Jehovah’s Witnesses

For Immediate Release
April 14, 2011
(Russian)

Russia disregards ECHR judgment

Moscow court refuses to reconsider ban on Jehovah’s Witnesses

MOSCOW—Following the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), which declared the Moscow Golovinsky District Court ban on Jehovah’s Witnesses to be illegal, the Witnesses filed an application with the Golovinsky Court to review its March 26, 2004, ruling. However, on February 15, 2011, the Golovinsky Court dismissed the application to reopen the case, stating that the ECHR judgment “cannot in itself serve as grounds for reversing the court decision . . . or for reconsidering it on the basis of newly discovered circumstances . . .”

On January 11, 2011, Jehovah’s Witnesses in Moscow also applied to the Moscow City Justice Department requesting a reregistration of their legal entity that had been liquidated in 2004. In addition, claims have been filed with both the Butyrsky and Presnensky District Courts in Moscow requesting a review of the rulings by which the religious community was denied reregistration.

The ECHR ruled that a number of gross violations had been committed in the course of these court proceedings and obliged Russia to take measures “to put an end to the violation found by the Court and to redress so far as possible the effects.” Time will tell whether Russia will implement this judgment. Lawyer Arli Chimirov states: “Jehovah’s Witnesses are taking all the steps possible. Now it is the government’s turn. As a matter of fact, it is the State who is obligated to implement the ECHR ruling.”

Contacts:
In Russia: Grigory Martynov, tel. +7 812 702 2691
In Belgium: The European Association of Jehovah’s Christian Witnesses, tel. +32 2 782 0015
In USA: J. R. Brown, tel. +1 718 560 5600