Attack on freedom of worship in Moscow gets reaction NEW YORK—The Moscow City Court has upheld an earlier decision of the Golovinsky District Court to ban the activities of the 11,000 Jehovah's Witnesses in the Russian capital. News of the decision reached the Witnesses' international headquarters offices moments after it was announced. "This ruling was a great disappointment to us," said Theodore Jaracz, a member of the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses, responding to the news. "Our Bible education is already benefiting millions of people in all parts of the world, including Moscow. But we will continue to offer spiritual refreshment to people worldwide. Ultimately, we are confident that true justice will prevail." "This is clearly an attack on freedom of worship for Jehovah's Witnesses in Moscow," states James Andrik, one of the Witness attorneys working on the case. "Several international agencies are noting that the decision was completely based on unsubstantiated reports, and they are requesting more information from us this week." Today, Mr. Andrik will meet with representatives of human rights organizations and government officials who wish to be informed of these developments. Mr. Andrik notes that the case is already under consideration by the European Court of Human Rights. The application of Jehovah's Witnesses in Moscow will be reinforced with more information in view of this latest ruling. Jehovah's Witnesses hope the court will expedite the handling of this case. There are over 133,000 Witnesses in Russia, and over 6,400,000 worldwide.
Media Contact: J. R. Brown,
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