Russian government shuts down all Jehovah's Witnesses' activity

[Guest Kurt]

JUSTICE MINISTRY SUSPENDS ACTIVITY OF JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES IN RUSSIA

47News.ru (News from Leningrad province), 16 March 2017
 
The Russian Ministry of Justice has suspended the activity of the religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses until the decision of the Supreme Court on the lawsuit for finding the activity of this organization to be extremist. The issue deals with the liquidation of the Witnesses, including in Vyborg.
 
As 47News has learned, on 15 March the Ministry of Justice sent to the Supreme Court of the RF an administrative suit declaration in which it asked to find the "Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia" to be extremist and to order a prohibition on its activity and to liquidate [it] and remove information about the religious organization from the Uniform State Register of Legal Entities.
 
In connection with this, the Ministry of Justice issued an order over the signature of the first deputy minister, Sergei Gerasimov, about the suspension of the activity of the Jehovah's Witnesses.
 
"To suspend the activity of the religious organization .  . from 15 March 2017 until the consideration by the Supreme Court of the above mentioned declaration," the document says (the editorial office has a copy).
 
The order also suspends the rights of regional organizations of the Witnesses, like the founder, to news media. They are prohibited from using state and municipal news media (in all likelihood for retransmission of content—ed.) and from planning and conducting meetings, rallies, demonstrations, parades, picketing, and other mass actions.
 
The order of the Ministry of Justice [see document below] imposes on Jehovah's Witnesses a ban on the use of deposits in banks, with the exception of business activities and covering of losses and payment of taxes and fines.
 
The Ministry of Justice commented for 47News that this order has been expected for a long time. It is no secret that in the Ministry of Justice, the Witnesses have long been considered a sect and have nothing to do with religious teaching, but its American origin leads the organization downright into the conceptual field of causing harm to Russia.
 
We note that the most famous place of gathering of the devotees of the doctrine in Leningrad province is the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses on Progonnaya Street in Vyborg. 

 

DOCUMENT: 

Order of Ministry of Justice

Moscow, 15 March 2017   No. 320-r

Concerning suspension of the activity of a religious organization:

Religious organization “Administrative Center of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia”

In accordance with point 7 of article 14 of the federal law of 26 September 1997 “On freedom of conscience and religious associations” and article 10 of the federal law of 25 July 2002 “On combating extremist activity,”  and in connection with the appeal of 15 March 2017 of the Ministry of Justice of the Russian federation to the Supreme Court of the Russian federation, with an administrative lawsuit declaration for finding the religious organization the “Administrative Center of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia,” to be extremist, banning its activity, liquidating it, and removing information from the Uniform State Register of Legal Entities:

1. To suspend the activity of the religious organization “Administrative Center of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia” from 15 March 2017 until the consideration of the above indicated declaration by the Supreme Court of the Russian federation.

2. To determine that from the moment of the suspension of the activity of the religious organization “Administrative Center of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia” are suspended the rights of the religious organization “Administrative Center of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia” and local organizations of Jehovah’s Witnesses that are members of its structure, like their founder, to media of mass information. They are prohibited to use state and municipal news media, to plan and to conduct meetings, rallies, demonstrations, parades, picketing and other mass actions or public events, and to use bank deposits, with the exception of use for settling accounts connected with their economic activity,  and covering  losses (damages)  caused by their actions,  and payment of taxes, fees, or fines, and outlays based on labor contracts.

3. To send information about the suspension of activity of the religious organization "Administrative Center of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia” to territorial agencies of the Russian Ministry of Justice, agencies of state authority and agencies of local self-administration, and banking and banking organizations, for their attention.

S.A. Gerasimov,
First deputy of the minister

Russian original posted at Melekess Pravoslavnyi, 17 March 2017

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest Kurt]

"47news.ru" where a stamp is missing on the above document.

Ministry of Justice registered recently the order dated March 1, 2017. With stamp and registration from the Ministry of Justice.

source

 

 

[David Normand]

My fear is that other governments, rather than being outraged by how Jehovah's Witnesses are being treated in Russia, will look at what was done as a how-to manual on how to get rid of or at least silence them. 

Oh well, this entire world lies in the hand of the wicked one. We can expect no less from him and his supporters.

[JW Insider]

Sad.

Looks like it will be difficult even to have 'home church services' if groups are caught advertising such services without permission. Based on this report from a few weeks ago. Odd that they will still allow a business bank account but with only enough money in it to pay fines and taxes.

 

Quote

 

U.S. missionary fights evangelism ban in Russia's highest court

 

An American missionary in Russia is taking his fight against that country’s new religious restrictions all the way to the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation.

Independent Baptist missionary Don Ossewaarde, based in Oryol, was the first American charged under the Yarovaya legislation. The laws ban proselytizing, preaching, and praying outside officially recognized religious institutions. Since July 20, authorities across Russia have detained, arrested, and fined dozens of individuals or religious organizations.

According to Forum 18, Russian prosecutors have filed charges against 33 persons, including Baptists, Pentecostals, a Ukrainian Reformed Orthodox archbishop, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Seventh-Day Adventists, Hare Krishnas, and a Buddhist. Seventeen were convicted.

In spite of losing his appeals so far, Ossewaarde said he would “press the case as far as he can.” Authorities fined him $600 in August for having home church services and advertising them without written permission, World Watch Monitor reported.

 

 

[Evacuated]

15 minutes ago, JW Insider said:

Odd that they will still allow a business bank account but with only enough money in it to pay fines and taxes

Who would receive that money?

[Anna]

I don't know if anyone has read these news articles. They are pretty objective. And they are in English  

https://themoscowtimes.com/articles/jehovahs-witnesses-in-russia-brace-for-a-final-blow-57343

https://themoscowtimes.com/news/russian-justice-ministry-calls-for-country-wide-ban-on-jehovahs-witnesses-57458

Judging from the supreme court website, the (decisive?) court hearing will be 4th April 2017. I tried to post a link to the supreme court website with the JW case and strangely it won't let me...