Print this pageFor Immediate Release
April 8, 2010
(Russian)
Arson attack on house of worship in Russia
BUDENNOVSK, Stavropol Territory—On the night of March 20, 2010, a fire broke out in the house of worship, or Kingdom Hall, of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Budennovsk. No one was present at the time so there were no injuries but the interior, including the ceiling, walls and chairs were destroyed. The damages are estimated at approximately 1,000,000 rubles (US$33,300). Arson was suspected and has now been confirmed.
The results of the fire safety and mechanical expert examination support initial findings that the perpetrators gained entry by using a fire ladder and entering through the building’s loft. The intruders there lit a flammable liquid. Investigators thus dismissed the possibility that malfunction of electrical wiring caused the fire. In addition, during the investigation, evidence was found that there had been a previous attempt to set fire to the hall from the loft. This finding was supported by observations of believers who said that about a week earlier they had noted a chemical smell in the hall, the source of which they were unable to trace at the time.
The Chairman of the Local Religious Organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses in the City of Budyonnovsk, Alexander Gaponov, expressed the feelings of many Jehovah’s Witnesses in the area when he said: “We built this beautiful Kingdom Hall with our own hands and at our own expense. We put our hearts into constructing it. In this hall people have learned to live in peace and harmony with their neighbors. It is very sad that such aggression has escalated against those who seem different, to the point that some individuals are ready to carry out acts of vandalism like this.”
Anton Omelchenko, a lawyer who represents Jehovah’s Witnesses, commented on the incident: “Arson is criminally liable behavior and is punishable by a prison term of up to five years. The crime commited against Jehovah’s Witnesses demonstrates the intensity of religious intolerance toward this particular community of believers, and sadly, such an attitude is now being promoted in Russian society.”
On March 29, 2010, the case was transferred to the Budyonnovsk Police Department that will decide if a criminal case should be instigated or not.
Contacts:
Russia: Grigory Martynov, Telephone +7 812 702 26 91
Europe: European Association of Jehovah’s Christian Witnesses
Telephone: +32 2 782 0015
USA: J.R. Brown, telephone +1 718 560 5600