JW imprisonment

by BourneIdentity 11 Replies latest jw experiences

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  BourneIdentity

  This is on the JW News site

  NEWS ALERT | Crimean Supreme Court Sentenced Brother Artem Gerasimov to Six Years in Prison

  On June 4, 2020, the Crimean Supreme Court sentenced Brother Artem Gerasimov to six years in prison for his peaceful Christian worship. He was seeking acquittal from his original sentence by the Yalta City Court, which was a fine for 400,000 rubles (approx. $6,000 U.S.). The appeal ruling immediately came into force and Brother Gerasimov was taken into custody. He will appeal this decision.

  Am I reading this right? He simply appealed the fine, and to add insult to injury, they threw him in prison for losing the appeal to the fine?
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  BourneIdentity

  This is another update on an imprisonment

  Dennis Christensen, Now Imprisoned in Russia for Three Years, Remains Steadfast and Joyful

  As of today, Brother Dennis Christensen has endured three years of unjust imprisonment in Russia. Since his arrest on May 25, 2017, some friends have asked Brother Christensen how this tribulation has affected his faith. His answer has remained the same: “My faith has become only stronger.”

  It appears they are saying someone can improve spiritually by attending no meetings, no field circus, nor associating with the brothers and sisters.
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  Earnest

  Regarding the increase in sentence of Artyom Gerasimov, the article says:
  

  It became known that along with an appeal from a believer, a prosecutor's appeal was filed to the court "for the sentence is lenient". As a result, the panel of judges (Judge-Rapporteur - Aleksei Lastov) denied the appeal of the believer, but partially satisfied the representation of the prosecutor. The prosecutor, Oksana Chuchueva, asked for a 6.5-year sentence in the colony. On June 4, during the appeal hearing the Supreme Court of Crimea took the side of the prosecution and replaced the fine with [six years] imprisonment. The verdict came into force. The defense intends to appeal this decision to the court of cassation.
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  cofty

  Russia is a totalitarian regime and it's only going to get worse.
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  Phizzy

  " According to the investigation, together with others he conducted divine services, which is interpreted as "organization of the activities of an extremist organization" (with reference to the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to liquidate all 396 registered Jehovah's Witnesses organizations). "

  So, he went against "Caesars Law", whatever we may think about the Law, and got a heavy sentence for ignoring the law, and ignoring the Scripture.

  The Russian Law that defines the J.W. Org as extremist, I cannot really disagree with, as to it's definition of Extremist, and JW Org as fitting the definition. Yes, the Russian Orthodox Church may well be behind all this, the sentence was unnecessarily heavy, but he took a silly, foolhardy chance.
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  Anna Marina

  I know someone who got sent to prison as a JW for Christian neutrality. Because I knew him personally I feel he did it for all the right, sincere reasons. Because he cared and he wanted to be peaceful.

  After being released, he moved countries, settled, had a family, provided for them and got treated with utter contempt by the elders. His life was destroyed. Guess what? He left and never spoke to any of us ever again. Shame because I'd love to tell him what happened to me. I think it'd make him feel a lot better and give him a good laugh.
  
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  BourneIdentity

  Anna Marina

  From your perspective, why do you believe the elders treated him that way?
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  Anna Marina

  Too many details could identify him. But I can tell you this, he was not the only one who had his life destroyed like this. And the same set of elders were involved (plus some others). The elders appeared to be a clique, which these two were not part of.

  Being a clique, they protected those they had a soft spot for (not necessarily other old boys).

  I have no evidence for this but on occasion I have wondered whether elders like sitting on judicials and hearing grubby details. Those in the know tell the one who has done wrong how to say sorry and get off the hook. Then the elders let that one off the hook and rub their hands waiting for more grubby things to happen so they get to listen to another installment.
  
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  BourneIdentity

  I’m very sure many elders get off knowing the dirt on everyone else.

  Here is another thing that has to play out in their homes. Their wives need to know the latest gossip. If the elder tells her, the confidentiality is out the window. If he doesn’t tell her, you know the marriage is strained.

  I feel bad for all the ones that have to go to prison exercising their neutrality. Upon release, you are a convicted felon and struggle to find employment I’m sure.
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  Anna Marina

  Oh I never thought of the convicted felon bit. Yes he did struggle to find employment - it was very hard for him. Not only that but he was not in his homeland and had to learn another language to get work.
  

  Poor man. From what I saw, he was a very fine person who must have endured a terrible mental breakdown.

  I was one of the last people he spoke to before he left the country. He was desperate to warn me - the alarm in his voice was very great.

  What he didn't know was that I had already witnessed some of the things done to him and felt for him. One elder was particularly harsh towards him. That same elder, about 15 years later took the lead in chucking me out last year. I didn't mind because I knew their game by then and didn't view them as Christians, elders, Jehovah's Witnesses or anything like. Just misguided, bitter men who were keen to bully people who wouldn't follow them in their foolish ways.

  Incidentally that elder who took the lead in throwing me out was noted for getting on the platform and talking about intimate matters in a way that made the congregation feel very uncomfortable. At least one other elder tried to stop him doing this. But it was to no avail.