articles 9, 10 and 11 of the Convention. For example, he pays attention to the requirement international law that State intervention must be provided for by law. In In particular, the law must be definite and its application predictable. Omelchenko based on materials of this case proves that the application of anti-extremist legislation to Jehovah's Witnesses is uncertain and unpredictable. 15:40 International law requires that state intervention pursue a legitimate purpose and was also necessary in a democratic society. Omelchenko draws attention to the fact that In its 100-year history, no extremist manifestations on the part of the Witnesses have been recorded Jehovah. But after this decision, a huge number of believers were subjected to groundless violation of their rights. 15:45 The representative of the Administrative Center Kalin supported the appeal and the explanations of the lawyers. The right to present her explanations was transferred to the representative of the Ministry of Justice Borisova. 15:50 The Ministry of Justice believes that the court decision to ban Jehovah's Witnesses organizations was lawful and fair. Borisova says that every religion has the right to spread its own beliefs and views, but the wording should not offend adherents of other religions. 16:00 Borisova cites the facts of interaction between the Administrative Center and local religious organizations. Along In the opinion of the Ministry of Justice, this should indicate a single structure, integrity and identity religious organizations. 16:19 Concluding his speech, the representative of the Ministry of Justice asks to leave the court's decision unchanged, and the appeal was dismissed. 16:20 The court has no questions to the representative of the Ministry of Justice. The court proceeds to examine the materials of the case. Representatives of the defendants ask to make public a number of materials of the case, but Judge Manokhina is resolute He said: \"We didn't receive the case yesterday. We have been preparing it for a long time. And with all these documents are well known.\" 16:29 A 20-minute break is announced.\n16:50 After the break, the court asks a representative of the Ministry of Justice to express his opinion on the disclosure of the materials cases requested by the defendant. The Ministry of Justice objects. The Court decides to make public some of the stated case materials. 16:54 The court announces the conclusions of the legal expert opinion, which analyses the norms anti-extremist legislation, namely, the concept of \"structural subdivision\" as applied to the religious organizations. The conclusions reached by the experts are that from the point of view of rights, local religious organizations cannot be attributed to a structural unit centralized organizations. 17:00 A public statement of the Administrative Center is announced, distributed in February 2017. A religious expert report on the Witnesses is being read out Jehovah. 17:20 Representative Novakov selectively draws the court's attention to the case materials in the 38th and 39th volumes of the case. The documents reveal false accusations of \"extremism\" against Jehovah's Witnesses. To For example, the case contains a number of documents in which people who acted as \"witnesses\" against believers, report that they gave their testimony against the believers under pressure from employees law enforcement agencies, without warning of liability for knowingly false denunciation. 17:27 The Court will now proceed to its debate. Zhenkov is the first to speak. 17:30 Lawyer Zhenkov: There are a lot of people outside the walls of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation and millions of citizens everywhere The entire system of justice in modern Russia will be judged by today's decision. its fairness, its impartiality, and its independence from any influential persons and government agencies. Why? Because today it is the organizations that belong to the religion that are being judged, known all over the world.\nThis religion is known for the fact that its followers strive to live according to the commandments of Jesus Christ, set forth in the Bible. Under no circumstances do they take up arms, do not interfere in the politicians, do not set the goal of overthrowing state power, try to show love to everyone people, regardless of their religion, nationality, social status. Everything is alien to them, which is called extremism in the Law \"On Countering Extremist Activity\". 17:31 Lawyer Zhenkov: All civilized countries of the world are fighting extremism because it is good understand the essence of this phenomenon and its dangers. But there are no Jehovah's Witnesses in any country in the world equated with extremists. And Jehovah's Witnesses around the world profess the same Bible-based creeds. In every country in the world, these Christians worship Jehovah God, In every country of the world, Jesus Christ is an example to follow for them, who did only good. For Jehovah's Witnesses in every country in the world, the source of wisdom is the same Bible. Therefore, if extremism was manifested in their behavior, words and deeds, it would be would be visible on a global scale. But Jehovah's Witnesses do not have a reputation for extremism around the world. And in our country, they do not have such a reputation. 17:33 Lawyer Zhenkov: Yes, in our country people have different impressions of Jehovah's Witnesses, however as well as representatives of other religions. God Himself gave people the freedom to choose. And according to us, By law, we are obliged to respect the choice of another person. Some may not understand why Jehovah's Witnesses adhere so strictly to the Bible's moral standards. Someone may not be able to I like their active preaching. Some may disagree with how Jehovah's Witnesses understand Bible. But none of the citizens associate Jehovah's Witnesses with extremists. History Jehovah's Witnesses proved that extremism and the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses are completely incompatible concepts. 17:35 Lawyer Zhenkov: Why then did the court of first instance make such a decision on April 20, 2017? An unprecedented decision for modern Russia - it banned the existence of all legal entities at once Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, and there were 396 of them? There is only one reason: the incorrect use of anti-extremist Legislation. Even a respected representative of the ministry incorrectly quoted the law today: \"the superiority of one religion over another.\" In fact, there is no such thing in the law. There is propaganda the superiority of man over man on the basis of religion. 17:38 Lawyer Zhenkov: I have already said in the court of first instance, and I want to repeat here that this is the case happened only once in the history of our state, soon after the October Revolution. In 1918 On the basis of a decree of the Council of People's Commissars, all religious organizations were deprived of their rights All Orthodox churches and all the property of religious organizations were confiscated. The state recognized these actions as a mistake. But for some reason, now, 100 years later, the court of the first He repeats this mistake, but this time against Jehovah's Witnesses. 17:39 Lawyer Zhenkov: The fact of rehabilitation of thousands of Jehovah's Witnesses in our country as victims political repression shows that miscarriages of justice have cost millions dearly in the past. than innocent citizens of our country. Dear court, you have both the opportunity and the authority today to correct the miscarriage of justice by reversing the decision of the court of first instance. 17:40 Lawyer Zhenkov: Can a court decision that liquidates 395 local residents be legal? religious organizations without their participation, without even giving them the opportunity to be heard and Defend yourself in court? Can the decision to recognize those legal entities as extremist be legitimate? persons in whose actions no signs of extremism have been established? Can there be a legitimate decision The consequences of which result in acts of violence, vandalism, hatred towards people who were not so long ago They were tolerant, but now they are hated only because they have been declared by the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation Outlawed? 17:42 Summing up the speech in the debate, lawyer Zhenkov: \"Of course, each of us has the right to have your point of view in relation to any religious denomination and religion in general. But no one has the right use the law to persecute dissidents. This persecution for faith can now be either stop by reversing the decision of the court of first instance, or ignite it if upheld. And let your Your conscience, dear judges, will tell you what is the right thing to do.\" 17:42 The representative of Toporov begins to speak in the debate.\nRepresentative Toporov: Is it possible to liquidate a legal entity in court in Russia without it? Participation? That is, without involving this person as a defendant? Is this fair? Lawfully? Court The court of first instance argues that it turns out that it is possible. That it's fair and perfectly legal. Not one, and 395 at once in one fell swoop. And what does the law say? And what does common sense say? And what does it say? Do you have a conscience? The law says that the liquidation of a legal entity in court is possible only if such a A person is brought to court as a defendant, since the very existence of this person is being decided. The law says: if the court has resolved this issue without involving the liquidated legal entity in the case, Such a decision shall be subject to unconditional cancellation. Why? It violates a fundamental right to a fair trial, to judicial protection.\n17:43 Representative Toporov: And what does common sense tell us? It's clear that if you're on trial, then you have the right to at least participate in this court, to defend yourself by all legal means. And otherwise it turns out like in the Russian folk proverb: \"Without me, I was married.\" Finally, what says Do you have a conscience? And conscience says that any court without the involvement of the one who is being judged and wanted liquidation, this is an unfair trial. Jesus Christ was judged and condemned by the Jewish Sanhedrin supreme court. It was an unfair trial. Illegal. But even he did not dare to judge Jesus without his involvement. And the court of first instance decided to do so.\n17:45 Representative Toporov: We have before us the decision of the court of first instance on the liquidation of the Administrative and 395 other legal entities – local religious organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses. But none of them of the local religious organizations was not involved in the case, did not speak in the case of any the defendant or the interested party. Are you familiar with such court decisions? I'm in my practice I haven't. Even associations that are not legal entities, in the event of a court decision on prohibiting their activities, the law obliges them to search for them at different addresses and to publish information about their activities. on the official websites of courts and government agencies. Why? To ensure such an association of citizens has the right to judicial protection. And we have 395 registered by the state Moreover, all of them filed official applications to the court to join the case. However all their statements, and then their appeals, in order to enter the case and defend themselves, to defend themselves their good name, to protect their right to exist, were rejected by the court of first instance with one \"Your rights are not affected\"! What is the meaning of this? Their rights are \"not affected\" but They have been liquidated by the court, recognized as extremist, their activities are prohibited, but \"the rights are not are affected.\" Where is the justice here? Legality? Conscience? Such a decision of the court is impossible to understand, not to accept. But this monstrous mistake can still be corrected. And you, dear court, can do it do today. 17:47 Representative of Toporov: Extremism of Jehovah's Witnesses continues to be extremism in the world paper drawn by extremism, virtual, contrived. At the same time, natural questions arise: Is there extremism without consequences? Could it be that someone is carrying out extremist activities? And there are no victims, no consequences? Can there be extremism in the form of inaction? Court of the first instance believes that it can. Russian legislation and common sense suggest the opposite. 17:48 Representative Toporov: You, dear court, are you, here and today, who can eliminate this injustice and dishonesty towards hundreds of thousands of Russian citizens, reinstate them good name, strengthen the credibility of the Anti-Extremism Law by clearly showing the distinction between real extremists and extremists drawn on paper. We hope that the court will have enough the courage to do so and to make a fair and impartial decision, guided by the law and a gift from God, a human conscience. 17:50 Statement of Novakov's representative in the court debate. The representative focuses on the analysis the so-called \"new facts\" of extremist activity that allegedly took place during the year after a warning has been issued. These \"facts\" were clearly falsified. 17:54 The courts proceeded from the presumption of guilt of local religious organisations, Novakov said. For example, if There was a banned book in the houses of worship, and the courts ruled solely on the basis of assumptions that the book belongs to an organization. 17:58 In his speech, Novakov raises the question of whether the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses contains signs listed in the Federal Law \"On Countering Extremist Activity\" extremism and calls for extremist actions? Does the Managerial Its goal is to carry out extremist activities? What is the purpose of the creed? Jehovah's Witnesses?\nNovakov shows that in the present case there is not only a subjective side extremist activity of the Administrative Center (intent, purpose), but not even objective parties (statements, motives, appeals, specific actions).\n18:03 Novakov: The plaintiff calls peace-loving citizens extremists. Hitler once swore to destroy Jehovah's Witnesses for refusing to show extremism, and the Ministry of Justice today asks to hang Jehovah's Witnesses are labeled extremists. At the same time, the accusations humiliate Jehovah's Witnesses, as well as how they are accused of lying. We have no reason not to trust members of local religious organizations organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses brought to administrative responsibility, which allege, that they did not disseminate extremist materials, but became victims of falsification. We Believe in the Witnesses Jehovah not only because they presented 100% proof of fraud, but also because they because they are highly moral people who live in accordance with the biblical commandment: \"In all things we want to behave honestly.\" Accusations of lying degrade the human dignity of Witnesses. The following events were carried out: psychophysiological research on Jehovah's Witnesses. Studies have established: Witnesses Jehovah speaks the truth, which is perfectly natural to them. 18:07 Novakov: From the arguments of the plaintiff, it follows that anyone, and this happens en masse, can come to places where Jehovah's Witnesses worship services are held in Russia, ask for or take literature from FSEM. But the surprising thing is that with such information, neither the FSB officers nor the CPE officers For some reason, they cannot provide documented evidence of such a transfer (at the audio and video media). There is no hidden audio and video footage that captures this, despite that the police were conducting an operational activity and could have made covert filming of the relevant facts if the They were. At the court hearing, it was found out that the administrative plaintiff had no evidence objective recording or other documented evidence of the transmission by the Witnesses Jehovah's literature from the FSEM, for example, on video. 18:09 Novakov: However, the Administrative Center is ready to provide a lot of documented and recorded evidence to the contrary. An Attack on Jehovah's Witnesses in the Form of Their Confession extremist religious associations are completely unfair. Therefore, we ask the court to make a decision A Fair Appellate Ruling in the Case: Preventing the \"Judicial Killing\" of the Right to Liberty conscience and religion for hundreds of thousands of believing citizens of Russia. 18:11 Omelchenko's lawyer makes the closing speech in the debate.\nLawyer Omelchenko: Dear court! Dear participants of the process! In speaking on this case, I He has repeatedly referred to authoritative sources of law. In support of my position, I pointed out that the requirements of the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation violate the Basic Law of the Russian Federation and the provisions of the Convention on the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights of the United Nations Rights.\n18:13 Lawyer Omelchenko: But I also want to draw attention to the existence of a law that is higher than this. In In democratic countries, this law is given a special place. So part of the modern legal doctrine of Anglo-American law for almost three hundred years is William Blackstone's postulate: \"This the law of nature, which is the same age as mankind and is dictated by God Himself, is unquestionable, surpasses all others in terms of obligation. It is obligatory everywhere on earth, in all countries and at all times: if human laws contradict it, they lose their force.\" In addition to the law There is also the \"law of revelation\" recorded in the Bible, the Law of God: \"On the These two pillars, the law of nature and the law of revelation, are the foundation of all human laws; that There is no way to let human laws contradict them.\" 18:14 Lawyer Omelchenko: On the need to obey the natural law, as history shows, can be forgotten by those in power in totalitarian states. For example, in the Nazi In Germany, many officials believed that they were simply following the law of their country. That's the kind of they took a position at the Nuremberg Trials. However, the tribunal proceeded from the common duty of each to obey the law of nature, the law of humanity, the law of conscience. This law is a fundamental source of international law. But because it was forgotten in Nazi Germany, he had to be reminded with the help of principles, the Nuremberg Principles. The first: \"Every person Whoever commits an act recognized as a crime under international law shall be liable to responsibility for it and is subject to punishment.\" The second: \"The fact that under domestic law there is no penalty for any act recognized under international law, does not relieve the perpetrator of the act from responsibility under international law. law.\" At the same time, principle VI refers to crimes against humanity as extermination and other inhumane acts committed against the civilian population or the persecution of the political or religious motives. 18:15 Lawyer Omelchenko: It is obvious that in the present process without recourse to natural law It is impossible to make a lawful and fair decision, because even the best laws need to be Apply correctly. First, as my colleagues have shown and with which the administrative plaintiff agrees, the persecution of religious associations of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia is due to the fact that they are as true The teachings disseminate God's laws recorded in the Bible among the people of Russia. Earlier I showed that Such behavior is a simple exercise of the rights to freedom of religion, freedom of opinion, freedom of associations guaranteed by the articles of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, the Convention and the International Covenant. But You will agree that from the standpoint of natural law it is unthinkable to justify the persecution of a person, propagandizing the need to live by the principle: \"Love your neighbor as yourself,\" even if He claims that he strongly disagrees with all those who do not believe this to be true. 18:16 Omelchenko's lawyer: Secondly, it is necessary to admit that the task of this legal proceeding is is not the final solution to the question of Jehovah's Witnesses, but like any other Administrative proceedings – protection of violated or disputed rights, freedoms and legal interests of citizens, rights and legitimate interests of organizations. The need to ensure the implementation of the right to a fair trial. But doesn't justice itself say that you can't? To liquidate religious associations without providing them with an effective means of protection? Isn't it Those believers who have suddenly been deprived of their seats should be allowed to speak out in their defense worship of God and the right to establish new religious organizations, although they have not violated any law And did nothing but good to their fellow-men? I am convinced that the esteemed court cannot agree that 395 local religious organizations were not even heard in court and were liquidated without them Participation. 18:18 Omelchenko's lawyer: Thirdly, the organization I represent before the court calls on the Honourable Court for Protection from Inhuman and Degrading Treatment, Discrimination and political repression. As a lawyer, I argued that such an appeal is inadmissible from the position of Constitution of the Russian Federation, Convention. But now is the time to understand that the administrative plaintiff is calling for committing inhuman acts against the civilian population of Jehovah's Witnesses, their persecution for political and religious reasons. And the most ardent detractors sincerely hope that after the entry into force of the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, there are more Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia That is, they think that the believers of this peace-loving denomination will be exterminated. 18:19 Omelchenko's lawyer: Who can prevent the commission of this crime against Humanity? You, dear court. In view of the foregoing, I ask the Decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of 20 April 2017, to cancel in its entirety and to make a new decision in the case, which satisfied the the administrative claim of the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation is to be dismissed. 18:20 In her concluding remarks, Kalin's representative thanks the court for its attention and asks for a fair decision. 18:21 The floor was given to Borisova, the plaintiff's representative, to speak in the debate. 18:22 Borisova: the offense \"is of a dangerous, systematic, deliberate and gross nature.\" 18:24 Borisova quotes from the state strategy for countering extremism. Asks to refuse satisfaction of the appeal, and the decision of the first instance to leave unchanged. 18:27 The court retires to the deliberation room to make a final decision. 18:40 Journalists - representatives of central TV channels - begin to work in the hall. Mounted on tripods about 10 TV cameras. 19:10 On July 17, 2017, the Supreme Court of Russia missed the last chance to restore law and justice for 175,000 Russian citizens professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Less than an hour of meeting it took a panel of three Supreme Court justices to uphold the decision, adopted earlier by Judge Yuriy Ivanenko, on the liquidation and prohibition of all registered organizations of this religion.\nSince there are no more effective domestic remedies, believers will appeal to the European Court of Human Rights and other international organizations.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2017-07-17T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"svg":"/img/news/verdict.svg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/07/193.html","regions":[],"subtitle":null,"tags":["supreme-court","courtroom","liquidation","administrative-center","mro"],"title":"Report: Supreme Court Hears Appeal Banning Jehovah's Witnesses Religion","type":"news"},{"body":"On Monday, July 17, 2017, a hearing will be held on the appeal of the \"Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia\" against the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of April 20, 2017. This decision affected all 175,000 followers of this religion in Russia, as all their 396 registered organizations in Russia were liquidated with a single stroke of the pen, and their activities were banned. In addition, the court ordered the confiscation of the property of all these religious organizations. As a result, in addition to the complaint from the Administrative Center, a total of hundreds of appeals were filed against this decision from the remaining 395 liquidated local religious organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses and from hundreds of individuals whose rights were directly affected by the court decision.\nThe hearing will begin at 11:00 a.m. ","category":"org","date":"2017-07-10T15:51:55+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/07/189/supremecourt-02_1_hu_6f94193f48413aef.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/07/189/supremecourt-02_1.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/07/189/supremecourt-02_1_hu_b4a658cdc4ba2873.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/07/189/supremecourt-02_1_hu_f34d62b92cfde2a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/07/189.