For Immediate Release
November 6, 2001
(Russian)

Doctrinal dispute resurfaces in Moscow prosecution

MOSCOW—The trial against Jehovah's Witnesses currently in process in the Golovinsky Court has again developed into a dispute regarding religious beliefs. Prosecutor Tatyana Kondratyeva accused Jehovah's Witnesses of "distorting the meaning of the Bible." Defense lawyer Artur Leontyev challenged that statement by reference to the Bible. However, Judge Vera Dubinskaya warned that the Bible was not to be used in court and directed that no comparison be made between the literature of Jehovah's Witnesses and Orthodox writings.

Kondratyeva repeatedly stated that her main evidence in support of the charges is not based on specific actions but on "negative statements" contained in the religious literature that Jehovah's Witnesses distribute throughout Russia. Kondratyeva called for a total ban on the distribution of this literature in Moscow. As support, she referred to a Keston News Service report quoted in the April 22, 2001, issue of Awake! that linked the Moscow Patriarchate to the KGB.

During several court sessions over the past week the prosecutor claimed that the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses 'erode the culture and traditions of Russia.' She added: "These teachings influence Jehovah's Witnesses and their children not to celebrate Orthodox religious holidays or worship icons." Galina Krylova pointed out: "The law does not require compliance with such activities. Furthermore, there are many religions in Russia that do not celebrate Orthodox holidays."

John Burns, another defense lawyer, observed: "The prosecutor is turning the clock back to the Soviet period. The charges are the same, only the label has changed. What was once defined as anti-Soviet is now termed antitraditional."

The case resumes on Thursday, November 8.

Contacts: Russian-speaking, Jaroslav Sivulskii, mobile telephone: + (7) 8 902 682 8197
English-speaking, Paul Gillies, mobile telephone: + (7) 812 936 61 04