For Immediate Release
June 28, 1999

Appeal dismissed in Moscow religious freedom case

Today the Moscow City Court dismissed the appeal by Jehovah's Witnesses that would stop a lower court's inquiry into the legitimacy of their religious beliefs. The Witnesses fear that religious extremists will seize on today's decision to continue their attacks.

"The Moscow City Court's decision will only play into the hands of those who want to delay the proceedings in the lower court and use the existence of an ongoing prosecution to harass Jehovah's Witnesses," said defense attorney Galina Krylova.

Jehovah's Witnesses, who are a legally recognized religion in Russia, have had problems renting public buildings in Moscow and have experienced an ongoing slander campaign in the Russian media since the start of the case. They will consider other possible appeals, including an application to the European Court of Human Rights.

Today's decision came out of a civil case in Golovinskiy People's Court brought by the Moscow Prosecutor's Office in an attempt to ban Jehovah's Witnesses in Moscow. On March 12, 1999, after a five-week hearing, the Golovinskiy People's Court ordered an "expert" study to evaluate the religious beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses, a violation of the Russian Constitution and the European Convention. The defense's appeal called for the dismissal of the case because it is based on an evaluation of religious beliefs rather than on any violation of law.

The Moscow City Court also denied a defense motion to put before the court the religious studies analysis done for the Russian Ministry of Justice. The analysis, which was conducted by the Expert Council for State Religious Studies, has already answered the questions called for in the expert study ordered by the Golovinskiy People's Court. "This study was prepared by some of the leading experts in Russia," Krylova said. "Using it would save all parties considerable time and expense."

On April 29, 1999, the Ministry of Justice reregistered Jehovah's Witnesses under the 1997 law on religion. "Common sense dictated that this prosecution should have been dismissed," said John Burns, a Canadian attorney assisting the Russian defense team. "Today's decision sends a somber signal to all non-Orthodox religions: Don't expect decisions by the federal government to have an influence in Moscow."

Background information on the trial and on Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia can be found at www.jw-media.org. For more information on Jehovah's Witnesses, visit www.watchtower.org.

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