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["supreme-court","mro","administrative-center","liquidation","buildings-seizure","complaints"],"title":"Announcement: On July 17, 2017, the Russian Supreme Court may overturn the decision against Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 17, 2017, a hearing is scheduled on appeal against the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of April 20, 2017 on the liquidation of the Religious Organization \"Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia\". The complaint was filed on May 19, 2017 by the Administrative Center. In addition, complaints were sent from all 395 liquidated local religious organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses. The court's decision also affected the rights of individual citizens, so at least 400 appeals were sent to the court on behalf of individuals.\n","category":"org","date":"2017-06-01T23:02:25+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/06/173/supremecourt-031777_1_hu_9d349f06d9109ec6.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/06/173/supremecourt-031777_1.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/06/173/supremecourt-031777_1_hu_5b35ea7f35091eae.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/06/173/supremecourt-031777_1_hu_4a7abee263f39599.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/06/173.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["mro","administrative-center","liquidation","supreme-court","complaints","appeal"],"title":"A review of the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation regarding Jehovah's Witnesses is scheduled for July 17, 2017","type":"news"},{"body":"A 26-minute speech by a lawyer in a debate at a historic trial to ban Jehovah's Witnesses. \"The most dangerous form of extremism is a wave of persecution of believers just because they worship God,\" Novakov said.\n","category":"org","date":"2017-05-16T17:45:33+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/05/164/novakov_hu_83f28f3bd3956a06.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/05/164/novakov.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/05/164/novakov_hu_e83ba20e6d4a0e22.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/05/164/novakov_hu_73f8c68143513b7f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/05/164.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["audio","supreme-court","courtroom","administrative-center","mro","liquidation"],"title":"Audio: Maxim Novakov's speech before the Supreme Court of Russia","type":"news"},{"body":"On the night of April 22, 2017, in the city of Gukovo (Rostov Region), unknown persons damaged a household where Jehovah's Witnesses worship were held. They broke the mailbox, threw mud at the front door and dented the fence.\nOn the night of April 30, 2017, in Achinsk (Krasnoyarsk region), one of the local residents, aggressively opposed to Jehovah's Witnesses, broke a window in the house where Jehovah's Witnesses worship were held. The next day, the believers asked him to stop such hooligan actions. However, the local resident reacted aggressively and said that he would not stop doing what he was doing.\nOn the night of April 30, 2017, in Penza, unknown intruders entered the territory of the house where Jehovah's Witnesses worship were held. They broke down the gate and hung it on an arch above the place where it was installed.\nOn the night of May 2, 2017, in Kaliningrad, unknown assailants smashed a window with a stone in the house where a family of Jehovah's Witnesses lives. At that time, a relative of the believers was in the house. When the glass was broken, he was in shock for several minutes. Believers report that he has always had peaceful, good-neighborly relations in the district. The only reason for the incident, he believes, is hatred caused by the decision of the Supreme Court to liquidate Jehovah's Witnesses and incited in the media.\n","category":"crime","date":"2017-05-05T16:53:56+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/05/157/vandalizm2_hu_c72c0c3ccc67348a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/05/157/vandalizm2.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/05/157/vandalizm2_hu_53eb6a0262b25026.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/05/157/vandalizm2_hu_7d4b0bbf21189602.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/05/157.html","regions":["rostov","krasnoyarsk","penza","kaliningrad"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["vandalism","hatred-attacks","administrative-center"],"title":"Four New Cases of Vandalism After the Supreme Court Decision Against Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"4-minute speech by the Chairman of the Steering Committee of the \"Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia\" in the debate at the historic trial to ban Jehovah's Witnesses. \"Madness and a crime against his own people,\" he called the lawsuit of the Ministry of Justice.\n","category":"org","date":"2017-05-04T15:56:18+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/05/155/kalin_hu_46dadee8b9bd6e25.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/05/155/kalin.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/05/155/kalin_hu_9d6f26830868bc2c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/05/155/kalin_hu_1d348682203ef6ce.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/05/155.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["audio","supreme-court","mro","administrative-center","liquidation","courtroom"],"title":"Audio: Vasily Kalin's speech before the Supreme Court of Russia","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 20, 2017, Sergey Cherepanov of the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia made a 13-minute comment during the court debate at the historic trial to ban Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.\n","category":"org","date":"2017-05-02T13:39:58+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/05/153/cherepanov_hu_a128b7107dc069b7.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/05/153/cherepanov.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/05/153/cherepanov_hu_f6f6d94b3c948046.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/05/153/cherepanov_hu_dd93c447f70c39b9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/05/153.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["liquidation","audio","administrative-center","mro","supreme-court","courtroom"],"title":"Audio: Sergey Cherepanov's speech before the Supreme Court of Russia","type":"news"},{"body":"It took the Russian Supreme Court six days to rule on the Justice Ministry's lawsuit to liquidate and ban all 396 registered Jehovah's Witnesses organizations in Russia.\n\"When the judge rejected one petition after another, it seemed that everything, the issue was already a foregone conclusion,\" says Yaroslav Sivulsky, a member of the steering committee of the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. The lawyers filed various petitions for admission to participate in the case of representatives of local organizations, for the involvement of experts, for the study of various documents, but the judge's words sounded again and again in the courtroom: \"The court, having listened to the opinion of the persons participating in the case, determined: to refuse to satisfy the petition.\"\nYaroslav Sivulsky: \"In general, about seventeen petitions were rejected and only one was granted by the court. We did not see any evidence in favor of the Justice Department's claim. To clarifying questions, a representative of the Ministry of Justice often said: \"I don't know,\" \"I don't know.\"\nFragment of the dialogue between the court and the representative of the Ministry of Justice (from the transcript of the trial). Judge Ivanenko: \"You were preparing for the trial...\" - \"Yes.\" - \"Surely you know what kind of threat we are talking about?\" - \"Now I find it difficult to answer.\"\nFragment of the dialogue between lawyer Zhenkov and a representative of the Ministry of Justice. Zhenkov: \"Tell me, are there any cases of violations of public order by Jehovah's Witnesses under the influence of the literature of Jehovah's Witnesses read? Do you have such facts?\" - \"No, I do not have such facts.\"\nFragment of the dialogue between the lawyer Omelchenko and the representative of the Ministry of Justice. Omelchenko: \"Please name which local religious organization spent what amount and on what type of extremist activity\" - \"We do not check local religious organizations.\" - \"That is, you do not have such information?\" - \"No.\"\n8 witnesses were questioned in court, including 4 witnesses from the plaintiff's side. \"They failed to cite a single fact confirming the extremist activities of Jehovah's Witnesses,\" says Yaroslav Sivulsky.\nUnder the sights of dozens of cameras, Judge Yuriy Ivanenko announced the verdict: \"The Supreme Court of the Russian Federation decided to satisfy the administrative claim of the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation ...\" And on the same day, unknown persons threw stones at the worship building of Jehovah's Witnesses in St. Petersburg. A similar development of events was predicted during the pleadings by the representative of the defendant, Maxim Novakov: \"From this status of 'extremists' will follow the widespread use of violence against Jehovah's Witnesses.\"\nThe decision of the Supreme Court, which caused a wide international outcry, will be appealed.\n","category":"overview","date":"2017-05-01T17:08:24+03:00","duration":"3:17","image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/05/152/frame_for_jw-russia_hu_9d67c8ae7ae4d932.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/05/152/frame_for_jw-russia.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/05/152/frame_for_jw-russia_hu_891f148a822e175b.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/05/152/frame_for_jw-russia_hu_70aeee307af5dae5.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/05/152.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["video","liquidation","mro","administrative-center","supreme-court","courtroom","review"],"title":"Video: Review of the trial to liquidate Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia","type":"video"},{"body":"A few hours after the Supreme Court of Russia announced the decision to liquidate the center of Jehovah's Witnesses, late in the evening of April 20, 2017, a group of men drove up in 2 cars to the largest worship building of Jehovah's Witnesses in St. Petersburg, located on Kolomyazhsky Prospekt. They blocked the exit from the building with cars. One of the visitors, shouting insults to the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses and threats of physical violence, threw the façade of the building, including glass doors and windows, with pre-prepared cobblestones. The liturgical building suffered significant damage.\nSuch a development of events was predicted by the lawyers who spoke in court. Earlier in the day, speaking in the debate, Maksim Novakov, representing the Jehovah's Witnesses Center, predicted that the trial could provoke a wave of violence against the Witnesses, ranging from damage to property to attacks on believers motivated by religious hatred. These are the inevitable consequences of the fact that peaceful people are unreasonably considered dangerous criminals.\n","category":"crime","date":"2017-04-25T12:46:58+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/04/150/vandalism_hu_6278eccc146a8285.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/04/150/vandalism.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/04/150/vandalism_hu_3b50bb42f4e5a86b.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/04/150/vandalism_hu_144e8831c8248551.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/04/150.html","regions":["stpetersburg"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["vandalism","violent-raid","administrative-center"],"title":"The Supreme Court's decision provoked a harsh act of religious intolerance in St. Petersburg","type":"news"},{"body":"The date of April 20, 2017 has a chance to go down in history as a black day for fundamental human freedoms in Russia. Today, the Supreme Court decided to liquidate the centralized religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, as well as all 395 local religious organizations of this religion. From a historical perspective, this decision may lead to the most unfortunate consequences both for believers of different faiths and for Russia's image on the world stage. The situation can be saved by the cancellation of this decision in the appellate instance - a panel consisting of three judges of the Supreme Court.\nThe believers have already begun to prepare an appeal, which is to be considered within a month.\nMeanwhile, concern about the actions of the Ministry of Justice, as well as the decision of the court of first instance, is expressed by numerous organizations both inside and outside Russia. \"This lawsuit poses a threat not only to Jehovah's Witnesses, but also to individual freedom in the Russian Federation as a whole,\" said the UN specialrapporteurs working under the mandate received from the UN Human Rights Council, \"We call on the authorities, in accordance with their obligations under international human rights law, to end the judicial process and to review the legislation on combating extremism and its implementation.\"\n","category":"org","date":"2017-04-20T18:56:56+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/04/149/judge_ivanenko_hu_3fbc793b61b358a0.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/04/149/judge_ivanenko.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/04/149/judge_ivanenko_hu_400d6c2106404be9.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/04/149/judge_ivanenko_hu_54de28c8ebd1625b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/04/149.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["supreme-court","mro","administrative-center","liquidation"],"title":"The Supreme Court decided to liquidate Jehovah's Witnesses. They are preparing an appeal","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 20, 2017, at 14:00, the hearing continues. The process has entered its final stage, the debate of the parties is expected. A report from the courtroom is underway.\n","category":"org","date":"2017-04-20T11:57:04+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/04/148/img_1893-1_hu_b535638ef86efd51.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/04/148/img_1893-1.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/04/148/img_1893-1_hu_fec8a7d53f51dc39.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/04/148/img_1893-1_hu_2509f7f01b0adf3d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/04/148.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["supreme-court","mro","administrative-center","liquidation","defense-arguments","courtroom"],"title":"The sixth day of hearings in the Supreme Court of Russia on the claim of the Ministry of Justice to ban Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 5, 2017, in Strasbourg (France), at the 1283rd meeting of the Committee of Ministers (the body monitoring the implementation of ECHR decisions), the issue of the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia was raised in the light of the lawsuit filed by the Ministry of Justice with the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation. A statement was made by the Delegation of the European Union.\nThe European Union called on the Russian authorities to ensure the peaceful enjoyment by Jehovah's Witnesses of the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion and the right to freedom of assembly and association without further interference, as guaranteed by the Constitution of the Russian Federation. The Russian authorities need to comply with international agreements, including the European Convention on Human Rights, as well as international human rights standards.\nStrasbourg, 05/04/2017. Unique ID: 170407_38\n1283rd meeting of the Committee of Ministers\nStatement of the European Union on the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia\nThe March 15 filing by the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation with the Supreme Court is the latest tough action taken against Jehovah's Witnesses and a further intensification of the violation of their rights and prosecution to which they are subjected in Russia, which contravenes international standards on freedom of religion or belief.\nThis decision may lead to the liquidation of the Administrative Center and all local representative offices of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia and the confiscation of their property. In the meantime, the Ministry labeled the Administrative Center as \"extremist\" and imposed a ban on all legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses throughout the country. This is a very negative development that could lead to criminal proceedings against Jehovah's Witnesses simply for practicing their religion.\nThe European Union shares the concerns of the UN Human Rights Committee about a number of reports indicating that the Federal Law on Countering Extremist Activity is increasingly being used in the Russian Federation to restrict freedom of religion aimed, inter alia, at Jehovah's Witnesses.\nThe Russian authorities should ensure that Jehovah's Witnesses peacefully enjoy the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion and the right to freedom of assembly and association without further interference, as guaranteed by the Constitution of the Russian Federation. The Russian authorities must comply with international agreements, inter alia the European Convention on Human Rights, as well as international human rights standards.\nThe European Union continues to promote freedom of religion or belief as a right to be exercised by all and everywhere, based on the principles of equality, non-discrimination and universality. Under international human rights law, the exercise of freedom of religion or belief in community with others includes (but is not limited to): legal personality and non-interference in internal affairs, including the right to establish and maintain accessible places of worship or assembly, the freedom to choose and train leaders, and the right to engage in social, cultural, educational and charitable activities.\n","category":"rights","date":"2017-04-20T11:50:48+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/04/147/702013119_univ_lsr_xl2999_hu_cb29fc7dbd8e0ea3.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/04/147/702013119_univ_lsr_xl2999_hu_291a6f295660ee4e.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/04/147/702013119_univ_lsr_xl2999_hu_46eff594a4b96cb3.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/04/147/702013119_univ_lsr_xl2999_hu_5dbe1e1d36348543.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/04/147.html","regions":["france"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["eu","echr","mro","administrative-center","unhrc"],"title":"The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe heard a report on the situation of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 19, 2017, at 10:00 a.m., the hearing continues. The court will have to study the materials of the case. A report from the courtroom is underway.\n","category":"org","date":"2017-04-19T08:56:41+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/04/146/img_2045-1_1_hu_2af9e2c177b4377d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/04/146/img_2045-1_1.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/04/146/img_2045-1_1_hu_5a9bfe964ecd0bc4.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/04/146/img_2045-1_1_hu_cd079d01929c14f8.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/04/146.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["supreme-court","courtroom","mro","administrative-center","liquidation"],"title":"The fifth day of hearings in the Supreme Court of Russia on the claim of the Ministry of Justice to ban Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 12, 2017, at 10:00 a.m., the lawyers of the religious organization will continue to give their explanations, as well as answer questions from the court and a representative of the Ministry of Justice. A report from the courtroom is underway.\n","category":"org","date":"2017-04-12T09:39:03+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/04/142/20170412_3_hu_a15ebd861d5ac0c6.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/04/142/20170412_3.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/04/142/20170412_3_hu_4af702e847880659.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/04/142/20170412_3_hu_2e943f1fb542e645.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/04/142.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["supreme-court","courtroom","mro","administrative-center","liquidation","human-rights-defenders"],"title":"The fourth day of hearings in the Supreme Court of Russia on the claim of the Ministry of Justice to ban Jehovah's Witnesses ","type":"news"},{"body":"The text of the explanations made on April 7, 2017 at the Supreme Court of Russia by Vasily Kalin from the steering committee of the \"Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia\".\nDear court! I am not a lawyer, so I will try to speak in simple words, simple expressions, so that it is clear to you, dear court, as well as to a respected representative of the Ministry of Justice.\nOn March 15, 2017, the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation appealed to you with a request to recognize as extremist and liquidate all religious organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia at once. And there are many of them - this is one centralized organization and 395 local religious organizations throughout Russia. Is it legal? I don't think so. The Administrative Center does not agree with the statements of the Ministry of Justice, since it has not carried out extremist activities and is not currently carrying it out.\nOver the 26 years of the organization's official existence as a legal entity, the Administrative Center has never been held accountable for violating any provisions of the Federal Law \"On Freedom of Conscience and Religious Associations\", as well as the Federal Law \"On Countering Extremist Activity\". If so, then I, the chairman of the governing body, have a question: if we were good for 26 years and did not commit crimes, then I wonder on what day we became extremists? What has the Administrative Center done that is being demanded to be liquidated? Personally, I did not find an answer to this question in the lawsuit of the Ministry of Justice.\nThe Ministry of Justice claims that the lawsuit was filed in order to strengthen the rule of law and prevent violations of state and public security, protect human and civil rights and freedoms, as well as to counter extremist activities. Where are these grim facts? I do not argue that the fight against extremism is indeed an important and noble goal. But the fact is that by satisfying the claims of the Ministry of Justice, the state will achieve not the stated goals, but the exact opposite - violation of the rights of believers, trampling on their freedom and returning to the dark past. The supremacy of the law provided for in Article 4 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation will be violated, and significant harm will be caused to the legitimate rights, freedoms and interests of more than 175,000 citizens of the Russian Federation - men, women and children.\nIn addition, meeting the demands of the Ministry of Justice will further intensify the repression of Jehovah's Witnesses on religious grounds, which has already begun. In fact, the court's decision to liquidate all religious associations of Jehovah's Witnesses will be interpreted by law enforcement officials as a nationwide ban on the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses in declaring their peaceful worship criminal. As a result, tens of thousands of believers will be illegally persecuted just for getting together, reading the Bible, and we have already gone through this.\nAlready now, even before the Supreme Court makes a decision on this case, on the basis of the order of the Ministry of Justice of Russia dated March 15, 2017, the activities of the Administrative Center have been suspended, the organization's bank accounts have been blocked, and therefore the Management Center is unable not only to continue normal economic activities, but also to pay the state fee. The administrative center has already been included by the Ministry of Justice in the list of terrorists and extremists and is put on a par with organizations such as Al-Qaeda, the Taliban movement, Aum Shinrikyo and many others.\nWe heard a representative of the Ministry of Justice, speaking without batting an eyelid, say that Jehovah's Witnesses are extremists, i.e. criminals, and this is in the lawsuit. The very fact that the lawsuit filed by the Ministry of Justice was granted will be the embodiment of extremism, blatant injustice and a return to the times of the Soviet Union, when thousands of Jehovah's Witnesses were brutally persecuted, placed in the Gulag and exiled forever to Siberia just because they professed the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. In modern history, no state of law has allowed itself such actions in relation to its people. On the contrary, Jehovah's Witnesses legally operate in more than 240 countries and territories, including all countries in Europe, and have a worldwide reputation for respect, peace, and law-abiding people.