Jehovah's Witnesses in Southern Russia Face New Charges

AndersonsInfo

http://en.ria.ru/russia/20130408/180515407.htm

ROSTOV-ON-DON, April 8 (RIA Novosti) – Prosecutors in the southern Russian city of Taganrog have charged 16 Jehovah's Witnesses with taking part in the activities of an extremist organization after they allegedly resurrected the banned local branch of the international religious organization.

According to investigators, the religious group’s followers continued to hold regular meetings after their local branch was banned in the city in 2009. At the meetings, they allegedly incited hatred against other religions, circulated extremist literature and called for military draft dodging.

The suspects also attempted to involve children in their activities and collected money for the organization, the prosecutors said in a statement.

“The case materials will be sent to the Taganrog city court after the suspects are informed of the charges,” the statement said.

The Jehovah's Witnesses organization, which has more than seven million followers worldwide, including over 130,000 in Russia, has been banned in a number of Russian regions and in some former Soviet republics over its religious beliefs.

The Jehovah's Witnesses branch in the Russian capital was dissolved by a district court ruling in 2004, but the European Court of Human Rights declared the decision illegal in 2010.

Gayle

Thx, Barbara.

Yet, the WT Service Report claim over 162,000 and increasing. When, people in a country, any country, are disgruntled or even bitter about their government, they, unfortunately, will sometimes be drawn to the WT/JW promise/message that God will change things "soon." Sad.

sabastious

Russia doesn't want the Witnesses in their country because they compete with them as a dictatorship.

-Sab

wasblind

Hello there Gayle

In WT world "soon " is equivalent to " Forever and a day "

Mum

Sadly, the reasons/allegations given for banning the JW's are all true. But, according to human rights advocates, the JW's have a "right" to their religious form of oppression and falsehood.

AndDontCallMeShirley

I just went to the website containing this story. Under the "comments" section, here's what one person said:

The are right, that's why everyone hate them,..they are the only one who will survive the End., I study them and they do exactly what is in the Bible. Nothing less or more, they are in every nation and every religion hate them. Who do you think you are? Can you fight against Jehovah? Be careful man.

Still just a Bible study but he talks and thinks like a fully-indoctrinated JW !

cobaltcupcake

I study them and they do exactly what is in the Bible. Nothing less or more

Good grief. Show me where the early Christians had branch offices.

Dismissing servant

Don't feed them, Cupcake.....they will say that the first branch office was in Jerusalem, run by James and Peter!

okage

@AndDontCallMeShirley: Most likely a baptized JW lying. See, if he/she says they study with them, it puts a distance between the commenter and the Organization that offers neutrality to the unlearned.

On Yahoo Answers, there was a teenager who argued in favor of the WTS all the time. He claimed he had no religious affiliation and just believed in God, claiming that ALL religions were lies. He swore alot. He made threats. But most importantly, he identified himself as someone who wasn't a Witness, though he was always arguing in favor of them.

After exactly four minutes of research, his facebook page identified him as a Jehovah's Witness.

Theocratic Sedition

One thing the prosecutors in Russia got right was the WT/JWs do incite hatred of other religions and arguably their literature can be interpreted as extremist. Not saying either should be a crime, just saying.

Jehovah's Witnesses in Southern Russia Face New Charges

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