For Immediate Release
April 25, 2001

Russian court orders registration of
Jehovah's Witnesses in Kabardino-Balkaria

On 24 April 2001, a judge in southern Russia ordered the Department of Justice in Kabardino-Balkaria to register three congregations of Jehovah's Witnesses. This republic, with a mixed Orthodox and Muslim population, is close to Chechnya and the Republic of Georgia and is part of the Russian Federation. Judge Takhir Bichekuev found that the actions of the local Department of Justice in evading registration under Russia's 1997 religion law were illegal.

"We are delighted," said Sergei Svetkin, attorney for Jehovah's Witnesses. "The Department of Justice was dragging its heels for almost two years, not even providing a formal response. We joined three applications into one procedure and requested the court to order registration in three cities—Nal'chik, Nartkala and Prokhladny. Prosecutors in Prokhladny and nearby Maiskiy now have reason to think twice about their pending applications to ban Jehovah's Witnesses."

Prosecutor applications to ban Jehovah's Witnesses in Maiskiy and Prokhladny are set to be heard on May 3 and 4. These applications "remind one of the Moscow prosecution earlier this year," said Svetkin. "The trial court in Moscow, after five weeks of evidence, found that Jehovah's Witnesses were no threat to Russian society but that they were a responsible Christian religious minority and should not be banned."

Jehovah's Witnesses are legally registered under the 1997 religion law in 365 communities across Russia, including federal registration of their Administrative Center near St. Petersburg. Jehovah's Witnesses numerically place fourth among Russian religions, with about 280,000 associated.

Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, 197739 St. Petersburg, ul. Srednyaya, 6
Telephone: +7 (812) 434-38-50 Fax: +7 (812) 437-09-70
U. S. Contact: J. R. Brown, telephone: (718) 560-5600