\nDear court! You have the power and legal basis to make a decision in this administrative case that will show that the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia on the basis of accusations of extremism must be stopped. There can be only one fair, honest and legal decision in this case - the refusal to satisfy the claim of the Ministry of Justice.\nJehovah's Witnesses were never extremists, and they are not today. Their beliefs contradict the manifestations of hatred, enmity and violence. These are peaceful, conscientious, respectable members of society and the state who follow the biblical commandments: to make prayers, petitions and supplications, thanksgiving for all people, for kings, for all rulers, so that we may lead a quiet, serene life, in all piety and purity. This is a quote from the Bible, the apostle Paul's letter to Timothy, chapter 2, verses 1-2. Also in the Bible, in the Epistle of the Apostle Paul to the Romans, chapter 13, verse 1, it is said that every soul should be subject to the higher authorities, for there is no authority except from God. This means that Jehovah's Witnesses, in obeying this biblical instruction, show deep respect for authority and show respect and love for people. They are not extremists.\nThe history of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia goes back more than 100 years. And during this time, there has not been a single case when Jehovah's Witnesses called for violence, overthrowing the government, or otherwise threatening the security of the state. On the contrary, Jehovah's Witnesses, both in the past and now, often receive praise from the state for their good deeds for the benefit of society. Representatives of the authorities presented their religious associations with written letters and gratitude, there are many of them here, and something was provided in court.\nThe Christian doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses is based solely on the Bible and does not contain the signs of extremism listed in the Federal Law of the Russian Federation \"On Countering Extremist Activities\", and does not call for extremist actions. The basic creed notes that believers treat others as they would have them treated. This is a quote from the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 7, verse 12. And Jehovah's Witnesses have always adhered to and still adhere to the principles of peacefulness. And the spread of faith is due to the desire to do the will of God, which is also recorded in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 24, verse 14, and the desire to help other people draw closer to God, to find hope for eternal life in paradise on earth. These documents were provided to the court.\nDuring the Soviet Union, when the state waged an irreconcilable struggle against dissent, Jehovah's Witnesses, along with believers of other faiths, were severely persecuted simply because they read the Bible, printed publications based on it, and professed their biblical views. In 1951, thousands of Jehovah's Witnesses, peaceful citizens of the USSR, were exiled forever to Siberia. All the property of believers, their houses, belongings, livestock were confiscated. Later, hundreds of believers were convicted on charges of anti-Soviet activities and served their sentences in the Gulag system. The question is: for what? Only because they professed the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses and followed the biblical commandments.\nMy family and I also went through political repression for the same thing we are accused of today, but then we were rehabilitated. I was born on February 5, 1947 in Ukraine, Ivano-Frankivsk region. And on April 8, 1951, at the age of 4, together with our family - parents, grandmother, two older brothers and a sister - we were exiled to Siberia forever, to the Irkutsk region. We were transported in dirty freight cars for more than 20 days in inhuman conditions, in which cattle are usually transported. There were men, women, children, no toilet, no food, no conditions.\nOur exile to Siberia was connected with Stalin's decree and concerned people who profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. My parents were Jehovah's Witnesses. But one thing that was interesting to me was that my parents, as well as any of Jehovah's Witnesses who were to be expelled at that time, could have avoided this fate. It was only a small thing to do - to renounce the faith, to sign a document of renunciation. Interestingly, if you are a criminal and therefore you are subject to severe punishment, it is unlikely that anyone will have such an opportunity. But this opportunity was given to Jehovah's Witnesses only because they were not criminals. Clearly, Jehovah's Witnesses also did not commit any crime at that time, but were persecuted.\nThe state simply did not like the position of these people, which was very different from the ideology of building a godless society, which was alien to people. The exiled Jehovah's Witnesses in Siberia also continued to study the Bible and tell others about what was written in it. Despite the further terror and persecution and slander against these innocent people, Jehovah's Witnesses did not lose their deep convictions, they did not become embittered, they did not rebel against their oppressors. They continued to be honest, highly moral, decent people, showing love and respect for all the people around them, regardless of their beliefs, nation and origin. Why? Because they held God's law very high to \"love your neighbor as yourself.\"\nToday, nothing has changed. Yes, my childhood was spent more in poverty, hunger, humiliation, ridicule, because I grew up as a child of enemies of the people. How would you react, dear court, if a five-year-old child asks for bread from his mother, and the mother turns away so that the child does not see her tears, and says: \"Son, be patient a little, we will soon have a lot of bread.\" And this kid who asked for a piece of bread... I thought for a long time, how much bread will we have? Probably a whole bun! That crying woman was my mother. That kid begging for a piece of bread was me.\nThe question arises: for what? Why were these people in such poverty? For what crime were these children deprived of the joy of their childhood, a simple piece of bread and a free life? And, of course, later, as a young man, it was very difficult for me to compare that reality with the humiliating propaganda of that time about a happy childhood given to us by a great country. And what about the lies that were generously showered on these innocent honest workers? During my school years, I sometimes felt like an outcast.\nThe judge asks to speak closer to the essence of the case.\nKalin: Dear court, I did not want to advertise my family and myself personally. I wanted to show by the example of the past that we are returning to the same thing today. Because today what is already happening, even the fact that the lawsuit has been filed with the Supreme Court to liquidate Jehovah's Witnesses, we are already seeing a lot of what is happening today. Today, too, many people, or some people, are already prejudiced against Jehovah's Witnesses, there is already persecution and ridicule of schoolchildren at school, they are already collecting lists of Jehovah's Witnesses in some places, etc. Therefore, if today we follow the path that the Ministry of Justice offers us – to liquidate the Administrative Center, to liquidate all local religious organizations on the territory of Russia, the same thing will happen.\nI really liked the words of one official who told me: \"Vasily Mikhailovich, a legal entity can be liquidated, but faith is not.\" What does the Ministry of Justice think, having fulfilled their desire to liquidate Jehovah's Witnesses, will we really abandon our actions, our faith? Never. But what will happen? Exactly what has already happened in Russia, such as the trial in Taganrog. People have already received official imprisonment, people have already been convicted, and their families have also suffered a lot of persecution. Therefore, looking at the whole situation that is happening today, of course, it is very unfortunate that we are returning to that state.\nFor me, for example, the question is so incomprehensible: I received a certificate as a victim of political repression. I was once a criminal, just like my parents. Then this charge was dropped from me. And what kind of certificate does the Department of Justice want to provide to these people, whom they call extremists? What deeds, what actions have Jehovah's Witnesses carried out, that they are equated with those who commit crimes today?\nTherefore, I believe that the lawsuit filed by the Ministry of Justice is brought back and demands that they be deprived of the right to jointly profess the faith of Jehovah's Witnesses in God. Otherwise, we face harsh prison terms and possibly subsequent complaints. If during the Soviet years Jehovah's Witnesses were tried on the basis of a vague article of the Criminal Code on anti-Soviet activities, today the basis for prosecution (is) the same vague and vague article of anti-extremist legislation. However, as I have already said, Jehovah's Witnesses have never posed a threat to the state, either in the past or now, and they will not provide such a threat in the future.\nAddressing the representative of the Ministry of Justice, I want to remind you that the demand to liquidate the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia will outlaw those people who wish you and all citizens of Russia peace, happiness and love. I hope that the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation will not allow the Ministry of Justice to bring back those shameful pages of history that I and many other Russians of my age had to go through. Therefore, I ask you to refuse the claim of the Ministry of Justice. Thank you very much.\n","category":"org","date":"2017-04-11T10:13:54+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/04/141/img_0611_2_hu_a12ff407b39df5a2.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/04/141/img_0611_2.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/04/141/img_0611_2_hu_79e5f12bfa6152a7.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/04/141/img_0611_2_hu_8dcd9527e949865a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/04/141.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["supreme-court","mro","administrative-center","rosfinmonitoring","ussr","courtroom","deportation"],"title":"Vasily Kalin: \"I received a certificate of a victim of political repression. And what kind of certificate does the Ministry of Justice want to provide me today?\"","type":"news"},{"body":"The abstracts of the explanations made by Yuri Toporov, a representative of the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, delivered at the Supreme Court of Russia on April 7, 2017, are published.\n","category":"org","date":"2017-04-10T18:54:20+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/04/139/toporov_hu_4939285ad597e05a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/04/139/toporov_hu_4e4f89da66e662b4.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/04/139/toporov_hu_724c3c519fe55495.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/04/139/toporov_hu_27f375302bba76a8.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/04/139.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["supreme-court","courtroom","human-rights-defenders","administrative-center","mro","liquidation"],"title":"Yuriy Toporov: \"Extremism of Jehovah's Witnesses Remains Extremism on Paper\"","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 7, 2017, the Supreme Court continues hearings on the Ministry of Justice's lawsuit to ban the Administrative Center and all 395 Jehovah's Witnesses organizations in Russia. A report from the courtroom is underway.\n","category":"org","date":"2017-04-07T11:57:28+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/04/136/img_09862_hu_81367c052f26f034.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/04/136/img_09862.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/04/136/img_09862_hu_cb6ea06078045a9e.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/04/136/img_09862_hu_25521826a51542e8.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/04/136.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["courtroom","supreme-court","administrative-center","mro","liquidation"],"title":"The third day of hearings in the Supreme Court of Russia. Report from the courtroom","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 6, 2017, the Russian Supreme Court continues hearings on the Ministry of Justice's lawsuit to ban the Administrative Center and all 395 Jehovah's Witnesses organizations in Russia. The hearing is scheduled to start at 14:00. A report from the courtroom is underway.\n","category":"org","date":"2017-04-06T14:14:27+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/04/133/img_0547_hu_3be676b71b0c3bd2.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/04/133/img_0547.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/04/133/img_0547_hu_bb44251d25981ee1.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/04/133/img_0547_hu_a48ab6975893a79e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/04/133.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["supreme-court","administrative-center","mro","liquidation","courtroom"],"title":"Second Day of Supreme Court Hearing on the Lawsuit to Ban Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"Courtroom reporting is provided.\n","category":"org","date":"2017-04-05T10:59:59+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/04/129/2017040514_hu_42389295cf5d8582.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/04/129/2017040514.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/04/129/2017040514_hu_17e17a88b4db3cbf.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/04/129/2017040514_hu_6cedb7fde6b43cb0.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/04/129.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["supreme-court","courtroom","administrative-center","mro","liquidation"],"title":"Supreme Court Hearing to Ban Religion of Jehovah’s Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 5, 2017, the Supreme Court of Russia began hearings on the liquidation claim Jehovah's Witnesses. There is a text report from the\u0026nbsp;courtroom.\nApril 5, 2017 April 6, 2017 April 7, 2017 April 12, 2017 April 19, 2017 April 20, 2017 April 5, 2017 Collapse 10:58 The large, beautiful courtroom is crowded. More than 200 people attend, including numerous journalists, representatives of public organizations, foreign embassies. Hearing started at 10:30 a.m.\nJust under 250 people remained outside to await the results of the hearing. Povarskaya Street in Moscow is filled with cars with transmitting TV antennas. The events are filmed by numerous Camera. Police walkie-talkies periodically broadcast the messages \"Everything is calm, without incident.\" In Representatives of embassies and foreign organizations listen to the translation of the process in headphones.\nThe case is being heard by Judge Y. Ivanenko. On the defendant's side, \"Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia\", represent 6 people, including Vasiliy Kalin from the steering committee and attorneys. Representative Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation — Svetlana Borisova. The defendant's objections were attached to the case, together with annexes in 35 Volumes.\nThe court allowed photography and video recording only when the final act was announced. However, for audio recording There are no obstacles. About 40 media representatives are present in the hall, they occupy the first rows in the\u0026nbsp;hall.\n11:00 The court refused to accept the counterclaim to recognize the actions of the Ministry of Justice as political repressions. Judge considered the acceptance of the defence to the claim to be a sufficient measure of protection for the defendant. 11:15 Representatives of Jehovah's Witnesses apply for permission to participate in the case of representatives of all 395 local religious organizations. Lawyer Zhenkov: \"If believers throughout Russia are deprived of their rights, let them They're going to hear it here in court.\" Local religious organizations, contrary to the logic of the Ministry of Justice, are not structural subdivisions of each other, but independent legal entities. 11:20 Omelchenko's lawyer gives an example: \"According to the logic of the Ministry of Justice, it turns out that it is necessary to pass a sentence: 'Shoot Ataman. And his whole platoon.'\" 11:25 The court refused to involve 395 local organizations in the case as co-defendants. 11:30 Jehovah's Witnesses asked the court to allow audio broadcasting of the court hearing. The court refused. 11:35 Lawyers for Jehovah's Witnesses are asking the court to postpone the hearing until it reaches a decision on another case in another case Court. We are talking about\u0026nbsp;an appeal in court orders of the Ministry of Justice on the suspension of the activities of organizations. 11:42 The Ministry of Justice objects because it believes that the Ministry of Justice had every right to suspend the Activities of organizations. 11:45 The court refused to postpone the hearing. 11:50 Omelchenko's lawyer petitions to leave the claim of the Ministry of Justice without consideration. The plaintiff did not comply with the pre-trial settlement of claims against 395 Jehovah's Witnesses communities. Before you make a statement a lawsuit to liquidate 395 local religious organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses, state authorities, According to the law, they had to issue official warnings to each of them and give them time to do so. correction. 11:55 The second reason for leaving this claim without consideration is that the Russian courts have already Similar cases of liquidation and recognition of 2 out of 395 local organizations are being considered Jehovah's Witnesses (in Karachay-Cherkessia and the Samara Region). 12:05 The court rejected the petition to leave the claim of the Ministry of Justice without consideration. 12:10 Representatives of Jehovah's Witnesses ask to postpone the hearing for one week due to the fact that the Ministry of Justice sent a statement of claim to the defendant in a timely manner. It arrived by mail only on March 28, 2017. In addition, the Ministry of Justice did not provide the defendant with all the documents referred to in the statement of claim. 12:17 The Ministry of Justice does not object to the adjournment of the case. 12:19 The court refused to postpone the case. 12:20 Lawyer Zhenkov petitions for the suspension of the case due to the fact that a number of Russian courts have filed applications for consideration of court decisions that have entered into force on the basis of newly discovered circumstances. We are talking about on the revision of the cases on the liquidation of 8 local religious organizations (LROs) that have entered into force and on the introduction of 88 publications of Jehovah's Witnesses in the FSEM. The fact is that all those court decisions were made without the involvement of Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, since the Ministry of Justice insisted that the decisions of the courts in The rights of the \"Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia\" are not affected by the LRO. In the same case, The Ministry of Justice has changed its position and now all the accusations brought against the LRO are imputed to the Administrative Center. 12:30 The Ministry of Justice objects to the suspension, considering that the same lawyers participated in the cases involving the LRO, as in the case of the liquidation of the Administrative Center. 12:33 The court retired to the deliberation room. 13:50 The court left the deliberation room. The suspension of the case was denied. 13:55 Lawyer Zhenkov files a motion to involve specialists in the case, namely religious scholars and Linguists. Experts can clarify whether the texts that underpin the requirement are so dangerous The Ministry of Justice on the prohibition of an entire religion in Russia. 14:00 When asked by the judge whether the lawyers propose to arrange a \"revision\" of the decisions of the courts, which were the literature, is included in the FSEM, the lawyers explained that this information will be important for determining proportionality requirements of the Ministry of Justice. 14:04 A representative of the Ministry of Justice objects to the admission of specialists to the hearing. 14:05 The court refused to involve specialists in the hearing of the case. 14:06 Lawyer Zhenkov asks to involve 9 foreign legal entities in the case, representing religious associations of Jehovah's Witnesses in Europe. The reason is that the Ministry of Justice in In his lawsuit, he asks the court to confiscate real estate belonging to these organizations. 14:14 The court refused to involve foreign organizations in the case. 14:15 Omelchenko's lawyer files a motion to involve interested parties in the case eight Russian citizens who were rehabilitated as victims of political repression. These people are present in the hall. The lawyer convincingly argues that if the claim is satisfied, these people from the those rehabilitated will turn into \"extremists.\" 14:20 The Ministry of Justice believes that the court decides on the liquidation of legal entities, this does not apply to individual citizens. In his Lawyer Zhenkov recalled that the Soviet authorities were guided by such considerations, banning the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, however, the repression hit the people hard, as a result of which they were rehabilitated. 14:25 The court dismisses the petition. 14:30 Lawyers are petitioning for the interrogation of individual citizens, followers of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, who can testify to the measures taken by Jehovah's Witnesses to prevent extremist activity. 14:35 The Ministry of Justice does not object. The court satisfied. 14:40 Lawyers file a motion to interrogate as witnesses persons recognized as victims of political Repression. The Ministry of Justice objects. The court refuses. 14:43 The representative of Jehovah's Witnesses, M. Novakov, files a motion for the interrogation as witnesses of persons who were eyewitnesses to the falsification of evidence against believers in cases that the Ministry of Justice uses in claim as \"new evidence of an offence\". 14:45 To the judge's objection that these are decisions that have entered into force, Novakov explains that in this case, A prejudicial approach cannot be used in the case, since it is a question of different subjects of law. Court is obliged to examine the evidence directly. Novakov tells the court about the circumstances planting and perjury in a number of Russian cities. 15:00 The Ministry of Justice objected, arguing that this interrogation, in their opinion, was aimed at \"revising the decisions that have entered into force.\" The court refused to question witnesses of falsification of evidence against local organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses. 15:05 Omelchenko's lawyer petitions for the requisition from the courts of the publications that were recognized \"extremist\" and which formed the basis of this lawsuit to ban the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Attorney Stresses that this is necessary in order to examine whether these statements are sufficiently dangerous, to significantly restrict the right to freedom of 300,000 Russian citizens on this basis Religion. He drew attention to the legal requirement that there should be restrictions are justified and proportionate to the constitutionally significant objectives. 15:15 Omelchenko gives examples of statements in the publications of Jehovah's Witnesses that caused these publications were recognized as extremist. 15:16 Omelchenko explains that the court should investigate whether the statements in the said statement are so dangerous. that they would justify restricting the rights of hundreds of thousands of citizens. 15:20 The Ministry of Justice objects. The court refuses to demand literature recognized as extremist. 15:21 The right to file motions passes to the administrative plaintiff. A representative of the Ministry of Justice asks to attach to the There are several judicial acts in the case that were not attached to the statement of claim. The Office, not having them on the hands, hastened to refer to them in its lawsuit. And only now, having received them, does he ask to attach them to the case. 15:25 The defendant objects. The court, having deliberated on the spot, grants the request of the Ministry of Justice. 15:28 The court adjourned until April 6, 2017 at 14:00.\nApril 6, 2017 Back to top Collapse 12:00 The weather in Moscow is warm and sunny. A large queue of people formed near the entrance to the court. Television journalists are working. There is a calm and friendly atmosphere among those present. Increased security measures are noticeable. There is a bus with police officers right at the entrance. A thorough inspection is carried out at the entrance. No liquids are allowed inside the building. The staff of the Supreme Court who organize the hearings carry out their work in a professional and coordinated manner. Despite the large number of listeners, there are no glitches.\n14:30 The hearing began with a motion by the defendants to stay the hearing due to the fact that private cases had been filed complaints about yesterday's refusals of the court to satisfy most of the 17 petitions filed. Hearing should be suspended pending a decision on these complaints. 14:33 The Ministry of Justice objects to the suspension of the hearings. The court retires to the deliberation room. 14:37 The court denies the motion to stay the hearing.