Fifth session of Supreme Court case regarding Jehovah's Witnesses news report summary

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RUSSIAN SUPREME COURT STUDIES MATERIALS REGARDING LIQUIDATION OF JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES IN RUSSIA

Majority of materials testify to the absence of extremism in their activity

Portal-Credo.Ru, 19 April 2017

 

Judicial proceedings in the lawsuit of the Russian Ministry of Justice for liquidating, ruling to be extremist, and banning the activity of 396 religious organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses (JW) in Russia and also confiscating their property resumed on 19 April in the Supreme Court of the RF after a week-long recess, a Portal-Credo.Ru correspondent reports.

 

The session began with the attachment to the materials of the case of documentary evidence of plants of "extremist literature" in JW houses of worship and attempts to illegally put an end to activity of JW congregations by representatives of law enforcement agencies. On the basis of a petition of the justice ministry, decisions of the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia regarding appointment of members of executive bodies of local religious organizations also were added to the case.

 

After that, the court proceeded to examination of materials of the case. In the examination of "Foundations of the doctrine and practice corresponding to it of the Jehovah's Witnesses" attention was focused on the requirement of love for one's neighbor and toleration, and also about the obligation of JW "to give their children a good education." A new, curious detail of JW "extremist activity" was revealed: their brochure "Jehovah's Witnesses. Who are the? What do they believe?" was ruled to be extremist for the mention of the fact that Jehovah's Witnesses do not bear arms.

 

A lawyer for the Ministry of Justice reported that, according to one of the JW documents, in Russia more than 2,000 unregistered groups are functioning under the leadership of their Administrative Center.

 

The court asked the justice ministry's lawyer what was the purpose of including in the case the turnover balance sheet of the JW. The justice ministry's lawyer explained that the balance sheet gives evidence that "financial means are possibly aimed at financing extremist activity." To the judge's question about what showed that it was on "extremist activity" that the money was spent and not on ordinary charter goals, the lawyer for the Ministry of Justice was not able to give a clear answer. Also an answer was not forthcoming to the question by lawyer Omelchenko to the justice ministry's lawyer: "Can you name specifically what sum, when, and by whom was it spent and what was the specific form of extremist activity?"

 

Lawyer Zhenkov called the court's attention to the state religious studies expert analysis of the Ministry of Justice, on the basis of the conclusions of which the Administrative Center was registered. The conclusions of this expert analysis are in effect to the present.

 

The case also presents about 70 expert conclusions testifying to the absence of extremism in JW publications. Lawyer Zhenkov quoted the book "Humanity in search of God": "To study different religions does not mean to betray one's own faith. On the contrary, it may strengthen it, when we see how other people are seeking the truth and what this gave to them. Knowledge gives understanding and understanding gives tolerance for people who have other views." Experts did not find indicators of extremism in the book; however the Ministry of Justice included it in the Federal List of Extremist Materials.

 

Later the decisions and judgments of courts that have taken effect were studied, which give evidence of the absence of extremist tendencies in JW publications. A short discussion arose again in the trial about the "prohibition of blood transfusion" in connection with examination of the decision of the European Court for Human Rights. Also studied were materials giving evidence about the falsification of evidence in a number of cases regarding Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.

 

The session is continuing. (tr. by PDS, posted 19 April 2017)