Jehovah’s Witnesses

For Immediate Release
June 25, 2010
(Russian)

Some local courts in Russia seek to protect basic freedoms

CHEREPOVETS, Russia—All 25 administrative cases against Jehovah’s Witnesses in Cherepovets, Vologda Region, were dismissed as of May 24, 2010. Attempts to initiate criminal proceedings against the chairman of the Local Religious Organization under Article 282 of the Criminal Code, “Incitement of Hatred or Enmity,” were rejected twice.

It all began when some local newspapers published a wave of articles discrediting the beliefs of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Nevertheless, the Vologda Region Center for Counteracting Extremism (CCE) concluded that the volatile published articles were not a threat, but the peaceful religious ministers were.

On February 26, 2010, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, Zinaida Zolotareva and Militina Churbanova, both 72 years old, were arrested for distributing a pamphlet about religious oppression. After they were interrogated at the Center for Counteracting Extremism for six hours, were searched and had their literature confiscated, cases of administrative violations were initiated against them for “persistently pestering citizens as part of a religious campaign.” However, the court later found the charges to be groundless and dismissed both cases.

On February 28, 2010, as he was driving up to his house, Nikolay Chursanov, chairman of the Local Religious Organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses, was stopped by a traffic police officer. Then, CCE agents led by Division Chief Roman Rystakov surrounded and searched his car. Chursanov’s personal Bible, other books, and documents connected with his religious activity were confiscated. He was interrogated late into the night. In the end, the agents found no grounds for criminal prosecution and, in spite of pressure from the deputy city prosecutor, refused this second attempt to institute criminal proceedings against Chursanov.

During the month of March 2010, CCE agents issued summonses to interrogate approximately 50 citizens who were suspected of being Jehovah’s Witnesses. However, the Witnesses invoked their constitutional rights and refused to answer any personal questions. Then, four CCE agents threatened them with administrative liability for “refusing to provide information” and even initiated proceedings against 23 of the Witnesses. In spite of this, the courts found the demands of the police to be unlawful and dismissed all the cases.

“We went to court with confidence because we have a clean conscience,” says Nikolay Chursanov. “We’re quite perplexed by these efforts to group peaceful citizens with extremists. Attempts to stop the lawful activity of Jehovah’s Witnesses by any means possible proved to be unfounded and unsuccessful. I hope that other violations of the Witnesses’ rights will be investigated and that the perpetrators will be called to justice.”

Contacts:
Russia: Grigory Martynov, telephone +7 812 702 26 91

USA: J.R. Brown, telephone +1 718 560 5600