\nOmelchenko's lawyer requests that materials that may testify to the political motives for the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses. We are talking about documents of foreign organizations, such as the UN, the OSCE, official statements of human rights organizations, as well as archival Documents.\n14:40 The court decided to grant the request to admit these materials.\nThe court reports on the merits of the case and gives the floor to the Ministry of Justice.\n14:45 The representative of the Ministry of Justice Borisov proceeds to present the arguments justifying the need to ban all organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. It lists the decisions of the courts against the local religious organizations (LROs) of Jehovah's Witnesses. 15:12 In conclusion, the representative of the Ministry of Justice asks the court to liquidate all organizations of Witnesses Jehovah, remove them from the register of legal entities and ban their activities. Asks to be confiscated property and make the court decision immediately enforceable (i.e., do not wait for the entry into the of the decision into legal force).\nThe judge asks the representative of the Ministry of Justice a counter-question: why does the Ministry of Justice ask at the same time liquidate legal entities and prohibit their activities. The judge is perplexed: how can it be forbidden that no longer exists. He asked whether the Ministry of Justice was demanding that all unregistered groups be banned. The representative of the Ministry of Justice explains that he is not asking to ban them, because Jehovah's Witnesses do not provided the agency with information about unregistered groups.\n15:16 A new clarifying question of the judge: on what grounds does the Ministry of Justice apply a prejudicial approach to Administrative center, if the center was not involved in the affairs. Prejudice is applicable in the case of decisions that have entered into force (i.e. the court relies on them as an already established fact) only in against the same subjects of law. Accordingly, the court decisions issued in respect of LROs did not may have prejudicial effect against a centralized organization. 15:17 A representative of the Ministry of Justice argues that the Administrative Center was aware of these court cases, and the lawyers of the Center were present at them. 15:20 The Ministry of Justice in its lawsuit asserts the need to liquidate religious organizations due to the fact that Organizations, in their opinion, violate the rights of citizens. The court asks Borisova's representative the next question Clarifying question: what rights of citizens are being violated? Borisova reports that this is the right to receive medical treatment. According to them, organizations prevent citizens from receiving medical treatment. In In response to the hum in the courtroom, the judge asks those present to restrain their emotions. 15:24 The judge asks if the Ministry of Justice has evidence of their claim about medical treatment. The Ministry of Justice does not I am ready to provide them. The judge is perplexed again, because the Ministry of Justice has recently conducted a large-scale inspection Jehovah's Witnesses and, if there were such facts, they should have been identified. 15:25 The judge asks the Ministry of Justice to clarify their assertion that the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses pose a threat public safety. The Ministry of Justice speaks of a threat to an indefinite circle of people. 15:30 The judge asks the representative of the Ministry of Justice if they ask to ban the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses, Will believers gathered for prayer be threatened with criminal prosecution? The Ministry of Justice: \"Yes, if the court will find them guilty of violating Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\" 15:34 A judge asks a representative of the Ministry of Justice about the Ministry of Justice's Federal List of Extremist Materials (FSEM) Russia. The court is interested in the question: is the Ministry of Justice revising this list? The representative of the Ministry of Justice is uncertain informs the court that this list may be revised from time to time. 15:39 The judge gives the defendants the opportunity to ask questions to the Ministry of Justice. 15:40 Lawyer Zhenkov first of all asks the court to refuse to accept a copy of the court's decision, which takes a few minutes The Ministry of Justice presented it to the court. The court's decision describes a case in which some parents brought Sick Child's Hospital. Doctors diagnosed low hemoglobin levels and suggested treatment medicines or transfusion of donor blood. Parents preferred medications, However, the hospital appealed to the court to give it carte blanche to use the donor Blood. The decision also mentions that there was no threat to life, it was about planned treatment. Attorney draws attention to the fact that the court's decision does not mention any of the organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses. 15:50 The judge asks the representative of the Ministry of Justice: if there is no mention of Jehovah's Witnesses, then what is the relationship The document is relevant to the case. 15:53 The judge postpones the decision to admit the document. 15:54 Lawyer Zhenkov begins to ask questions to the representative of the Ministry of Justice. The first question is whether the Ministry of Justice has information about any offenses committed under the influence of the literature of the Witnesses Jehovah, which is included in the FSEM. The response of the representative of the ministry: \"No, we do not have such information.\" 15:57 Lawyer Zhenkov clarifies with the representative of the Ministry of Justice whether the defendant correctly understands that the claims of the Ministry of Justice are reduced to three points: 1) importation of extremist literature, 2) financing of LROs, 3) non-acceptance effective measures to prevent extremist activity. The Ministry of Justice confirms that this is true understanding, however, to this should be added 4) \"the threat of violation of human and civil rights\". 16:00 Lawyers have tried unsuccessfully to find out what kind of human rights violations are meant.\nZhenkov tries to clarify the point \"failure to take effective measures to prevent extremist activities.\" He asked whether the Ministry of Justice was aware of the timely letters sent by the Centre Jehovah's Witnesses to all LROs, on the inclusion of certain materials in the FSEM? The Ministry of Justice is aware. Next Question: What does the ministry think would be an effective measure? The Ministry of Justice does not know the exact answer to the this question. The lawyer asks the representative of the Ministry of Justice whether there is such a criterion for extremist activity as inaction? It is obvious to everyone that there is no such criterion.\n16:10 Zhenkov asks whether the Ministry of Justice is aware that materials recognized as extremist make up 0.1% of the total literature of Jehovah's Witnesses. The Ministry of Justice does not know. Does the Ministry of Justice know that the Rostov Regional Court, who recognized 34 publications of Jehovah's Witnesses as extremist, at the same time refused to recognize extremist dozens of others? 16:19 Zhenkov clarifies whether the Ministry of Justice is aware that literature has not been imported into Russia for two years. To the Ministry of Justice, this is Known. Then a natural question arises, why exactly in 2017 the Ministry of Justice raised the issue of Eliminate. The Ministry of Justice cannot provide facts confirming that during the last 12 months The Administrative Center distributed \"extremist\" literature. 16:13 The Ministry of Justice reports that the FSEM does not indicate the date of inclusion of materials in this list. 16:24 The judge asks the representative of the ministry whether it is possible to make claims against a religious organization, and Also customs for the fact that materials were imported into the country that will be recognized as extremist in the future? How to know in advance that this or that material will be included in the FSEM. Representative of the Ministry of Justice: no way, only contact the FSEM. 16:30 The defendant's representative, Yuriy Toporov, is trying to find out what the Ministry of Justice means by the concept of \"structural\" a division of the worldwide organization of Jehovah's Witnesses.\" What is a \"world organization\"? It's some kind of A legal entity? The Ministry of Justice believes that no, we are talking about a certain canonical concept. What is \"structural\" subdivision\"? Is it a legal concept? No, it's more of a canonical connection. Another question: in the In what sense, then, does the Ministry of Justice use this term in relation to LROs, saying that they are \"structural subdivisions of the Administrative Center\"? Canonical or legal? Representative The Ministry of Justice believes that this is identical. 16:37 Toporov is trying to find out whether the law on extremism can issue a warning to the \"structural unit\" without the organization itself. The Ministry of Justice is forced to admit that there should be a warning carried out throughout the organization. 16:40 Toporov's legitimate question: if the warning was issued to a local religious organization and did not to the Administrative Center, how then can this local organization be \"structural\" subdivision of the center? Nohow. 16:42 The Ministry of Justice now believes that issuing a warning to a \"structural unit\" is not prohibited by law, but So, the prosecutor's office could have done it. What is not forbidden is allowed. The judge asks the representative Ministry, whether at least any notifications were sent to the religious organization at that time (To the Administrative Center)? There is no record that such notices have been sent. 16:46 Toporov's new question to the Ministry of Justice. Does the law on countering extremism provide for the possibility of Liquidate a \"structural unit\" without liquidating the organization itself? Representative of the Ministry of Justice: \"According to your interpretation, it does not.\" The judge asks the defendant to accept the Ministry's response as eat. 16:53 Questions to the Ministry of Justice are asked by Omelchenko's lawyer. He asked whether there was a unit in the Ministry of Justice capable of answering exactly when a certain item appeared on the Federal List of Extremist Materials book. The Ministry of Justice believes that the answer to this question can be obtained by a court request. 16:56 Omelchenko asks about the federal centers of forensic examination under the Ministry of Justice of Russia. It draws attention to the fact that these centers came to diametrically opposite conclusions about the presence or absence of signs of extremism. Omelchenko's question: how could this be possible? A representative of the Ministry did not Knows. The next question is: why did the Ministry of Justice support only the negative conclusions of the experts and did not support them Positive? Unknown. Has the Ministry of Justice initiated a review of decisions in cases where there was such a review? contradiction? The Representative is not aware of any such facts. 16:58 Omelchenko recalls that earlier today the court asked the Ministry of Justice whether the Ministry had initiated revision of the list of extremist materials after amendments were made to the law, for example, on that the Bible and quotations from it cannot be recognized as extremist materials. None of the kind There were no initiatives on the part of the Ministry of Justice. 17:07 Questions to the representative of the Ministry of Justice are asked by the representative of the defendant Maxim Novakov. He's trying to find out Is the Ministry of Justice aware of the circumstances of the events that are imputed to Jehovah's Witnesses as \"extremist?\" activities\". For example, do they know why the special services are needed before searches of Jehovah's Witnesses? They de-energized entire neighborhoods in which worship buildings are located. Ministry of Actual Circumstances doesn't know. The defendant has no other questions to the Ministry of Justice. 17:13 The court adjourns the hearing until April 7, 2017 at 10:00 a.m. The entrance to the building will be open from 9:00. April 7, 2017 Back to top Collapse 9:00 Soft rain is drizzling in Moscow. Along the façade of the Supreme Court, there was a long line of those who I came to the trial as a listener. A large A bus full of visibly bored police officers. Such a high-profile trial seems to be an unusual event for court employees. However, the surprising calm that, despite the obvious excitement, is maintained by Hundreds of believers, better than any words, convinces that extremism is not about them.\n9:40 The Great Hall of the Supreme Court is gradually filling up with listeners and journalists. 10:00 The trial began with the court's questions to the representative of the Ministry of Justice. The court is trying to deal with the fact that the plaintiff accuses the Administrative Center of an episode from 2014 when, according to the Ministry, The Administrative Center imported into Russia a publication that would later be recognized as extremist Materials. The Court is interested in the question of how a religious organization could have known that the book would be recognized extremist, if it is not in the FSEM. 10:10 The court is trying to understand what provision of the law the Ministry of Justice relies on, arguing that local religious Organizations (LROs) are \"structural subdivisions\" of the Administrative Center. The Ministry of Justice believes that This makes sense, since organizations read the same literature and are connected to each other. The Court asks To what extent does it meet the requirements of legal certainty in such a case? Won't it break the right to freedom of religion enshrined in the European Convention? After all, the attraction was refused 395 organizations to participate in the case as co-defendants. Questions remain unanswered. 10:20 The judge asks the representative of the Ministry of Justice on what basis they claim that the financing of the LRO Is the financing of \"extremist activity\" the administrative center? Why is it objective? Proved? If nothing, then what are the claims of the Ministry of Justice based on? 10:28 It is the turn of the defendants to give explanations. First of all, however, Omelchenko's lawyer is petitioning for attaching to the case extracts from the \"Rossiyskaya Gazeta\" with the dates of entry of certain publications into the FSEM. Court Attaches. 10:35 The first speaker is Vasily Kalin, Chairman of the Steering Committee of the Administrative Center of the Witnesses Jehovah in Russia\". Is it legitimate to try to ban the Witnesses today? For 26 years, the center has not been involved in responsibility for extremism. \"If we've been good all these years, at what point did we become extremists?\" If the ban happens, significant harm will be done, and the persecution has already begun. People will be persecuted just for reading the Bible together, and we have been through this before. We've already been appointed on a par with organizations such as the Taliban, Aum Senrikyo and others. Position of Jehovah's Witnesses Unchangeable: to obey the authorities, to pray for them. They always adhere to the principles of peacefulness. 10:45 Kalin tells the circumstances of the repression of this religion in the USSR, which he himself remembers. It shows certificate of a rehabilitated victim of political repression. He asks what Does the Ministry of Justice want to issue a certificate to him and his fellow believers? The actions of the Ministry of Justice throw the country back into the past.\nFull Speech by Vasily Kalina\n10:50 Kalin's deputy, Sergey Cherepanov, speaks. He describes the measures taken by the center Jehovah's Witnesses for the prevention of extremism. 10:57 Cherepanov mentions that the center of Jehovah's Witnesses is on the list of the most dangerous organizations. He's not a lawyer, but He thinks that the ministry's actions are misleading the fight against extremism. In recent years, Twenty criminal cases were initiated against Jehovah's Witnesses under the article of extremism. Although most cases ended in acquittals, the rights of believers were significantly violated, and their lives were overshadowed. 11:05 Cherepanov mentions cases of planting and falsifications, which were reported to law enforcement agencies, However, they are completely ignored by the police and other authorities. There is no doubt that the center of Jehovah's Witnesses has taken all possible measures to counter extremism. Deputy The Prosecutor General, who signed a warning to Jehovah's Witnesses a year ago, refused to meet at the which could clarify what other measures the supervisory authority could expect from Jehovah's Witnesses. 11:13 Extremism is being fought throughout the civilized world. However, it is only in Russia that this is prosecuted Jehovah's Witnesses, whose services are attended by about 20 million people in the world. Chasing Them in Russia means to challenge all those countries where Jehovah's Witnesses freely practice their faith. At this point, Cherepanov concludes his speech and asks that the theses of his speech be attached to the case.\nFull text Sergey Cherepanov's explanations (PDF, 226 KB)\n11:15 Speech by lawyer Zhenkov. He convincingly proves that, contrary to the assertion of the Ministry of Justice, among the goals and The objectives of the organization of Jehovah's Witnesses are not extremism. If for 100 years of unofficial and 26 years There has been no proven harm from the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses in the official existence of Jehovah's Witnesses, then what is the case with the harm referred to by the Ministry of Justice? 11:20 Zhenkov draws attention to the fact that the vast majority of Witnesses' publications were included in the FSEM 8 more years ago. Over the years, there has not been a single act of terrorism or vandalism by Jehovah's Witnesses. Nothing like it had happened before. 11:24 Zhenkov draws attention to the fact that all these publications were included in the FSEM even before the famous the Supreme Court Plenum, which clarified that criticism of others should not be considered extremism Religions. 11:25 Zhenkov stresses that only a few experts find signs of extremism in the literature of the Witnesses Jehovah. Often, unqualified experts work. Courts hear cases in the absence of believers. To For example, one of the brochures, which contains almost no text, was recognized as extremist for the phrase \"Avoid doing bad things.\" In response to laughter in the hall, Zhenkov said that people who are being searched Because of this pamphlet, it's no laughing matter. 11:30 Two other publications have been included in the FSEM, but Jehovah's Witnesses still do not know why, despite A lot of requests and requests. \"If printed texts are viewed in this way, then Russia will soon be able to be seen at all Leave them without books!\" 11:35 Zhenkov: One gets the impression that the prosecutor's office is trying by any means to recognize both as extremist as many materials of Jehovah's Witnesses as possible. For example, the prosecutor's office filed a lawsuit with the court for recognition extremist Bible itself, despite a direct clause in the law that the Bible and quotations from it cannot be recognized as extremist. From the arguments of the prosecutor's office: \"Taken as a book, the Bible ceases to be The Bible, as it is only in the Church.\" (Laughter.) 11:39 Zhenkov draws attention to the fact that cases related to the recognition of the literature of Jehovah's Witnesses as extremist, appealed to the ECHR. 22 complaints and merged into one proceeding. In response to a request from the Strasbourg Court The Russian Federation has officially acknowledged that the literature of Jehovah's Witnesses does not contain overt appeals to violence. 11:45 The Supreme Court has repeatedly ruled that cases involving the recognition of Jehovah's Witnesses' material extremist do not affect the rights of the \"Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia,\" and these decisions have not been cancelled. And the Ministry of Justice now believes that, on the contrary, it affects the rights of the center. But it's error. 11:55 Zhenkov's lawyer documents that the printed materials were never imported into the country after were recognized as extremist. This also applies to all episodes that the Ministry of Justice imputes believers in their suit. 12:05 When almost every publication was imported into the country, the center of Jehovah's Witnesses had the results of examinations, that do not show signs of extremism in them. Thus, the center could not foresee that one or the other Materials may be considered extremist. The legislation is based on the principles of legal certainty and predictability of the consequences of certain actions. However, in the actions of the state against Jehovah's Witnesses, this principle is clearly not respected. 12:10 Statement of the defendant's representative Toporov. \"The extremism of Jehovah's Witnesses remains extremism in the paper.\" No victims, victims or survivors of alleged \"extremist\" activity neither the prosecutor's office nor the Ministry of Justice could represent. 12:12 Toporov refutes the Ministry of Justice's thesis about the \"financing of extremism.\" Financial assistance provided by LROs was used to maintain worship buildings, pay for utilities, and sometimes help believers affected by natural disasters. 12:17 Representative Toporov: The Ministry of Justice encourages the country's highest judicial body to resort to double standards. Previously, the court, with the support of the Ministry of Justice, took a consistent position that decisions against local organizations are not affected by the rights of the Administrative Center. Now the Ministry's position has changed from Quite the opposite. It is trying to extend the sanctions imposed on several local organizations, and all other 395 local religious organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses. 12:22 Toporov analyzes the legal meaning of the concept of \"being part of the structure of a centralized organization.\" Referring legislation, statutes and legal opinions, Toporov shows that it is exclusively about canonical, spiritual connection. Local religious organizations are not affiliates and representative offices of a centralized organization. 12:37 Toporov explains that the centralized and local organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses are not responsible on each other's obligations. The Center is not the founder of any of the LROs. Each of them has its own composition founders of 10 or more citizens. Each LRO has its own unique name, its own charter, segregated property, the right to conclude civil law contracts. Addressing the judge, Toporov He gives an analogy: the entire judicial system of Russia is a single structure, but the regional courts do not are structural subdivisions of the Supreme Court, but are independent institutions. 12:43 Toporov wonders why the overwhelming majority, more than 380 LROs of Russia, who have never received no claims from the state, should be liquidated, even without any Warnings and opportunities to change something? There are hundreds and hundreds of results of inspections in the case various agencies that did not reveal any violations in the activities of all these LROs. 22 LRO of Crimea, registered under Russian law and have not committed a single violation, They are perplexed why they should be recognized as extremist, and their property confiscated? Why A Moscow LRO registered under the ECHR order and has not committed a single offense must to be subjected to such a severe sanction?\nFull text of Yuriy Toporov's speech\n12:52 Speech by the representative of Maxim Novakov. His presentation is devoted to the analysis of the so-called \"new facts of extremist activity\", which the Ministry of Justice refers to in its lawsuit. We are talking about fines, imposed on several LROs due to the discovery of extremist materials in worship buildings. 13:06 The Administrative Center was not involved in the cases, so it did not have an effective opportunity to raise the question of the existence of provocations. In the meantime, no evidence for the court can be established Forces. Court orders imposing fines cannot be prejudicial. Otherwise, That would be a violation of the right to a fair trial. The decisions referred to by the court are beautiful Closed \"caskets\", but the contents of these \"caskets\" are not so pretty. To have a holistic picture and give an objective assessment, the court must assess the circumstances of the incident. Bursts into worship services Riot police, throw all the men on the floor, they are not even allowed to raise their heads, while unknown persons Men move around the building uncontrollably. Cameras show riot police storming the worship building and the police officers plant forbidden materials in the cabinet, and then they \"discover.\" 13:12 Novakov tells an interesting detail, recently discovered in the materials of one case. Was that one of the planted publications bears an inscription indicating that the publication belongs to one of the Orthodox anti-sectarian centers! 13:18 Novakov draws attention to the fact that the term \"structural subdivision\" itself is defined in the name of the corresponding chapters of the law. The term \"structural unit\" refers only to political parties. 13:25 The court adjourns until April 12, 2017 at 10:00 a.m.