Jehovah's Witnesses Official Media Web Site: RUSSIA

Russia

Interactive Map

Harassment and Mistreatment of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia

The Russian Federation Supreme Court ruled against religious freedom on December 8, 2009, when it pronounced 34 pieces of religious literature published by Jehovah’s Witnesses to be “extremist.” Since that date, Jehovah’s Witnesses and human rights advocates have noted a sharp increase in acts of religious intolerance at the hands of officials throughout Russia. These incidents of abuse are presented in this interactive map and can also be viewed as a chronological listing.

Now in Russia

V. Slepushkin, a doctor of medical science and head of the Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Unit of the North Ossetian Medical Academy, commented in an interview regarding the question of nonblood medical treatment of Jehovah’s Witnesses: “I am not a religious person and I don’t adhere to any religion—I stick to scientific facts, and scientific facts prove more and more that blood transfusions are undesirable. . . . In my years of practice, I have not seen a case where a blood transfusion was imperative. . . . I think that we can completely abandon the practice of blood transfusions.”
In July of 2011, Russian Ombudsman V. Lukin appealed to the governor of the Amur region, O. Kozhemyako, with a letter regarding the program “Preventive measures against terrorism and extremism in the Amur region for the period of 2011-2013.” The program, approved by the Amur regional government, stated that a number of religious organizations, including Jehovah’s Witnesses, “destroy the unified spiritual framework of the country.” In his letter, the ombudsman pointed out the need to edit or completely remove such regulations in the document. V. Lukin reiterated that the Constitution of the Russian Federation guarantees that every citizen has the right to profess any religion, it also gives equal rights to religious organizations legally operating in Russia, and it does not establish any religion as a State or mandatory religion. Lukin also emphasized the fact that religious organizations in Russia, such as Jehovah’s Witnesses, “are legally recognized and lawfully carry out their activities. Their members are Russian citizens whose rights cannot be arbitrarily restricted on the basis of their ideological choice and their membership in a particular religion.”
A hearing in the case of Aleksandr Kalistratov resumed on July 26, 2011, in the Gorno-Altaysk City Court. Several witnesses for the prosecution were questioned. At the end of the hearing, Kalistratov’s defense attorney, Viktor Zhenkov said: “Thirteen witnesses were questioned and ten volumes of the original criminal case’s evidence were examined, but the prosecution has not presented a single piece of evidence confirming Mr. Kalistratov’s guilt.” The court will continue to question witnesses and examine the remaining 18 volumes of the original criminal case’s evidence during the next set of hearings, scheduled to begin on August 15, 2011.