KAZAKHSTAN: Lawyers now face trial for defending client

The two lawyers for a Jehovah's Witness now on trial in Astana are themselves under criminal investigation. The KNB secret police investigator accuses them of "revealing information from a pre-trial investigation" by appealing to President...

Russia’s Misuse of Terrorism and Extremism Laws to Restrict the Freedom of Thought, Conscience, Religion or Belief

 As delivered by Chargé d’Affaires, a.i. Kate M. Byrnesto the Permanent Council, ViennaMarch 30, 2017 Thank you, Mr. Chair.The freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief is a pillar of the OSCE’s concept of comprehensive security. In...

Russia seeks to declare Jehovah’s Witnesses an extremist group

Russia's justice ministry has filed a lawsuit with its supreme court to declare the national headquarters of the country's Jehovah’s Witnesses an extremist organization.The legal filing is noted on the court's website with no date given for legal action. The...

Helsinki Commission Condemns Pending Legal Action against Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia

 WASHINGTON—Following the Russian government’s request for its Supreme Court to effectively ban Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia from worshipping, claiming that they are members of an “extremist organization,” Helsinki Commission Chairman Sen. Roger Wicker (MS), Co-Chairman...

Vladimir Putin signs law allowing Russia to ignore international human rights rulings

 Vladimir Putin has signed a law allowing the Constitutional Court of Russia to decide whether or not to comply with judgements made by international human rights courts.The law, published by the government on Tuesday, enables Russia’s...

Jehovah’s Witnesses Mobilize Global Response to Threat of Ban in Russia

NEW YORK—Threatened with an imminent ban on their worship in Russia, Jehovah’s Witnesses are responding with a direct appeal to Kremlin and Supreme Court officials for relief through a global letter-writing campaign. The Governing Body...

RUSSIA: Jehovah’s Witness activity largely halted

Russia has summarily suspended most Jehovah's Witness activities. UN Special Rapporteur Maina Kiai told Forum 18: "The Russian government is claiming that the Jehovah's Witnesses are an extremist group, but in fact it's their move...

Russia court to consider Jehovah’s Witnesses ban

Russia's justice ministry has called for a ban on the Jehovah's Witnesses, a Christian movement that zealously seeks converts and rejects military service.The ministry has asked Russia's supreme court to close the group's headquarters and...

RUSSIA: Justice Ministry seeks complete Jehovah’s Witness ban

With no public announcement, Russia's Justice Ministry lodged a suit at the Supreme Court today (15 March) to declare the Jehovah's Witness Administrative Centre "extremist", to liquidate it, and to ban its activity. If successful,...

Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia Brace for a Final Blow

After more than a decade of legal wrangling, controversial anti-terrorism laws are set to deliver the final blow to Russia’s embattled Jehovah’s Witnesses.For years, Russia has chased the group in a tireless game of cat...

KAZAKHSTAN: Article 174 cases increase, Cancer sufferer tortured

Jehovah's Witness Asaf Guliyev was given five years' restricted freedom on 24 February. Fellow Jehovah's Witness Teymur Akhmedov, a cancer sufferer, is in pre-trial detention and states he was tortured. Guliyev's conviction is one of...

Jehovah’s Witnesses ask Kremlin for relief from pressure

MOSCOW (AP) -- The leader of the Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia is calling on the head of the Kremlin's human rights council to prevent what the denomination fears is an imminent total ban on the...

RUSSIA: Jehovah’s Witnesses to be liquidated?

Russia appears to be moving to close the Jehovah's Witnesses' headquarters as "extremist". If this happens, all 406 registered local organisations and over 2,500 religious groups would be highly likely also to be liquidated, ending...

RUSSIA: Warnings and forced community liquidations increase

Russia's forced dissolution of local communities, literature bans, and "extremism" prosecutions increasingly restrict Jehovah's Witnesses' freedom of religion and belief. On 16 January, their national Administrative Centre in St Petersburg lost its latest legal challenge...

KAZAKHSTAN: Sharing beliefs “grave crime” requiring detention?

Kazakhstan's KNB secret police has arrested two Jehovah's Witnesses for discussing their faith with KNB informers. Teymur Akhmedov and Asaf Guliyev are in two months' pre-trial detention, although Akhmedov needs hospitalisation for cancer treatment. The...

Russia gets go ahead to liquidate Jehovah’s Witnesses Organisation

MOSCOW, Russia – The Appeal Court in Moscow, Russia has granted Russian Prosecutor the leave to liquidate activities of Jehovah’s Witnesses(JW) in Russia after branding them extremist group.The JW had appealed the decision and tried...

Russian Appellate Court Dismisses Witnesses’ Appeal Against Warning

On January 16, 2017, the Moscow City Court dismissed the Witnesses’ appeal that challenged the legality of the Prosecutor General’s warning issued against their national headquarters. The three-judge panel rejected all arguments filed by the Witnesses’ attorneys...