\nAudio recordings of speeches:\nVasiliy\u0026nbsp;Kalin\nText Sergey Cherepanov\u0026nbsp; PDF April 12, 2017 Back to top Collapse 8:00 Moscow, Povarskaya Street. An invigorating morning. Stiff fingers. There are more than 200 people at the entrance. Those Who Stand At the beginning of the queue, we arrived at the court in a taxi by 5:30, but they were not the first: in parked cars Believers who had come to the court hearing, in which freedom of religion in Russia is being decided, were already warming up.\n9:30 The day before, on April 11, 2017, most groups of Jehovah's Witnesses had a successful celebration The Lord's Supper. At the moment, it is known that police officers and other law enforcement officers authorities invaded the celebration in the city of Snezhinsk (Chelyabinsk region). They rewrote the passport data Believers. Law enforcement officers also came to worship services in Krasnoyarsk and Michurinsk (Tambov region) to ask believers questions or serve summonses. 9:58 \"I ask everyone to stand up!\" The court announces the continuation of the court session and for the purpose of giving explanations gives the floor to attorney Anton Omelchenko. Omelchenko says his explanations will be concerning how the claim of the Ministry of Justice violates the provisions of the Constitution of the Russian Federation and international treaties.\n10:12 Loudly and convincingly, Omelchenko proves that the lawsuit of the Ministry of Justice contradicts Articles 9, 10, 11 of the European Law Convention, Articles 28, 29, 30 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, as well as the provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Civil Rights political rights. He quotes from the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), by which an authoritative court determines the right of Jehovah's Witnesses to freedom of religion. That demands by the Ministry of Justice, is not a justified and proportionate measure. 10:18 The ECtHR, in its judgments, has clearly defined which texts can be considered to incite hatred and enmity — incitement to violence, blood feud, calls justifying the need to use physical strength. It is noteworthy that in the memorandum that the Russian Federation sent to the ECHR, The Ministry of Justice acknowledged that there were no overt calls for violence in the literature of Jehovah's Witnesses (p.\u0026nbsp;41). 10:25 Omelchenko notes that the communities of Jehovah's Witnesses, which the Ministry of Justice asks to liquidate, received many letters of commendation and gratitude from the local authorities (available in the file), but warnings about They did not receive any inadmissibility of extremist activity. 10:31 Speaking about the disproportionality of the measure required by the Ministry of Justice, Omelchenko lists the steps he took The Administrative Center (CA) of Jehovah's Witnesses: 1) notified all LROs about the entry of books into the FSEM, 2) created Commission to Prevent the Appearance of Extremist Materials, 3) notified the authorities to no avail 4) unsuccessfully asked the Prosecutor General's Office what other measures could be expected from the Jehovah's Witnesses to prevent \"extremist activity.\" 10:43 International law prohibits inhuman or degrading treatment. This norm protects dignity, including the right to mental integrity of the person. Lawsuit of the Ministry of Justice on prohibition of Jehovah's Witnesses breaks the moral and physical resistance of the individual, as it forces them Be afraid to openly profess your faith. Some of the victims of criminal prosecution for their faith in Taganrog left the Russian Federation and even received political asylum in European countries. Their Escape It eloquently testifies to the fact that believers are afraid to openly profess their religion. Of course most of the 175,000 believers will not leave Russia, which means they will be persecuted in the Russia. 10:50 Omelchenko analyzes the legality of the actions of the Ministry of Justice. Current legislation Jehovah's Witnesses recognized as victims of political repression. The Ministry of Justice (among other departments) is obliged by law to to promote the rehabilitation of believers. However, the Ministry of Justice is moving in the opposite direction. Omelchenko lists domestic and international calls to the Russian Federation to stop politically motivated persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses, misuse of anti-extremist of the law applicable to Jehovah's Witnesses. We are talking, for example, about the signed by the most \"The Repressed Are Again Persecuted\" by well-known Russian human rights activists, on the open appeal of the Moscow Helsinki Group, as well as on appeals from various structures in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, United Nations, etc. International norms on the prevention of reprisals prescribe that close attention should be paid to signals from the human rights community. The Ministry of Justice, ignoring all incoming signals, continues to act as a repressive body. 11:04 Omelchenko talks about the biased position of the Ministry of Justice. Expert institutions under the Ministry of Justice came to mutually exclusive conclusions with regard to the same materials of Jehovah's Witnesses. Justice did nothing to remedy the situation. Moreover, the Ministry of Justice has always insisted on the use of only those conclusions of experts who found \"signs of extremism\" in the literature of Jehovah's Witnesses. This is new evidence that the Ministry of Justice's lawsuit to ban Jehovah's Witnesses is politically motivated. 11:12 Lawyer Zhenkov asks for an explanation about the court's decision, which is several days old The Ministry of Justice presented to the court as \"an example of violation of the rights of citizens by religious organization\" (the story of a patient who, of two alternatives, chose medication rather than blood transfusion).\nThe lawyer, firstly, is perplexed as to why the Ministry of Justice did not explain where they got the document. containing medical confidentiality.\nSecondly, Zhenkov says that in case of refusal of transfusion, we are not only not talking about a violation of somebody's rights, but, on the contrary, that the rights of the citizen were guaranteed, the right to voluntary Informed treatment. If a patient were denied treatment only on religious grounds, it would be would be a violation of rights. Zhenkov reads out excerpts from the Order of the Ministry of Health, concerning the dangers of transfusion of blood components, as well as the need to receive Written consent from the patient to perform this operation. Zhenkov notes that there is no reservations to the effect that members of certain religions are allowed to exercise the right to an informed consent, and others are not allowed.\n11:30 The judge begins to ask questions of the defendant's representatives.\nThe first question is: Does the Jehovah's Witnesses Training Center provide Bible interpretation to local organizations? The answer is no, interpretation of sacred texts is provided by the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses (international management).\nA new question is: in what sense does the CA ensure the \"coordination of activities\" of the LRO (according to the Charter). Answer: LROs are separate legal entities, but the CA provides them with recommendations. For example, if there is a question of constructing a worship building, the CA can refer to the Bible recommend the construction of a modest, unpompous building. However, the ultimate decision on how to there will be a new building, takes LRO.\nAnother question of the court is whether the CA approved the charters of those 8 LROs that were liquidated by court decisions. Representative Toporov explains to the court that the founders of the new LRO apply to the CA with a request to entering the CA structure in order to speed up the registration procedure. In this case, the CA will certainly coordinates their statutes to ensure that the founders are Jehovah's Witnesses and that their The goals of the task coincide with the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nThe court is interested in the question of whether the CA is the founder of non-profit, public organizations or LROs, after all, such a possibility is spelled out in the Charter. Lawyers explain to the court that the possibility in the Charter It was prescribed \"just in case\", but it was not implemented. The founders of all LROs were local Citizens. For example, the charter also provides for the possibility of importing literature, but this possibility It is also not implemented due to objective circumstances.\n12:05 The Court is interested in the question of whether the chairpersons of the LRO are members of the steering committee of the CA. Kalin explains, that members of the LRO are never members of the steering committee of the CA.\nAre there CA decisions that are mandatory for LROs? Kalin explains that when LROs request material assistance from the CA (in the form of a donation), the center is interested in the question of how the funds are spent. For example, The TC provides a design for a modest worship building, and the LRO coordinates this project with the local Authorities. Or if a natural disaster occurs, the TC donates funds to help believers and cooperates with the LRO to help affected Jehovah's Witnesses, as well as their relatives.\nThe court asks whether the funds were spent on the production of printed products. Defendants They explain that they don't.\nCourt: Did the Training Center import literature that was later recognized as extremist? Defendants explain that the function of the CA is purely logistic: it collects orders from individuals directly A foreign publishing house, and it also sends them literature. The CA is not engaged in \"dissemination\" Literature.\nThe Court: One of the books was imported into Russia shortly before it was recognized as extremist, However, when was it common among believers? Lawyers pay attention to the a letter in which the CA immediately informs all LROs about the entry of this book into the FSEM, and asks not to use it anymore. Naturally, after that, the TC could not distribute this book.\nCourt: What is the fate of printed products that are recognized as extremist? It is withdrawn by the center believers? Destroyed? Lawyers explain that the TC cannot dictate to believers what to do with literature that is in their possession. However, may pay attention to the provisions of the of the law, and does so.\n12:30 It is the plaintiff's turn to ask questions. What is the role of CAs in approving the charters of LROs and their members? Omelchenko gives the following example. The role of the CA in approving the charters of the LRO is similar to the role of the LRO itself. Ministry of Justice: The Ministry of Justice checks the statutes for compliance with the law, and the CA checks the statutes for canonical correspondence.\nNew questions of the representative of the Ministry of Justice are devoted to finding out how independent LROs are in their the extent of the CA's influence on the LRO, including the approval of governing bodies and charters of LROs.\nThe court asks the representative of the Ministry of Justice a counter-clarifying question: \"From the point of view of legality, how is this affects the legal capacity and legal personality of legal entities?\" The question turns into a rhetorical one. DOJ: Who are traveling ministers? Who are special preachers? Defendant's Representatives explain that these ministers cooperate with religious groups, not with LROs.\n12:50 The court\u0026nbsp;(addressing the representative of the Ministry of Justice): Does the plaintiff have evidence that the traveling Ministers and special preachers have something to do with the decisions of the competent ones that have come into force. bodies to find individuals or LROs guilty of extremist activity? No, the Ministry of Justice There are no such facts.\nThe Court (addressing the representative of the Ministry of Justice): Does the Ministry of Justice still believe that judicial acts against Do individuals and LROs have prejudicial force for our case? Yes, the Ministry of Justice still thinks so, as the CA was aware of these cases. The Court urges the representative of the Ministry of Justice to make a clear statement in the future indicate which provisions of the law the agency refers to, since the court is tasked with checking legality of the claims of the Ministry of Justice.\n13:10 A representative of the Ministry of Justice is trying to find out from the defendants whether the fact that the CA provides financial assistance to the LRO, to the fact that the CA and the LRO are a single organization subordinate to the CA. Attorney-at-law Zhenkov explains that if a person gives material help to a friend, it does not mean that this friend turns out to be in some kind of dependence. Ministry of Justice: Does the CA conduct audits of the financial activities of LROs? Lawyers They explain that the CA does not have such an obligation, but it is the Ministry of Justice that carries out regular inspections the financial activities of the LRO, as evidenced by the hundreds of inspection reports of the Ministry of Justice in the files. Moreover, none of the inspections revealed the expenditure of funds for non-statutory purposes. 13:25 The representative of the Ministry of Justice is interested in the question of why the CA sent a letter to the LRO about the recognition of one of the books extremist only after its inclusion in the FSEM, if, by the believers' own admission, they knew about the the decision was made earlier, from the information on the website of the district court. Lawyers explain what to track It is extremely difficult to find court decisions on the official websites of the courts, moreover, from the brief information on the It was not clear on the court's website that it was a publication of Jehovah's Witnesses, and not a publication of the same name publication of a different origin. 13:35 The representative of the Ministry of Justice draws attention to the fact that, according to an outdated (until 2010) copy of the \"Fundamentals of the Beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses\", the main means of disseminating the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses is The Watchtower magazine. Permission to distribute this periodical was revoked in Russia, and the document \"Fundamentals of Doctrine\" submitted to the Ministry of Justice has been amended accordingly. Representative The Ministry of Justice is interested in what is the source of the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses now. The lawyers explain that The basis of the Jehovah's Witnesses' doctrine is the Bible, with most of the religious books of the Witnesses are based on the Orthodox Synodal edition. The Watchtower itself was not recognized as extremist, but only a few of its separate issues. Since 2015, no publications are not imported into the country at all. 13:40 The court adjourns the hearing until 2:30 p.m. 14:30 A representative of the Ministry of Justice continues to ask questions to representatives of Jehovah's Witnesses. What measures did he take? A Training Center to Prevent Extremist Activity After a Warning from the Prosecutor General's Office on March 2 2016. Lawyers list. The court asks the representative of the Ministry of Justice clarifying questions: If the CA at all Didn't do anything? Would there be a reason to liquidate them? Is there extremism \"by negligence\" or \"By inaction\"? Answer of the representative of the Ministry of Justice: No. THE COURT: If not, what are we even trying to find out? Why, then, does the Department of Justice impute this to the CA in the first place? 14:45 The Ministry of Justice presents to the court an \"internal\" document of Jehovah's Witnesses, obtained by the Ministry of Justice from \"open sources.\" In response to a clarifying question from the court, a representative of the Ministry of Justice said that the letter was taken from the website NTV Television Company. The representative of the Ministry of Justice believes that the text of the letter will help to clarify how to communicate with each other CAs and LROs are financially linked. Lawyers are not ready to confirm that such a letter is genuine, but they have already it is obvious that LROs are neither the recipients nor the sender of the letter, which means that the letter has no relationship to this process. The Court postpones the question of whether to append the text to the case files. 14:58 The Ministry of Justice is requesting the questioning of four witnesses by the plaintiff. We are talking about people who In the past, they practiced the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, but later left it. The defendants object. Court grants the petition for the examination of witnesses by the plaintiff. 15:05 The interrogation of the witness on the part of the defendant, Valentin Zavyalov, who has been a professor at the Moscow Institute of Strategic Studies since 1992, begins. He has been practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses for more than 20 years. He reported that at meetings of his religious group Literature included in the FSEM is never used. The names of this literature are posted on the wall the place where worship services are held. Believers carefully inspect the room before starting services in order to exclude the possibility of such literature being found at divine services. 15:20 Witness Yevgeniy Skladchikov, Doctor of Technical Sciences, Professor of Bauman Moscow State Technical University. Witnessed Jehovah's in 1998. He says that in the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses he was attracted by the unconditional peacefulness It is completely incompatible with extremism. No extremist publications on worship services are not used. 15:30 Witness Vilen Kantere, Doctor of Technical Sciences, Honored Worker of Science and Technology. Representative Defendant Toporov: \"When you became one of Jehovah's Witnesses 25 years ago, did you pursue extremist goals?\" Witness: \"God forbid! The witness explains that this is incompatible with the faith of the Witnesses Jehovah. Toporov: \"Do you use the materials included in the FSEM?\" A law-abiding citizen destroyed these publications. (Kantere, though, says he's leaving it aside the question of whether he agrees that these publications have been included in the FSEM.) Dozens of his students defended PhD and doctoral dissertations. His religion does not in any way contradict his scientific work. On A question from a representative of the Ministry of Justice explained that his religion did not prevent him from obtaining higher education. As a researcher, he believes that education should be approached responsibly. 15:50 Witness Tatyana Kremneva, Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences. Within the framework of his scientific activity, he is engaged in prevention of child abuse, as well as extremist manifestations in youth education Wednesday. He professes the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Axe Spokesman: When you became Jehovah's Witness, Have you been prompted to commit extremist acts? Answer: No, the religion of the Witnesses Jehovah's is incompatible with extremism. The court's question: why didn't you become the founder of the LRO? THE WITNESS: I don't see it Need. Court: Do you not incite hatred towards other religions in each other at divine services? Witness: No. Lawyer Zhenkov: Did the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses help you raise your child? A witness tells of that he is proud of his child, his success in study and work. Zhenkov: how do you feel about your colleagues and Students who don't share your religion? Witness Answer: Positively, without hatred, disrespect, contempt, discrimination. 16:05 The Ministry of Justice invites its witnesses. The first witness is Natalia Koretskaya. The Witness Left Religion Jehovah's Witnesses many years ago. She is unable to explain to the court where she can come from in such a case \"Facts of extremist activity\" in recent years are known. 16:54 When questioning witness Koretskaya, the court drew attention to the fact that she uses personal notes when giving Readings. Omelchenko's lawyer asked how to explain the similarity of the wording from her notes with the texts from the website of a well-known anti-sectarian center. The court decided to get acquainted with Koretskaya's notes later.\nThe interrogation of witnesses of the Ministry of Justice continues. Testimony is given by former Jehovah's Witness Pavel Zverev.\n18:11 Questioning witness Zverev, the court asks: \"If you have been harmed, have you applied to the The witness did not apply. Zverev said that under the influence of literature of Jehovah's Witnesses, he personally felt hatred for the clergy of the Orthodox religion. The witness denies that he is a member of anti-cultist organizations, although he has also met He was photographed with the most famous \"sectologist\".\nWitness of the Ministry of Justice Petrov, former Jehovah's Witness. In 1983, after becoming one of Jehovah's Witnesses, she left work related to the propaganda of military heroism, because it is not in accordance with the doctrine Jehovah's Witnesses. In 2009, she left the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. As an example, extremist activities of the Administrative Center, a witness cites the fact that Jehovah's Witnesses exclude from their ranks those who commit sins. (The court asked a representative of the Ministry of Justice whether What are the arguments of the Ministry of Justice cited in the lawsuit supported by the testimony of this witness? The Ministry of Justice is again talking about a possible threat to an indefinite circle of people.) When asked by the court whether she had seen witness Petrov, for someone to distribute extremist literature, the witness replies that he does not Saw.\nThe court invites the last witness of the Ministry of Justice, V.V. Koretsky.\n18:30 In 2009, Koretsky left the ranks of Jehovah's Witnesses. The judge asked whether 2009 was limited to the year his knowledge of Jehovah's Witnesses. Witness: Yes. The Ministry of Justice asks the witness to explain what he knows about the attitude of Jehovah's Witnesses to higher education and state symbols. The Court Asks representative of the Ministry of Justice: \"If you do not indicate these points in the grounds of the claim, why do we need it Representative of the Ministry of Justice: \"The question has been withdrawn.\" When asked by the court whether Koretsky was interested in the outcome He answers curtly, \"Yes.\"\nThe court adjourns until April 19, 2017 at 10:00 a.m.\nApril 19, 2017 Back to top Collapse 9:00 The front of the Supreme Court building is more crowded than ever. The queue began to form at night. Many specially came from different cities of Russia. Since the weather in Moscow is cold, most are dressed in winter. From time to time, someone would bring coffee and pies for those standing in line. Staff The police work professionally and coherently, ensuring the safety of those involved in the trial.\n10:05 Zhenkov filed a motion to attach fresh documents. He reports that in March-April In 2017, law enforcement agencies across Russia, citing an ongoing trial, invaded the worship buildings, demand that they be stopped, interrogate believers, and rewrite passport data. Prosecutor's warnings about criminal liability for extremism are issued in connection with Holding Bible study meetings. The Ministry of Justice objects to the introduction. The Court shall determine join.\n10:15 A representative of the Ministry of Justice requests that copies of the decisions of the Steering Committee be attached to the case file CA on the appointment of members of the LRO committees. In the opinion of the Ministry of Justice, these documents testify to the the role of the CA. Representatives of the CA leave it to the discretion of the court. In their opinion, this is irrelevant evidence. Lawyers draw attention to the fact that some of the documents are dated 1998 and earlier (that is, before registration CA under the new law). In addition, the content of the certificates fully complies with the Charter of the CA. Help were issued due to the fact that the charter of the LRO was changing, so certificates were issued to confirm that the persons specified in them are still members of the LRO. The court shall determine to be attached, except that refer to the time before the CA is re-registered. 10:25 The court proceeds to examine the materials of the case. The first document is the statement of claim of the Ministry of Justice. Trial Again clarifies with the representative of the Ministry of Justice on what grounds the department asks to liquidate all LROs together with CAs. He asks again whether the Ministry of Justice intends to clarify the claims. The Ministry of Justice does not intend to. Defendant's Attorneys draw attention to the fact that the real estate listed in the lawsuit does not belong to the CA. 10:35 The court examines the document \"Fundamentals of the Doctrine and Corresponding Practice of Jehovah's Witnesses.\" Lawyers draw attention to the provisions on love for one's neighbor and tolerance (which directly contradicts the concept of \"extremism\"). They are also asked to read out the provisions that say that Jehovah's Witnesses are trying to Give your children a good education. 