Jehovah’s Witnesses

For Immediate Release
August 23, 2010
(Russian)

Criminal case against 73-year-old worshipper in Russia

TULA, Russia—Pyotr Babilyulka, one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, was imprisoned from 1956 to 1962 for his refusal to take up arms. Now the 73-year-old great-grandfather finds it hard to believe that he is again facing court charges and possible imprisonment, this time under investigation for “extremism.”

On June 30, 2010, some new acquaintances of Mr. Babilyulka insisted they wanted three copies of the book What Does the Bible Really Teach? and claimed to be interested in a Bible study. Thereafter, Nikolay Ivanov, an investigator for the First Inter-District Investigation Department of the Tula Region Investigative Committee under the Russian Federation Prosecutor, initiated a case against Mr. Babilyulka under Article 282.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (“Incitement to Hatred or Hostility or Denigration of Human Dignity on the Grounds of Religious Affiliation”). If Mr. Babilyulka is found guilty, he could face up to two years of imprisonment.

“This reminds me of the old Soviet repression,” said Mr. Babilyulka, “but it makes no sense at all. The activity of Jehovah’s Witnesses has never posed a threat to the government. We try to show love and kindness to people of all religions the way Jesus taught us. But sadly, 50 years later, I face the threat of being in prison again because of my faith.”

Mr. Babilyulka and his fellow worshippers believe that this incident is a result of the September 11, 2009, decision of the Rostov Regional Court to include the religious book What Does the Bible Really Teach? in a list of extremist materials. This book has been used for personal Bible study around the world, with over 130 million copies produced in 209 languages (including Russian and Russian Sign Language) since 2005. Jehovah’s Witnesses appealed the decision of the Rostov Regional Court to the European Court of Human Rights.

Contacts:
In Russia: Grigory Martynov, tel. +7 812 702 2691
In USA: J.R. Brown, tel. +1 718 560  5600