For Immediate Release
May 28, 2003

Romania reaffirms freedom for a religious minority

On May 22, 2003, the government of Romania issued an order reaffirming their official recognition of Jehovah's Witnesses as a religion. Article 3 of the order states: "The Christian religion: 'The Religious Organization of Jehovah's Witnesses,' has all the rights and obligations provided by law for the religions recognized by the Romanian State."

The order was issued in compliance with a Romanian Supreme Court of Justice ruling in the year 2000. Although Jehovah's Witnesses have been active in Romania since 1911, their public ministry was under ban between 1949 and 1990. Following dramatic changes in government in 1990, the Religious Organization of Jehovah's Witnesses once again received its former official status by means of a 1990 Bucharest court judgment. 

In 1997 a government ministry issued an unconstitutional list of 16 so-called official religions of Romania, but Jehovah's Witnesses were not included. Since that time the Witnesses have had difficulty receiving benefits that come to recognized religions. Over the past six years, many court cases and appeals to governmental authorities have taken place to correct the official status of the Witnesses.

There are almost 90,000 Jehovah's Witnesses and associates in Romania, who rejoice at the news of the May 22 order.

Media contact: J. R. Brown, (718) 560-5600