10:40 The Charter of the CA is being studied. The Court is interested in the question of whether religious groups are part of the structures of LROs. How many total unregistered groups? Lawyers explain that unregistered groups are part of the structure TC. The concept of \"structure\" in the Law on Freedom of Conscience is related to the separation of religion and state. Religions exist according to their internal hierarchical institutional structure, which includes The state does not delve into it. In this regard, the CA does not maintain legal records related to the activities unregistered groups, and therefore cannot provide official information to the court. 10:47 The court announced a 10-minute technical break.\n11:00 The examination of documents continues. The Court enumerates the various decisions of the courts. When a Solution Is Being Investigated Rostov Regional Court of 2009 (on the Taganrog LRO), representative of the defendant Omelchenko draws attention to the fact that this judgment was delivered prior to the decision of the Plenum of the Supreme Court, which decided what is extremism and what is not. For example, the Taganrog community, as well as publications By this decision, Jehovah's Witnesses were recognized for \"undermining respect for other religions\", \"rejecting the use of blood for medical purposes\", \"renunciation of civic duties\". Also a number of publications were recognized as extremist for having absolutely nothing to do with Extremism. For example, the brochure Jehovah's Witnesses. Who are they? What do they believe?\" was recognized extremist for mentioning that Jehovah's Witnesses do not take up arms. Others are cited Examples. 11:10 Representatives of the defendant draw attention to the fact that the enumerated judicial acts were issued without involvement Consequently, they cannot serve as evidence in a lawsuit. 11:15 Representative Novakov draws attention to the fact that at least one court decision, although the Ministry of Justice attached it to the case, was overturned by a higher court. 11:20 The Certificate of Inspection of the CA by the Ministry of Justice is being discussed. Lawyers draw attention to the unreliability of the conclusion of the Ministry of Justice on the that the CA hides information about imported literature. In fact, by submitting for verification more than 70,000 pages of documents to the Ministry of Justice, the CA with good reason refused to provide information, which the Ministry of Justice had to request from the customs authorities as part of interdepartmental cooperation. 11:30 A representative of the Ministry of Justice draws attention to the fact that, according to one of the documents, under the leadership of There are more than 2,000 unregistered groups operating in CAs. Lawyers explain that this is an internal spiritual structure.\nThe court asks the representative of the Ministry of Justice for what purpose they attached to the case the trial balance Statements. A representative of the Ministry of Justice explains that the statements indicate that \"monetary The funds may have been used to finance extremist activities.\" The Court asks It can be seen that the money was spent on extremist activities, and not on the usual statutory Goal. The Ministry of Justice does not have exact data. Representative Toporov draws attention to the fact that as part of the inspection The Ministry of Justice was provided with all agreements for targeted donations to the CA, in which the purpose was deciphered of all financial transfers. A natural question from the representative: \"Why didn't the Ministry of Justice submit these documents to the court?\"\n11:40 Omelchenko's lawyer to a representative of the Ministry of Justice: \"Can you specifically name what amount, when, who it was? The Ministry of Justice has no information. 11:45 Documents showing that the prosecutor's office collected information about property are reviewed Believers. Representatives of the defendant are asking the representative of the Ministry of Justice for what purpose these meetings were gathered. information. Answer: for the purpose of confiscation of property in the event that the court decides to do so. decision. 11:50 Certificates and acknowledgements issued by the authorities of the CA and LRO for assistance in landscaping are inspected Cities. The representative of the Ministry of Justice believes that Jehovah's Witnesses are doing this in order to carry out \"missionary activity.\" Lawyer Zhenkov, addressing the representative of the Ministry of Justice: \"Svetlana Konstantinovna, when it came to financing LROs, you suspected extremist goals. When believers are involved in helping the city, you are again suggesting some kind of trick. You can't do that!\" 11:55 Zhenkov draws attention to the state religious expertise of the Ministry of Justice, based on the conclusions which was registered in 1999. The conclusions of this examination are still in force. Attempted revision conclusions of a competent expert examination in a court hearing are inadmissible. 12:00 The following volumes of the case consist entirely of expert opinions, about 70, testifying to the absence of extremism in the publications of Jehovah's Witnesses. Many studies have been conducted in expert institutions Justice ministry. For example, Zhenkov, referring to the conclusions of a state expert institution, quotes from the book \"Mankind in Search of God\" (included in the FSEM). The book says: \"It is not possible to study different religions is to betray one's own faith. On the contrary, it can be strengthened when we see how we have sought the truth other people, and what it gave them. Knowledge gives understanding, and understanding gives tolerance to people who have other views.\" Experts found no signs of extremism in the book, quite the opposite. However, the book is included in the list of extremist materials. 12:05 The Ministry of Justice believes that these examinations were carried out at the request of lawyers, which means that they contain private opinions Experts. Omelchenko explains that this is not true: a significant part of the examinations was carried out at the request of courts, law enforcement agencies and customs authorities. 12:15 The author examines the decisions and sentences of the courts that have entered into force, testifying to the absence of extremist in the publications of Jehovah's Witnesses. The believers were prosecuted and, according to the In fact, they spent five years in court, and then were acquitted. Now, they face sanctions again if if the claims of the Ministry of Justice are satisfied. 12:17 Representative Novakov: planting extremist materials in worship buildings of Jehovah's Witnesses have become an epidemic in Russia. Novakov describes the events of September 20, 2016 in the village of Nezlobnaya (Stavropol Territory), when law enforcement officers cut out the front doors with a grinder and planted extremist ones materials right under the CCTV cameras. 12:19 Omelchenko: The Ministry of Justice did not take action to ensure that expert conclusions on the literature of Jehovah's Witnesses, conducted in the south of the country did not differ from the conclusions of the examinations carried out in the north. Justice did nothing (as a party that was involved in the cases) to reconsider the newly opened court decisions on the recognition of materials of Jehovah's Witnesses that have come into force Extremist. 12:25 The article examines the rulings of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). In connection with the fact that the ECHR gave legal interpretation of the refusal of believers to receive blood transfusions, the discussion about the blood transfusions. A representative of the Ministry of Justice refers to a case where a child of Jehovah's Witnesses died after a terrible accident, as well as in the event that a child born with multiple pathologies died. Court asks the representative of the Ministry of Justice: is there evidence of a causal relationship between non-use of donated blood and death. Lawyers tell the court what they do not say Representative of the Ministry of Justice: in both cases, criminal cases were initiated against the parents, extensive examinations that established the absence of such a cause-and-effect relationship. Parents acquitted for the absence of a crime event. 12:40 Materials are being examined indicating that the believers appealed to the competent authorities for the facts of falsification (planting). 12:45 Court decisions to recognize literature as extremist materials. It can be seen that the CA was not involved in the participation in the case (as well as the representatives of the publishing house). Representatives of the defendant talk about double standards government agencies. When it was necessary to recognize literature as extremist, the training centers were not allowed to participate in the case, however, when the task is to liquidate the CA, he is charged with the fact of recognition of literature extremist. 13:00 The case file contains DVDs with video recordings of the plantings. A spokesperson for Novakov says that materials will help to understand whether the CA is related to prohibited materials in local worship services buildings, or other persons are related to them. The discs will help to see the reaction of the believers themselves — how they are They react indignantly to the appearance of prohibited materials in worship buildings. 13:05 Court: To what period of time do the video recordings relate? Novakov: the events in the village of Nezlobnaya relate to September 2016. It was only thanks to the video recording that law enforcement officers refused to criminal intent to initiate a case against the LRO. Novakov describes outrageous details falsifications caught on cameras in other settlements of Russia. 13:10 The court asks the defendant's representatives whether all these facts have been appealed in accordance with the established procedure. And if Yes, whether there are results. Representatives of the defendant confirm that they have appealed and continue to appeal to the authorities, but so far to no avail. The court proceeds to examine other evidence without watching the video. 13:20 The materials of the 24th volume of the case are already being examined. In total, there are at least 43 volumes in the case. 13:25 The court reads out in its entirety the CA's public statement that the CA has nothing to do with extremism. The statement was originally posted on the jw-russia.org website. At the same time, the court finds out who is the copyright holder of this site. Representatives of the Training Center report that the site belongs to the foreign Watch Tower Society. The CA does not have so the statement was posted on the website of another organization of Jehovah's Witnesses. 13:30 The next few volumes consist of acts of inspections of LROs by the judicial authorities, but no No violations of the law were revealed. The Ministry of Justice, in turn, asks to attach it to the case file copies of various warnings and cautions issued to the LRO. 13:43 The court adjourns until 2:30 p.m.\n14:40 Hearings are ongoing. Volume 39, which contains the minutes of LRO meetings in different cities, is reviewed. In The protocols record in detail the events related to the planting of extremist literature, as well as Measures that have been taken against the appearance of extremist literature in places of worship. 14:45 The Court draws attention to the fact that the form of the minutes of the meetings of the different LROs is similar to one another. Court I am interested in the question: is there an approved form for these protocols? Why are they similar? Omelchenko explains that there is no approved form. The reason for their similarity is explained by the fact that believers are in close contact with each other. 14:50 The court again asks the defendant's representatives whether they claim to challenge the court decisions that formed the basis of the claim. Omelchenko's lawyer clarifies that this is not a question of revising these Solutions. At this hearing, the court must evaluate these decisions as any other evidence in the case, the degree of their relevance. 15:02 Color photographs are examined - freeze frames of video materials testifying to the planting extremist materials in places of worship. Representative Novakov draws attention to the unified the scheme by which the planting was carried out throughout the country. 15:07 Another characteristic feature of tosses is fake witnesses. One example is notarial certified evidence of friendship between one of the witnesses and an FSB officer on a social network. 15:08 In the village of Kurdzhinovo (Karachay-Cherkessia), three believers were fined on the grounds of false witness Readings. Subsequently, these witnesses repented and gave a receipt that they had knowingly given false testimony under pressure from law enforcement officers. Novakov draws attention to the fact that there is a receipt in the case file. 15:13 Omelchenko draws attention to the court decision made in Voronezh. The Court correctly assessed that Extremist materials found tucked under a carpet nailed to the floor were clearly planted. How The Voronezh court noted in its decision that the fact that the Witnesses profess the same religion is not raises doubts about the authenticity of their testimony. 15:16 Omelchenko returns to the question that was raised a little earlier, at 2:45 p.m. He shows the court a series of protocols of different LROs. These protocols vary greatly in form. The court asks the representative of the Ministry of Justice, Does the agency have any doubts that there are protocols that differ in design? There is no doubt about it. Court He doesn't doubt it either. 15:20 The representative of Toporov draws attention to the fact that the decision to liquidate the local organization of Birobidzhan was made in trial with the participation of the same representative of the Ministry of Justice, S. Borisova. CA to participate in the case does not because his rights are not affected. Therefore, it is surprising that in this process, the Ministry of Justice has changed its position and is applying the decision on the LRO of Birobidzhan to the CA. 15:25 Documents signed by various international and domestic authorities and organizations and expressing concern about the application of anti-extremist legislation to Witnesses Jehovah. Omelchenko reads out the most characteristic excerpts from these documents, including calls for of the Russian Federation to stop the political persecution of believers. 15:42 The court returns to the resolution of the motions filed earlier, but postponed. Representative of the Ministry of Justice asked to attach to the case 12 court decisions giving doctors the right to use donor blood in treatment of minors. Representatives of the defendant believe that these decisions do not apply to Case.\nFirst, refusal of blood transfusion has nothing to do with the concept of \"extremism\" (no others) There are no grounds other than extremist activity for the Ministry of Justice to ban Jehovah's Witnesses in the lawsuit leads).\nSecondly, the CA was not a party to those court cases and is not even mentioned in any of the decisions.\nThirdly, the inclusion of these decisions affects medical confidentiality. To evaluate them, you will need to Ask for patients' consent as well as their medical records. In all solutions without exception It is said that the parents wanted to treat their children and turned to medical institutions. About the Waiver There was no question of treatment.\nLawyer Zhenkov draws attention to the fact that in the ECHR ruling, which gives a legal interpretation refusal of blood transfusion, examples of prohibitions in Islam and Orthodoxy that may be potentially hazardous to health. \"However, the Ministry of Justice does not come up with a lawsuit to liquidate centralized organizations of these religions,\" Zhenkov said.\n15:59 The court refuses to attach court decisions related to blood transfusion procedures. 16:10 The court is deciding whether to attach copies of 28 acts of prosecutorial response, namely warnings and warnings issued to various LROs. These acts were issued over a period of 6 years, not only in for the last 3 years. 16:20 The Court asks why the Ministry of Justice did not apply to the local courts on these acts. The Ministry of Justice explains that The violations were minor or eliminated. Representatives of the defendant note that these acts are not related with extremist activities. The court refuses to attach these acts to the case file. 16:22 The Court returns to the issue of attaching to the case a copy of the \"internal\" document of Jehovah's Witnesses, obtained by the Ministry of Justice from \"open sources\" (from the website of the NTV television company). Representatives of the CA confirm the authenticity of the text, explain to the court the content of this letter, telling the procedure for implementation believers of voluntary donations. They explain to the court what \"councils of elders\" are and who they are \"circuit overseers.\" Taking into account the detailed explanations, the court decides to attach this document to the materials Case. 16:35 In response to the assertions of the representative of the Ministry of Justice that the decisions of the CA on the appointment of the chairpersons of the LRO are imperative nature, the representative of Toporov draws attention to the wording \"recommends as Chairman of the LRO\". 16:36 A representative of the Ministry of Justice asks to attach to the case an updated extract from the state register with an updated list property of CAs and LROs. The court gives the defendants 10 minutes to read the statement. 16:38 A short technical break has been announced.\n17:11 The hearings are resumed. Representatives of the defendant, having familiarized themselves with the extract from the register, comment that The extract is not up-to-date information, but information about the property that has ever been in property of the CA or LRO, however, was alienated. The Ministry of Justice explains that it is in this form that the data provided by the Federal Service for State Registration, Cadastre and Cartography. The court decides to attach it. 17:16 The Court wonders how the idea of a connection between an LRO and a CA is formulated in the statutes of the LRO. To do this, he asks parties, whether they have an example of the charter of the LRO. The Ministry of Justice does not. Omelchenko presents to the court a sample of the Charter of the LRO Jehovah's Witnesses. The text of the charter states that the LRO is part of the \"canonical structure\" of the CA, belongs to to the \"religious denomination of Jehovah's Witnesses.\" There is no wording \"structural unit\" (the term applicable to political parties), on which the administrative plaintiff insists. 17:29 The court denies the earlier motion to view the video recordings of the plantings. 17:30 Since there are no more motions, the court announces the continuation of the hearing on April 20, 2017 at 14:00. April 20, 2017Back to topCollapse 13:15 The courtroom of the Supreme Court is gradually filling up with listeners. It feels hard to feel pent-up excitement. The parties are intently preparing to speak in the debate.\n13:50 Most of the seats in the hall are already occupied. 14:09 Hearings begin. Omelchenko submits a short motion to attach the statement European Union on the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. In it, the European Union says, that \"the statement of claim of 15 March, filed by the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation with the Supreme Court, is the latest tough measure taken in the fight against Jehovah's Witnesses and further strengthening violations of their rights and the prosecution to which they are subjected in Russia, which is contrary to international standards on freedom of religion or belief.\" The Court specifies how this application can influence the outcome of today's hearing. Omelchenko says that this is evidence of a violation of Article 18 of the European Convention. Although the European Union is not a body of the Council of Europe, it is made at a meeting Council of Europe. The court refuses to attach the document. 14:15 The Court shall begin its deliberations. Speech by the representative of the Ministry of Justice. 14:16 The Ministry of Justice draws attention to the fact that Russia adheres to the principle of the rule of law. For the law on the Freedom of conscience is subject to limits. The Ministry of Justice draws attention to the fact that the very name of the training center is \"Managerial center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia\" indicates that the centralized organization carries out control over LROs. The Ministry of Justice draws attention to the leading role of the CA in interaction with the LRO. The CA agrees issues related to the appointment of chairpersons of LROs, etc. Organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses are represented by is a whole organism. They are characterized by organizational unity. Canonical Link References The Ministry of Justice considers them unconvincing. 14:25 According to the representative of the Ministry of Justice, the fact that the defendant continues to claim planting, indicates that the Training Center does not repent of extremist activities. 14:28 Representative of the Ministry of Justice: although many religions express one or another attitude towards secular authorities, the texts Jehovah's Witnesses are held in unacceptable offensive ways of expressing the truth of their beliefs. It is not quotations from the Bible that are recognized as extremist, but interpretations of what is written in the Bible. 14:35 The Ministry of Justice believes that the wide coverage of court decisions recognizing materials as extremist gave the CA all possibilities not to import into the country literature that would fall under the arguments of the courts that extremist activity. 14:35 According to the Ministry of Justice, a gross violation of anti-extremist legislation is evidenced by the fact that the Training Center on the For 25 years, he imported materials that were later recognized as extremist. 14:38 The Ministry of Justice considers it cynical that the word \"extremist\" is used in the literature of Jehovah's Witnesses (as applied to the literature of Jehovah's Witnesses) is taken in quotation marks, despite the fact that court decisions on recognition of literature as extremist has entered into force. 14:40 Summing up, the representative of the Ministry of Justice, as before, asks to liquidate the training center and all LROs of Jehovah's Witnesses. confiscate their property, and all this without waiting for the court decision to enter into force. 14:42 The representative of the administrative defendant Omelchenko begins his speech in the debate. 14:45 Omelchenko analyses the non-legal nature of the generalization made by the Ministry of Justice that various Organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses are allegedly a single organization \"with structural subdivisions.\" 14:50 Omelchenko cites the norms of legislation on countering extremism. The law does not provide for such extremist actions, such as \"an act in the form of omission\", \"an act committed unintentionally, negligence.\" The Supreme Court of Russia has repeatedly pointed out that extremism can only be active actions aimed at forcible change of the foundations of the constitutional order. 15:02 The plaintiff's representative, according to Omelchenko, gave his own interpretation of the fact that This is extremism. However, the defendant recalls that the legal interpretation is given by the Supreme Court and Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation. And these courts ruled that extremism can be considered \"incitement to hatred and hatred propaganda of social, racial, national, religious superiority, the presence of which should be be determined taking into account all the relevant circumstances of each particular case, namely the form and the content of the activity or information, its addressees and purpose, socio-political context, the presence of a real threat, including calls for unlawful encroachments on constitutionally protected values, justification or justification of their commission.\"\n\"Restricting freedom of conscience and religion by means of anti-extremist legislation, freedom of expression and the right to impart information shall not apply to any activity or information on the sole grounds that it does not fit into the generally accepted perceptions that do not conform to established traditional views and opinions, enter into conflict with moral or religious preferences. To do otherwise would be retreat the constitutional requirement of the necessity, proportionality and fairness of restrictions on rights and freedoms of man and citizen\".\n15:13 Omelchenko: The actions of the Ministry of Justice do not pursue a legitimate goal, they bear all the signs of political Repression. \"I ask you to dismiss the claims of the administrative plaintiff in full.\"\nFull text Anton Omelchenko's speeches (PDF, 184 KB)\n15:16 Lawyer Zhenkov speaks during the debate. He begins with a personal impression of the last few days. He found himself in a one of the parks in Moscow and saw that dozens of Jehovah's Witnesses had come to this park. They didn't have posters and they did not come out to protest against the trial, which began in Supreme Court on 5 April 2017. They went out to clean up the garbage that had accumulated over the winter. So who are these people? Extremists or good Christians? 15:20 The Ministry of Justice demands to take away all worship buildings of Jehovah's Witnesses on the territory of Russia, built believers at their own expense. This happened in Russia only once, namely a hundred years back in 1918. At that time, the Decree of the Council of People's Commissars confiscated all property, including liturgical buildings, of the Russian Orthodox Church. 