Russia

Jehovah’s Witnesses Banned in Russian Belgorod for ‘Tearing Apart Families’

The Supreme Court in Russia's southern city of Belgorod has ruled for a local Jehovah's Witnesses group to be disbanded as an “extremist” organization, the RAPSI legal news agency reported Thursday. Prosecutors told the court...

RUSSIA: Putin signs sharing beliefs, “extremism”, punishments

President Putin has signed amendments imposing harsh restrictions on sharing beliefs, including where and who may share them, and increased "extremism" punishments, introduced with alleged "anti-terrorism" changes. There are widespread Russian protests against the suddenly-introduced...

Uzbekistan – Three-year imprisonment for religious literature

Stanislav Kim could be jailed for up to three years if convicted of having "illegal" religious literature in his home in Urgench. In Bukhara, two Jehovah's Witnesses were jailed for ten days and, with 28...

Russian Supreme Court bans Jehovah’s Witnesses branch

MOSCOW, June 9 (RAPSI, Lyudmila Klenko) – Russia’s Supreme Court on Thursday banned the Jehovah’s Witnesses of Belgorod as extremist organization, RAPSI reports from the courtroom.In February 2016, the Belgorod Regional Court has granted a lawsuit...

Uzbekistan – Large fines for “illegal” religious literature

Uzbekistan continues raids, large fines and confiscation of "illegal" religious literature, at least 18 Protestants and 11 Jehovah's Witnesses being fined up to 60 times the minimum monthly salary. Asked whether people have freedom of...

Russia – Jehovah’s Witnesses face possible liquidation

If prosecutors proceed with their threat to liquidate the Jehovah's Witness headquarters near St Petersburg, thousands of local congregations across Russia could also face prohibition of their activities and individuals could be vulnerable to criminal...

RUSSIA: 2015 prosecutions for publicly sharing beliefs

Unapproved sharing of beliefs were a quarter of 2015 prosecutions for public events in Russia. Forum 18 found 119 individuals and 3 religious organisations prosecuted, a sharp rise on 2014. Initial punishments were 80 fines,...

RUSSIA: Jehovah’s Witness Bible to be “extremist”?

Russian prosecutors are trying to ban the Jehovah's Witness New World Bible as "extremist", Forum 18 notes. However, a Pervouralsk court refused to ban two Islamic texts citing the Koran as "extremist", in the first...

RUSSIA: In 2015, 89 known individuals and communities prosecuted for religious literature

Unemployed Jehovah's Witness A. Bokov served six days in prison for possessing Jehovah's Witness literature the Russian authorities deem "extremist". Yevgeny Menshenin served five days in prison for sharing an Islamic video on a social...

Russian Authorities Move Toward Unprecedented Shutdown of Witnesses’ National Headquarters

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia—In an unprecedented move, Russian authorities have threatened to close the Administrative Center of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia.The Prosecutor General’s Office of the Russian Federation issued a formal warning letter dated March 2,...