For Immediate Release
May 6, 1999
(Russian)

Russian federal government acts for religious freedom; Jehovah's Witnesses are reregistered as religion

On Wednesday, the Russian Ministry of Justice informed Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia that they are now reregistered as a "centralized religious organization" under the 1997 religion law, acknowledging the place of this Christian religion in Russian history.

"We are pleased that the Ministry of Justice was willing to investigate our religion honestly rather than listen to innuendo and rumor," said Vasilii Kalin, director of the Witnesses' Administrative Center in St. Petersburg. "After living through persecution for my religious beliefs under the Communist regime, I am happy to see that the freedom to practice my religion openly that was granted in 1991 will continue."

"Administrative Center for Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia" is the religious organization's formal name. Use of the word "Russia" is permitted under the 1997 law only for religions that have been active in Russia for more than 50 years. Jehovah's Witnesses hope that the formal acknowledgment of their long history in Russia and of their respect for Russian tradition will help to remove the prejudice, harassment, and violence experienced by some of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia today. More than 100 local congregations of Jehovah's Witnesses have also been registered under the new law.

"Russia's willingness to register Jehovah's Witnesses is a significant step forward," said Lyudmila Alekseyeva, president of the International Helsinki Federation. Alekseyeva's voice has been part of an international chorus expressing concern over unjustified efforts to ban Jehovah's Witnesses in Moscow. "We must keep in mind, however, that the struggle for freedom of religion and of association is not over yet. Moscow's efforts to ban Jehovah's Witnesses in that city continue. The Russian Federation's decision to reregister Jehovah's Witnesses is the right decision. We hope that local officials in Moscow will follow suit."

Jehovah's Witnesses have been active in Russia nearly 100 years. Thousands of Witnesses served in the labor camps under Stalin's rule. More than 250,000 in Russia today attend their religious services. Worldwide more than 13 million attend their services, and they are legally registered in 155 countries.

Information on the history of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, as well as detailed background information on the Moscow trial, can be found at www.jw-media.org. For more information on Jehovah's Witnesses, visit www.watchtower.org.

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