15:27 Zhenkov: The Ministry of Justice suggested that Jehovah's Witnesses are desperately saying that the cases are against them Rigged. However, believers do not despair, Zhenkov notes. They believe the Bible's words that it is not Nothing secret that won't be revealed. And everyone will be held accountable to God for his deeds. Just the other day, on April 17, 2017, the President of the Russian Federation approved an amendment to Article 303 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Criminal liability is provided for the falsification of evidence in administrative cases. However the problem of falsifications should be of concern not only to the President, but above all to the executive authorities authorities, such as the Ministry of Justice (justice means justice in Latin). 15:35 There are dozens of certificates in the case: gratitude not only for the improvement of the territory, but also for active life position, for assistance to victims of natural disasters, for assistance to the forced migrants from the territory of Ukraine, for assistance to the children's home, for the improvement of the leisure center for children with disabilities, for participating in the marathon \"Help the Child\", etc. that the organization is both useful and dangerous?\" asks Zhenkov. 15:40 Zhenkov analyzes the testimony of witnesses, both on the part of the plaintiff and on the part of the defendant. 15:45 The lawyer draws attention to the expert opinions on the literature of Jehovah's Witnesses. \"Why Me Again Do I want to focus on literature? Because literature recognized as extremist is the only claim against Jehovah's Witnesses of carrying out extremist activities.\" 15:46 Zhenkov: \"There was a man in this room who was born in prison. 'Cause his mom is 5 months pregnant pregnancy was sentenced as an enemy of the people to 8 years in prison just for being Jehovah's Witness. She gave birth in prison, and the child spent two years in the prison orphanage. The father did not could have taken him away because he had been exiled to Siberia. In 1991, the State recognized the mother as a victim political repressions, apologized to her, assigned a pension. And here in court, this man, He was born in prison and asked me: \"Does the Ministry of Justice really want to repeat this terrible war? history?\" And I didn't know what to say. Even now I don't know what motivates the representatives of the Ministry justice and those who direct this process.\"\n15:50 Zhenkov: \"What will happen if the court grants the request of the Ministry of Justice? Dear Court, if it is the will state, then the country successfully acquires 170,000 prisoners of conscience and the corresponding Reputation. If it is the will of the state that the law should be observed, then the decision of the court can only be one is to dismiss the administrative claim of the Ministry of Justice.\"\nFull text of Viktor Zhenkov's speech (PDF, 174 KB) 15:52 The representative of the defendant Toporov begins his speech in the debate. \"Accuse Jehovah's Witnesses of Extremism is like accusing a baby of extremism. Only an infant is incapable of committing extremist activity because of their age, and Jehovah's Witnesses because of their religious Outlook. For them, calls for any violence against people, violent acts, enmity and hatred of people on any grounds is a serious sin against God.\" 16:02 Speaking about the independence of the LRO, Toporov refers to the charter of the CA. LROs are endowed with an absolute right without taking into account the will of the Administrative Center to determine the term of its presence in the said structure, to decide issues of liquidation, transfer to other centralized religious organizations, etc. \"The TC has no right to liquidate LROs, is not their founder... What kind of structural unit is this?\" he asks Axes. 16:12 At the end of his speech, Toporov quotes the statement in full human rights defender Lyudmila Alekseyeva. At the end, he says: \"You, dear court, are you, here and today You can eliminate injustice and dishonesty towards hundreds of thousands of Russian citizens, restore their good name, strengthen the credibility of the law on countering extremism, clearly showing The difference between real extremists and extremists drawn on paper. We hope that you will be able to the Court will have the courage to do so and to make a fair and impartial decision, guided by the law and the gift of God, the conscience of man.\"\nFull text of Yuri Toporov's speech 16:13 The representative Novakov begins his statement in the debate. He draws attention to the fact that due to the suspension Believers across the country were subjected to massive violations of their rights: worship services were invaded law enforcement officers and rewrote the personal data of citizens who had not committed any Offences. Police officers carried out illegal detention, delivery to the police, personal Administrative cases are initiated, warnings are issued about the possibility of criminal prosecution under Article 282 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. 16:16 Referring to the increasing number of violations of rights, Novakov says: \"All the more so if the Court rules on the This will have even more tragic consequences throughout the country. Any Jehovah's Witness can be recognized as an extremist with all the ensuing consequences — widespread religious violence against the Witnesses: from destruction and damage to property and attacks to the point of causing grievous harm health and killings of peaceful believers on the basis of religious hatred. At any international level The blame for connivance with violence and persecution under far-fetched circumstances will be placed on public authorities in Russia\". 16:32 Novakov recalls that the representative of the Ministry of Justice in his debate accused Jehovah's Witnesses of cynicism. \"I I will tell you what cynicism is,\" Novakov said. When the Ministry of Justice in the trial of the LRO first says that it is right The CA is not affected, and then these decisions are presented as the basis for the liquidation of the CA. Or when Much harsher statements against Jehovah's Witnesses are perceived by the Ministry of Justice as \"ordinary At the same time, he calls \"extremism\" those statements that are far from extremism. When Contrary to the available data, the Ministry of Justice dismisses reports of falsification, while hesitating to cite as a basis for action those cases where the falsification is clearly recorded on video. \"Here's what is cynicism!\" concludes Novakov.\nFull text of Maxim Novakov's speech (PDF, 125 KB) 16:40 Representative Cherepanov begins his speech in the debate. He believes that if the court leaves the Witnesses Jehovah's in the legal field, Russia will not only not suffer damage, but on the contrary will improve its reputation both internally as well as in the international arena. Decisions against Jehovah's Witnesses have been appealed to the ECHR and the Committee on Jehovah's Witnesses human rights at the United Nations. 16:45 \"We have had good cooperation with the Ministry of Justice for decades,\" Cherepanov said. \"I think the Ministry of Justice should to feel in a sense our intercessor, he has registered us!\" To representatives of the Ministry of Justice, Cherepanov says: \"Let's be friends! Don't turn into a punitive body. Us We don't want to sue you, we ask you to help us, and not look for an excuse to shut us down.\" 16:47 Cherepanov talks about the problem of denigrating the good name of Jehovah's Witnesses in the media. Various are attributed to Atrocities, such as the \"seizure of apartments\". Proving the falsity of this myth, Cherepanov recalls the biblical the commandment, \"Thou shalt not covet that which is not theirs.\" 16:50 \"The strength of a powerful state is precisely to protect the interests of the minority, because the majority will stand up for themselves.\"\nFull text of Sergey Cherepanov's speech 16:55 Defendant's representative Kalin speaks: \"With an unfounded and ill-considered accusation, the Ministry of Justice not only It humiliates itself and its functions, but it humiliates the entire state in the eyes of the international community. If you have Dear representative of the Ministry of Justice, I have personal convictions that Jehovah's Witnesses are extremists, I am very much What a pity. If a representative of the Ministry of Justice has become a victim of the circumstances in which he has found himself, and is forced to comply with the just the role of the accuser, I'm sorry too. But in both cases, you will have to answer to your own conscience.\" 16:56 Kalin reminds us of our responsibility before God and says: \"I would like to take this opportunity to endure warning to the Prosecutor General's Office and the Ministry of Justice. Please come to your senses! Please come to your senses!\"\nFull text of Vasily Kalin's speech (PDF, 46 KB) 17:00 The parties exchange remarks. 17:01 The representative of the Ministry of Justice reminds that the essence of the lawsuit is to liquidate a legal entity, the Ministry of Justice does not makes claims against individuals. The Ministry of Justice reminds the court of the testimony of one of the plaintiff's witnesses, who has been expelled from the religious community. The Ministry of Justice considers this a violation of citizens' rights. In the reciprocal Zhenkov reminds that at one time the Russian Orthodox Church excommunicated the church writer Leo Tolstoy. In modern times, the Russian Orthodox Church has refused to overturn the excommunication decision, despite petitions hereof. This is an internal matter of the church. Zhenkov asks if the Ministry of Justice intends to present any charges against the Russian Orthodox Church requirements. 17:09 The court retires to the deliberation room. 17:18 The hall is filled with television journalists. 18:25 The court is still in the deliberation room. The hall is waiting for the announcement of the judicial act. 18:50 The Supreme Court Decided to Liquidate the Centralized Religious Organization of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, as well as all 395 local religious organizations of this religion.\nThe believers have already begun to prepare a complaint to the appellate instance (a panel consisting of three judges Supreme Court), which should be considered within a month.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2017-04-05T00:00:00Z","duration":"4:39","image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/05/152/frame_for_jw-russia_hu_9d67c8ae7ae4d932.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/05/152/frame_for_jw-russia.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/05/152/frame_for_jw-russia_hu_891f148a822e175b.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/05/152/frame_for_jw-russia_hu_70aeee307af5dae5.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/05/151.html","regions":[],"subtitle":null,"tags":["supreme-court","courtroom","liquidation","administrative-center","mro"],"title":"Reporting: Supreme Court hearings case banning religion of Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"video"},{"body":"On April 4, 2017, the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia filed with the Supreme Court of Russia \"Objections to the Administrative Claim of the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation.\" Having stated the objections in 254 points, the believers ask the court to dismiss the statement of claim of the Ministry of Justice in full.\n","category":"org","date":"2017-04-04T13:54:49+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/04/128/supremecourt-02_0_hu_6f94193f48413aef.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/04/128/supremecourt-02_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/04/128/supremecourt-02_0_hu_b4a658cdc4ba2873.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/04/128/supremecourt-02_0_hu_f34d62b92cfde2a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/04/128.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["supreme-court","complaints","liquidation","mro","administrative-center"],"title":"Jehovah's Witnesses Filed Formal Objections to the Justice Ministry's Lawsuit with the Supreme Court ","type":"news"},{"body":"The Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia appealed to the court against the order of the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation to suspend the activities of all 396 registered organizations of this religion in Russia. The order was issued by the Ministry of Justice simultaneously with the filing of a lawsuit with the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to ban all these organizations.\nAlthough this suspension order applies to all 396 organizations, the Ministry of Justice sent it to only one of them, the \"Administrative Center\", and even then, judging by the stamp on the envelope, only 5 days after it was signed.\nBelievers hope that the court will invalidate this order.\n","category":"org","date":"2017-03-31T22:27:12+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/03/124/gavel3845_hu_adcc474ea0ed0450.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/03/124/gavel3845.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/03/124/gavel3845_hu_6389c68654f9424b.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/03/124/gavel3845_hu_129bc46f39cb308.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/03/124.html","regions":[],"subtitle":null,"tags":["administrative-center","mro"],"title":"Jehovah's Witnesses appealed to the court against the order of the Ministry of Justice to suspend the activities of their organizations","type":"news"},{"body":"\"I believe that this lawsuit, of course, violates the fundamental principles of freedom of conscience, since Jehovah's Witnesses can hardly be called an extremist organization. Jehovah's Witnesses have not been seen in any terrorist attacks or malicious intentions. The Witnesses do not call for any military action, terrorist organizations, or disobedience.\nThey try to accuse witnesses of not donating blood. But there are a lot of Orthodox groups, or Muslim, or Jewish, especially those who treat blood with care in the same way, considering it a sacred carrier of the soul, for example. So you can go far.\nI think, of course, that the Witnesses are persecuted for only one reason - that they, working on the principle of \"from person to person\", are a serious competitor to the Russian Orthodox Church in a number of regions. And I believe that Jehovah's Witnesses, as an organization that originated in Russia in the nineteenth century, are, if not traditional, then at least primordially Russian organizations. Its U.S. branch, Watchtower, cannot determine the faces of this organization, just as the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia cannot determine the faces of Russian Orthodoxy.\nJehovah's Witnesses sat in Stalin's camps, in Nazi camps and, in general, firmly and strongly professed their faith. Those who have personally encountered the Witnesses in their personal lives, when it was not about religious matters, but simply about human relations, know that, as a rule, they are very decent, honest people who do not steal, do not drink, who can be trusted.\nIf it is possible to ban an organization whose members make up hundreds of thousands of people in this way, then it is possible to repress other religious or social ideological groups quite easily. I believe that this is arbitrariness, and it is impossible to agree with this arbitrariness. And it is necessary to protect the rights of citizens of the Russian Federation who are members of this religious organization in a legal way.\nAnd modern persecution seems to me simply absurd. I do not understand what their relevance is even for those who initiate them. Just tick the box, or what? That we will strangle those who have been strangled? It seems to me that this is an extremely unpleasant manner of the Russian law enforcement agencies and the legal system. Here, obviously, there is the hand of influential public organizations, the Moscow Patriarchate and high officials sympathetic to it in the special services, who believe that by banning the Witnesses, they are fulfilling some kind of alleged duty to Russian Orthodoxy.\nTherefore, to be honest, I consider the ban unconstitutional, violating the fundamental principles of freedom of conscience and the very essence of the law on extremist activity.\"\nMaxim Shevchenko, President of the Center for Strategic Studies of Religions and Politics of the Modern World, member of the Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights.\n","category":"opinion","date":"2017-03-29T16:06:59+03:00","duration":"3:20","image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/03/118/photo_shevchenko_hu_45ce4951d00746f8.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/03/118/photo_shevchenko.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/03/118/photo_shevchenko_hu_5c50837dd70338bb.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/03/118/photo_shevchenko_hu_20bac465689863c6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/03/118.html","regions":[],"subtitle":null,"tags":["expert-comments","administrative-center","mro"],"title":"Maksym Shevchenko: \"This lawsuit violates the fundamental principles of freedom of conscience\"","type":"video"},{"body":"\"One of the first laws of the new Russia was the law of October 18, 1991 on the rehabilitation of victims of political repression. Those who were deported were subject to rehabilitation. This was mainly true of Jehovah's Witnesses. It was the 91st year. What has changed during this time? Have Jehovah's Witnesses changed? No. What has changed in our country during this time? Otherwise, how can one explain this rash, to put it mildly, act on the part of the Ministry of Justice, which resulted in the issuance of this lawsuit to liquidate and ban the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses? What are the consequences if this claim is satisfied? The Criminal Code establishes liability for participation in or organization of activities prohibited as an extremist organization, and such severe sanctions as the article \"for participation\" - from 2 to 6, \"for organization\" - from 6 to 10 years in prison!\nAre there really no analysts behind these controlling, or supervisory, bodies that are behind this lawsuit? No experts? Is there really no one who can say today what it will lead to tomorrow? Here is the first step. The next steps - they follow from what has already been done. If it was banned today, then tomorrow - what should be? There should be criminal prosecution. Now many people comment on today's circumstances in relation to your religious association, saying: \"Come on! Yes, it is unlikely that anyone will go for it. Will these landings begin?\" I say that it will be simply inevitable.\nThis has already been tested. As you remember, in 2015 in Taganrog, when the local community was banned in 2009, in 2012 they made operational filming, recorded the fact of holding a meeting, opened a case, the case dragged on for a long time and at the end of 2015 they reached a court verdict. And even if it was fines, even if it was a suspended sentence, but it was guilty verdicts. That was, one might say, the touchstone. And now what? Now it is no longer Taganrog. This is not a single community. This is already all over Russia. So? Will there be landings all over Russia today? They are inevitable if today... Now, today there is still time to come to your senses - there are less than two weeks left - to come to your senses and stop. And, probably, it would be more noble to take a step back, because the consequences of what can happen are unpredictable.\nMany people now think that Jehovah's Witnesses are on the list of undesirables, and this will not affect us, then it seems to me that we should not flatter ourselves. And again, just a look at history — the history of persecution for religious beliefs. It always started with Jehovah's Witnesses and then affected everyone. What happens, probably, is ... that you can say, \"Take care of Jehovah's Witnesses.\" Because it will all turn against the rest.\nAnd that's where I started - about the recognition of victims of political repression. And then, in 1991, the same Jehovah's Witnesses were given certificates, such beautiful books that so-and-so was recognized as a victim of political repression. And according to this certificate, certain benefits were relied upon. And what about today? Go back and revise the law on rehabilitation? Maybe cancel it? Or should the Witnesses simply collect all these IDs and hand them back? I really want to believe that, after all, common sense and truth - they will prevail.\nVladimir Vasilyevich Ryakhovsky, Honorary Advocate of Russia, Managing Partner of the Slavic Legal Center Law Firm, Director of the Non-Profit Partnership Slavic Legal Center, member of the Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights, member of the Expert Council of the State Duma Committee on Public Associations and Religious Organizations, member of the Public Collegium for Press Complaints, member of the editorial board of the journal Religion and Law.\n","category":"opinion","date":"2017-03-27T13:46:59+03:00","duration":"5:00","image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/03/112/ryahovskii-1_hu_a9aecc8e621c45e4.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/03/112/ryahovskii-1.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/03/112/ryahovskii-1_hu_5c5c1bbfbc6aa05c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/03/112/ryahovskii-1_hu_f4bb98198db43d21.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/03/112.html","regions":[],"subtitle":null,"tags":["expert-comments","mro","administrative-center"],"title":"Vladimir Ryakhovsky: \"It always started with Jehovah's Witnesses and then affected everyone\" ","type":"video"},{"body":"\"From my point of view, the federal executive bodies, such as the Ministry of Justice, made a colossal legal mistake and ... religious. The whole history shows that an attempt to ban, liquidate does not lead to anything. It's just that Jehovah's Witnesses will be underground.\nAnd when I communicate with believers, with clergy, they ask me a question, in fact, rhetorical: \"Anatoly Vasilyevich, what is happening?\" This is a colossal mistake of the federal executive authorities. I'm not even talking about the fact that elementary constitutional rights and freedoms of citizens are violated. Article 28 of the Constitution, which guarantees freedom of conscience and religion, is simply trampled on, it is simply ignored.\nJehovah's Witnesses exist all over the world today. And even Nazi Germany, which created its Auschwitz camp for them, or in Polish it is called Auschwitz, where one million four hundred thousand people were killed, was created for Jehovah's Witnesses. They wore a purple triangle... And how did it end? This ended with the collapse of Nazism. But other states have drawn the right conclusions from this. Today, Jehovah's Witnesses exist and operate unhindered in Germany and other European countries. But why is this happening here? I ask myself this question. And I am absolutely sure that this will not lead to anything good.\nI may not share the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses, but today I am in favor of defending them, because the violation of rights begins here.\nAnd I would also like to remind you of the well-known words – they may sound trite, but they should be repeated more often – of the well-known priest Martin Niemöller, by the way, a German Lutheran priest, who said: \"At first they came for the Communists, but I kept silent. Then they came for the Jews, but I kept silent, because I was not a Jew either. They came for the Catholics - I said nothing. And when they came for me, there was no one to say a word in my defense.\" So, do not be silent. If we say that we are a state governed by the rule of law, we are a state where human rights and freedoms are guaranteed, where the law has the force of supremacy, then let's raise our voices in defense of Jehovah's Witnesses!\"\nAnatoly Vasilyevich Pchelintsev, Honorary Advocate of Russia, Senior Partner of the Slavic Legal Center Law Firm, Editor-in-Chief of the Religion and Law magazine, Doctor of Law, Member of the Expert Council of the State Duma Committee on Public Associations and Religious Organizations, Member of the Commission for Improvement of Legislation and Law Enforcement Practice of the Council for Cooperation with Religious Associations under the President of the Russian Federation.\n","category":"opinion","date":"2017-03-26T18:26:38+03:00","duration":"2:34","image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/03/111/pchelintsev-1_hu_906cc9eabc6e6858.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/03/111/pchelintsev-1.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/03/111/pchelintsev-1_hu_626e37d863d133c3.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/03/111/pchelintsev-1_hu_4cb3a16863b4c599.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/03/111.html","regions":[],"subtitle":null,"tags":["expert-comments","administrative-center","mro"],"title":"Anatoly Pchelintsev: \"Let's raise our voice in defense of Jehovah's Witnesses!\"","type":"video"},{"body":"\"As a human rights activist, I cannot help but be outraged by this decision. Do you want to make these hundreds of thousands of Russian citizens extremists? This is against our Constitution! They pretend that it is a sect, that they are extremists, etc. But the extremism of Jehovah's Witnesses is expressed in the fact that they consider their faith to be true. But, excuse me, what believer does not consider his faith to be true? Jehovah's Witnesses is a church that has branches in many countries. They everywhere freely profess their faith and nowhere are they considered extremists. And we have Jehovah's Witnesses, as sincerely believing people, they are very exemplary citizens - hard-working, honestly treating their families, their children... Will we really sink to such a shame that not only those generations of Jehovah's Witnesses who were in camps in Soviet times, but also those Russian citizens are exemplary citizens, I say again, hard-working, honest, moral! - Who live now, will also go to the camps?! It's going to be a shame! A great shame in front of its citizens. And a disgrace at the international level. This is not just another mistake, but, I believe, a crime of the Ministry of Justice - to declare this church extremist.\"\nAlekseeva Lyudmila Mikhailovna, Chairman of the Moscow Helsinki Group, member of the Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights.\n","category":"opinion","date":"2017-03-24T17:27:00+03:00","duration":"2:12","image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/03/110/alekseeva-1_hu_bfa1f6a275a40fd6.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/03/110/alekseeva-1.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/03/110/alekseeva-1_hu_543661cd1efbf03e.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/03/110/alekseeva-1_hu_14003898f532a7c6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/03/110.html","regions":[],"subtitle":null,"tags":["expert-comments","administrative-center","mro"],"title":"Lyudmila Alekseeva: \"Not just a mistake, but, I think, a crime\"","type":"video"},{"body":"On March 21, 2017, the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia appealed to the Supreme Court of Russia with a request that a courtroom capable of accommodating 200 or more people be provided for the hearing of the claim of the Ministry of Justice of Russia, and that persons present in the courtroom be allowed to make video recordings of the court session.\n\"In itself, the submission of such an unprecedented application to the court is an extraordinary event for Russia, attention to which is riveted not only throughout Russia, but throughout the world, since Jehovah's Witnesses are not only a well-known and recognized religion in Russia, but also a world-famous Christian religion professed in the vast majority of countries and territories of the world. After posting this information on the website of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia receive numerous requests to clarify the date and time of the hearing from representatives of local religious organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses, state bodies ... - says one of the petitions - the media, human rights organizations, representatives of embassies of various countries, believers and other persons. consideration of this case\".\nThe hearings will begin on April 5, 2017 at 10:00 a.m. in the Supreme Court of Russia, located at 13 Povarskaya Street, Moscow. The nearest metro stations: Barrikadnaya and Arbatskaya.\n","category":"org","date":"2017-03-23T10:13:10+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/03/109/141008_moscow_sc_rf_18426_hu_22a9e60446da2358.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/03/109/141008_moscow_sc_rf_18426.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/03/109/141008_moscow_sc_rf_18426_hu_cc9a8c0401bd5a01.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/03/109/141008_moscow_sc_rf_18426_hu_762bf30516925780.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/03/109.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["supreme-court","mro","administrative-center","liquidation"],"title":"A petition was filed for a spacious hall and video filming at a hearing in the Supreme Court of Russia","type":"news"},{"body":"The unprecedented news was the reason for this appeal. The Ministry of Justice set out to shut down and criminalize an entire religion, Jehovah's Witnesses. A lawsuit has already been filed with the Supreme Court of Russia. They are asking for the death penalty for all three hundred and ninety-six of our organizations, including our Administrative Center! We are talking about liquidation and recognition of them as extremist.\nA special clause is to confiscate all their houses of worship and other property from believers! Moreover, the Ministry of Justice wants to do this immediately.\nFor the 175,000 followers of our religion, this may be the most troubling period of their lives.\nI remember an April night in 1951. Then eight and a half thousand believers of our religion, that is, almost ALL, were deprived of their homes, loaded into wagons and taken to Siberia for eternal settlement. The lives of thousands of believers were irreparably broken. Hundreds and hundreds passed through the camps. But they did not renounce their faith. And they didn't harden. They always remained peaceful people, as Christ commanded. Subsequently, the state recognized us as victims of political repression. And how blasphemous it is for us to find ourselves in the position of dangerous criminals again!\nIf the Ministry of Justice gets its way, believers will face up to 10 years in prison! Recently, after the liquidation of the registered community in Taganrog, 16 of our brothers and sisters in the faith were sentenced to heavy fines, and some even to 5-year suspended imprisonment just for reading the Bible together. A new charge can lead them to real terms.\nFor what? What are these people to blame for? That they seem to be \"wrongly\" studying the Bible? That they regard their faith as the only true one? Or are they guilty of not resorting to violence by following the Gospel commandment to \"sheath your sword\"?\nThe accusation of extremism against Jehovah's Witnesses is absurd and savagery.\nWe ask you, who can influence the course of events, to face the facts objectively and impartially.\nFinally, I recall the episode described in the Acts of the Apostles. Christians were tried on false accusations. One of the judges of the Supreme Court, the Sanhedrin, said of them to his colleagues: \"Leave these people alone, let them go. If their purpose and their work are from men, it will perish of its own accord, but if it is from God, you will not destroy them. And how would it not turn out that you are struggling with God himself! (Acts 5:38, 39)\nVasily Kalin, Chairman of the Steering Committee of the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.\n","category":"from-the-scene","date":"2017-03-21T13:28:27+03:00","duration":"3:10","image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/03/108/kalin_statement_hu_db3891107dc34ea0.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/03/108/kalin_statement.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/03/108/kalin_statement_hu_bc4b4e4be0cbaf2b.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/03/108/kalin_statement_hu_c6001373cfb134d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/03/108.html","regions":[],"subtitle":null,"tags":["administrative-center","mro","ussr"],"title":"Vasily Kalin's Urgent Video Message in Connection with the Lawsuit to Ban Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"video"},{"body":"Liquidate not only the Administrative Center, but also all 395 local religious organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses. Immediately confiscate all houses of worship belonging to these organizations. Recognize the Administrative Center as an extremist organization and prohibit its activities. This is sought by the Ministry of Justice, the body that determines religious policy in the country.\nThe believers learned about the plans of the Ministry of Justice in the office of the Supreme Court of Russia, having familiarized themselves with the text of the statement of claim. The court has already set a hearing date of April 5, 2017.\n\"If the Ministry of Justice gets its way, any of the 175,000 believers could face up to 10 years in prison simply for practicing their faith,\" says Vasily Kalin of the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, \"Recently, after the liquidation of a registered community in Taganrog, 16 of our brothers and sisters in faith were sentenced to heavy fines, and some even to 5-year suspended imprisonment just for reading the Bible together. That was an illustration.\"\nIt is noteworthy that 66 years ago, also in April, the Stalinist government conducted an operation codenamed \"North\".\n\"I remember the April night of 1951,\" says Vasily Kalin, \"Then eight and a half thousand believers of our religion, that is, almost all, were deprived of their homes and taken to Siberia for eternal settlement. The lives of thousands of believers were irreparably broken. Hundreds and hundreds passed through the camps. But they did not renounce their faith. And they didn't harden. They always remained peaceful people, as Christ commanded. Subsequently, the state recognized us as victims of political repression. And how blasphemous it is for us to find ourselves in the position of dangerous criminals again!\n","category":"org","date":"2017-03-20T19:12:18+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/03/107/170316_solnechnoe_2405_hu_4dfef4cf69bee559.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/03/107/170316_solnechnoe_2405.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/03/107/170316_solnechnoe_2405_hu_56cfff11a8110362.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/03/107/170316_solnechnoe_2405_hu_225d547f117a5726.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/03/107.html","regions":[],"subtitle":null,"tags":["administrative-center","mro","ussr"],"title":"Unprecedented news: The Ministry of Justice of Russia is seeking an immediate and total ban on a major religion","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 16, 2017, the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia filed an application with the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation with a request to leave the claim of the Ministry of Justice of Russia without movement due to non-compliance with the rules for filing a statement of claim.\nThe law requires the plaintiff, who has state powers, to first notify the defendant, and only then submit documents to the court. But in violation of this norm, the believers learned about the filing of a lawsuit for the liquidation (!) of their Administrative Center from the media, and after 2 days they still have not received a copy of the lawsuit. In these circumstances, the administrative statement of claim should be left without movement, since the principle of adversarial and equality of the parties to administrative proceedings has been grossly violated.\n","category":"org","date":"2017-03-17T13:57:43+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/03/106/supremecourt-03399_hu_a6c77d8b5d33902.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/03/106/supremecourt-03399.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/03/106/supremecourt-03399_hu_1a62d67719250830.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/03/106/supremecourt-03399_hu_a191de202c102016.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/03/106.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["supreme-court","liquidation","mro","administrative-center"],"title":"Jehovah's Witnesses Ask the Supreme Court to Dismiss the Justice Ministry's Lawsuit","type":"news"},{"body":"On the website of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, information appeared that the Ministry of Justice of Russia filed a lawsuit to recognize the \"Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia\" as an extremist organization, liquidate and ban activities. However, the religious organization did not receive the relevant documents. Millions of believers around the world consider the ministry's actions a big mistake. If successful, the lawsuit would have disastrous consequences for religious freedom in Russia, directly affecting about 400 registered local religious organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, and would affect all 2,277 religious groups across the country, uniting 175,000 followers of this religion.\nExtremism is profoundly alien to the biblically based beliefs and morals of Jehovah's Witnesses. The persecution of peaceful believers under anti-extremist legislation is based on outright falsifications, unprofessionalism of individual \"experts\" and, as a result, on judicial errors.\nBanning the activities of the Jehovah's Witnesses center may result in criminal prosecution of believers simply for practicing their religion - reading the Bible together, singing and praying. This was clearly shown by the sensational criminal case of sixteen believers, men, women and minors, who were sentenced to heavy fines and more than 5 years of suspended imprisonment after the local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses \"Taganrog\" was recognized as extremist and liquidated.\n\"Our prosecutors are carried away by the game of building a tower that is destined to collapse ,\" says Yaroslav Sivulsky of the steering committee of the religious organization . For alleged incitement to rebellion, the first Christians were persecuted and Christ himself was executed, and God did not like it. Modern oppression for faith in Russia is also by no means a godly deed.\"\nVasily Kalin, chairman of the organization's steering committee, said: \"Each of us, Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, only sincerely wants to worship our God peacefully. Unfortunately, for more than 100 years, the authorities in Russia have been trampling on their own legislation guaranteeing us this right. In Stalin's time, when I was still a child, our entire family was exiled to Siberia simply because we were Jehovah's Witnesses. It's a shame and sadness that my children and grandchildren will have to face something similar.\"\n","category":"org","date":"2017-03-16T10:30:18+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/03/104/bethel-1393_hu_ca7c681ea1c3e89a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/03/104/bethel-1393_hu_b68d14b08b547a1c.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/03/104/bethel-1393_hu_ba9320e5cf931b7a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/03/104/bethel-1393_hu_369742a4928c75ab.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/03/104.html","regions":["moscow","stpetersburg"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["supreme-court","administrative-center"],"title":"A lawsuit has been filed with the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to liquidate the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia","type":"news"},{"body":"In compliance with the current legislation on countering extremist activity, the Centralized Religious Organization \"Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia\" makes a public statement that it has nothing to do with the signs of extremism and events set forth in the judicial acts on bringing to administrative responsibility, as well as on the recognition of local religious organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses that are part of its structure as extremist.\nThe religious organization \"Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia\" did not instruct local religious organizations within its structure, as well as individual believers, to distribute, store or otherwise use literature after it was included in the Federal List of Extremist Materials.\nThe program of worship services of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia does not include the study of information materials prohibited by law.\nThe religious organization \"Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia\" does not agree with the actions of persons who bring publications included in the Federal List of Extremist Materials to the liturgical buildings of Jehovah's Witnesses. For each fact of planting banned literature, believers file a complaint with law enforcement agencies with a request to bring the perpetrators to justice.\n","category":"org","date":"2017-02-24T16:00:55+03:00","duration":null,"image":false,"permalink":"/en/news/2017/02/100.html","regions":[],"subtitle":null,"tags":["administrative-center","mro","fsem"],"title":"Public Statement of the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 15, 2017, the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia had to hand over more than 73,000 pages of internal documentation (pictured) to the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation. In the notice of an unscheduled inspection, the Ministry of Justice of Russia does not hide the fact that it acts at the request of the Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation. What does such a check mean?\nOn March 2, 2017, one year expires from the date of issuing a warning to the \"Administrative Center\" about the inadmissibility of extremist activities. In it, the Deputy Prosecutor General of Russia threatens to close a centralized religious organization if \"new facts\" of extremist activity are revealed within 12 months. The believers unsuccessfully tried to challenge the prosecutor's warning in the courts of various instances, proving the illegality and far-fetchedness of the accusations of Jehovah's Witnesses of extremism.\nDuring these 12 months, cases of falsification of evidence against Jehovah's Witnesses became significantly more frequent, primarily by planting printed \"extremist materials\" in worship buildings. In 2016 alone, there were at least 46 such throws, some recorded on surveillance cameras. Believers sent relevant statements to law enforcement agencies, however, instead of investigating them and identifying the perpetrators, the prosecutor's offices issued warnings to the believers themselves.\nTo outlaw Jehovah's Witnesses, the prosecutor's office uses a simplified scheme. A single planted pamphlet often amounts to a warning from a local religious organization (LRO). After that, within a year after the warning, due to new plantings, \"new facts\" of the extremist activities of this LRO are formed. On this completely fabricated basis, the LRO is liquidated. And the fact of the liquidation of the LRO is used to accuse the centralized organization of extremism. The warning to the Administrative Center was issued on this basis. And the Prosecutor General's Office, in its demand to the Ministry of Justice to conduct an unscheduled inspection, claims that \"new facts\" of extremist activities of the Administrative Center have already been established, since after a warning under the above scheme, several more LROS were liquidated.\nDoes the prosecutor's office intend to use this scheme against the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia and liquidate it on trumped-up charges of extremism? This is not known, but all the necessary steps have already been taken by the Prosecutor General's Office.\n\"Now the Ministry of Justice, at the request of the Prosecutor General's Office, is thoroughly studying the property and activities of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia,\" says Yaroslav Sivulsky of the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. We don't know. However, given that the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses is professed by hundreds of thousands of Russian citizens, such a step would be a real disaster for rights and freedoms in our country. Without any exaggeration, this would throw us back to the dark times of oppression for the faith, which are still fresh in the memory of the older generation. I hope that doesn't happen.\"\n","category":"overview","date":"2017-02-23T16:04:47+03:00","duration":"3:49","image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/02/99/for_jw-russia-3299_hu_ef24575471d0aed5.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/02/99/for_jw-russia-3299.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/02/99/for_jw-russia-3299_hu_a958983d91ab6a83.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/02/99/for_jw-russia-3299_hu_ec89203c83d3a812.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/02/99.html","regions":[],"subtitle":null,"tags":["administrative-center","mro","plant","fsem"],"title":"The Ministry of Justice is launching a large-scale unscheduled inspection of the Jehovah's Witnesses Center. What does it mean?","type":"video"},{"body":"On October 12, 2016, the Tverskoy District Court of Moscow rejected Jehovah's Witnesses' request to declare illegal the warning about the inadmissibility of extremist activities issued by the Deputy Prosecutor General of Russia to their Administrative Center. The court announced the decision at 1:10 p.m.\nJehovah's Witnesses consider this decision of the court to be erroneous. They strongly object to labelling them \"extremists\", emphasizing that extremism is deeply alien to their biblically based views and morals.\n","category":"org","date":"2016-10-12T13:52:54+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2016/10/48/tverskoy_sud-01_hu_3a17304a21a80f1.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2016/10/48/tverskoy_sud-01.jpg","webp":"/news/2016/10/48/tverskoy_sud-01_hu_1526078cea8e0115.webp","webp2x":"/news/2016/10/48/tverskoy_sud-01_hu_ccd40cc0444ec907.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2016/10/48.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["complaints","fsem","administrative-center"],"title":"The court rejected the request of Jehovah's Witnesses to annul the warning of the Prosecutor General's Office","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 12, 2016, the hearings on the lawsuit of Jehovah's Witnesses, which demand that the \"Warning on the inadmissibility of extremist activity\", issued by the Deputy Prosecutor General of Russia, be declared illegal. The parties have been given time to familiarize themselves with the new documents. Jehovah's Witnesses strongly object to labelling them \"extremists,\" emphasizing that extremism is deeply alien to their biblically based views and morals.\n","category":"org","date":"2016-09-23T14:58:29+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2016/09/42/tverskoy_sud_hu_1f504180d609444.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2016/09/42/tverskoy_sud.jpg","webp":"/news/2016/09/42/tverskoy_sud_hu_fa6329c38b708261.webp","webp2x":"/news/2016/09/42/tverskoy_sud_hu_c16eb4bf429fbe64.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2016/09/42.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["complaints","fsem","administrative-center"],"title":"The court postponed the hearing on the claim of Jehovah's Witnesses demanding to annul the warning of the Prosecutor General's Office","type":"news"},{"body":"The Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia is appealing in court against the warning issued by the Deputy Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation about the inadmissibility of extremist activities. The warning is a matter of concern because it threatens to close the Administrative Centre. On July 18, 2016, representatives of foreign embassies came to the first court hearing in the Tverskoy District Court of Moscow as observers.\nThe court held a conversation with the parties and scheduled the main hearing for September 23, 2016. It will take place at the address: st. Tsvetnoy Boulevard, 25A, beginning at 9:00. The case is being heard by Judge Maria Moskalenko.\n","category":"org","date":"2016-08-03T14:00:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2016/08/15/bethel-02_hu_486ea3aa8bcc3c18.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2016/08/15/bethel-02.jpg","webp":"/news/2016/08/15/bethel-02_hu_c6dfc34efd3ca836.webp","webp2x":"/news/2016/08/15/bethel-02_hu_5fa2f46988958ab0.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2016/08/15.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["complaints","fsem","administrative-center"],"title":"On September 23, a meeting will be held in Moscow to appeal the warning of the Prosecutor General's Office","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 1, 2016, a lawsuit was filed with the Tverskoy District Court of Moscow to declare illegal the \"Warning on the inadmissibility of extremist activities\" issued by the Deputy Prosecutor General of Russia. Earlier, Jehovah's Witnesses appealed the warning to the Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation Y. Chaika.\nPrevention consists of a number of legal contradictions. For example, the prosecutor's office charges the Administrative Center with the fact that 88 publications of the Witnesses are included in the list of extremist materials, although the prosecutor's office itself has consistently insisted in the courts that the Administrative Center should not be involved in the case, since its \"interests are not affected\" (the organization is not the publisher or copyright holder of the materials).\n","category":"org","date":"2016-06-09T14:00:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2016/06/17/bethel-07_hu_fc8e5bf8eff6defc.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2016/06/17/bethel-07.jpg","webp":"/news/2016/06/17/bethel-07_hu_5e4fe091f0ca74a4.webp","webp2x":"/news/2016/06/17/bethel-07_hu_45eadbf57b529f0.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2016/06/17.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["complaints","fsem","administrative-center"],"title":"The Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses appealed to the court against the warning of the Prosecutor General's Office","type":"news"}]