Watchtower real estate assets in Russia = 330 + buildings = worldwide letter writing campaign
Watchtower real estate assets in Kazakhstan = 0 = no such campaign
JW martyr on trial - what is happening in Kazakhstan?
by OrphanCrow 21 Replies latest jw friends
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OrphanCrow
jwleaks: Watchtower real estate assets in Kazakhstan = 0 = no such campaign
Well, the org does own this lovely piece of real estate in Almaty, Kazkhstan.
In spite of individual JWs in Kazakhstan being charged with violations, according to this article, the JWs are likely not in threat of being banned there (estimates of 15,000 to 30,000 JWs in Kazakhstan):
"...the issue of banning the organization is not worth it"
That remains to be seen. Kazakhstan still remains a country where various religious sects are under scrutiny and targeted for violations of the law, especially in regard to evangelizing.
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OrphanCrow
A verdict has been reached in Mr. Ahmedov's trial:
The court in Astana sentenced follower of a religious association "The Christian community of Jehovah's Witnesses," Teymur Ahmadov to five years in prison on charges of inciting religious hatred.
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jwleaks
Not a good verdict for Ahmadov and I feel sorry for him and his family. Unfortunately the JWs and Watchtower literature have been spewing forth religious hatred for well over a hundred years.
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OrphanCrow
jwleaks: Not a good verdict for Ahmadov and I feel sorry for him and his family.
No, it isn't a good verdict for Ahmedov. His co-accused had earlier received a 7 year sentence of "restricted freedom".
Ahmedov's prison sentence is going to add to his problems. He has a medical condition that requires surgery to determine if it is cancer or not. His condition had been described as cancer since his arrest, yet his lawyer recently revealed that Ahmedov has yet to receive a diagnosis. Regardless, Mr. Ahmedov is in poor health.
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darkspilver
Thanks for updating
Below is from the Russian based Interfax-Religion
Jehovah's Witnesses member receives 5-year prison term in Kazakhstan for inciting religious hatred
Astana, May 2, Interfax - Court No. 2 of Astana's Saryarka District has convicted Jehovah's Witnesses preacher Teimur Akhmedov of "inciting ethnic, social, religious, family and racial hatred in collusion with a group of other persons" and has sentenced him to five years in a medium-security penitentiary, the court's press service said.
The court also banned Akhmedov from performing any religious ideological and preaching activities for three years, it said.
According to the case files, in 2016 Akhmedov and his accomplice, Asaf Guliyev, "organized religious gatherings involving the capital's residents recently recruited into the community at different apartments in the city of Astana."
During such meetings, in the presence of their followers, the two men publicly spoke negatively about representatives of Islam, Catholicism and Orthodoxy and said that one religion was superior to another.
During a trial in February 2017, Guliyev pleaded guilty to all charges, publicly repented and, given the mitigating circumstances, was given a five-year prison term.
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OrphanCrow
During a trial in February 2017, Guliyev pleaded guilty to all charges, publicly repented and, given the mitigating circumstances, was given a five-year prison term.
I don't think the above article has reported that correctly.
According to Forum 18, Guliyev was not given a prison term.
Asaf Guliyev was given a five-year restricted freedom sentence on 24 February.
A "restricted freedom" sentence is served in the community - it is not a prison term. The offender is under restrictions regarding movements and activity.
*I had said "7" years before...but I had that wrong. It was a 5 year sentence of restricted freedom, not 7.
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darkspilver
FYI
JW .ORG, MAY 3, 2017
Kazakhstan Tramples on Religious Freedom and Convicts Teymur Akhmedov
On May 2, 2017, an Astana court sentenced Teymur Akhmedov to five years in prison merely for sharing his religious beliefs with others. He is the first of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Kazakhstan to be criminally convicted for his religious activity since the nation’s independence in 1991.
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OrphanCrow
Thanks, Darkspliver.
The org has a 'different' way of reporting things, doesn't it?
"Inciting ethnic, social, religious, family and racial hatred in collusion with a group of other persons" becomes, in org reporting: merely for sharing his religious beliefs with others.
And then the org says:
" He is the first of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Kazakhstan to be criminally convicted for his religious activity since the nation’s independence in 1991."
That is not true. From Forum 18:
Of two Jehovah's Witnesses arrested in January in Kazakhstan's capital Astana for "inciting religious hatred or discord" for talking to National Security Committee (KNB) secret police agents about their faith, one has already been punished. Asaf Guliyev was given a five-year restricted freedom sentence on 24 February.
And why would the org ignore Asaf Guliyev? Well...that guy was probably not considered a JW anymore - he plead guilty to the charges. If Ahmedov was the first to be convicted, what the org is saying is - if you plead guilty....you are no longer a JW.* to add - now I understand why Guliyev (the first JW to be convicted) didn't get a mention by the org.
From Forum 18:
On 16 March KNB secret police Major Duskaziyev opened a criminal case against two of Akhmedov's lawyers, Natalya Kononenko and Vitaly Kuznetsov (who is from Russia). He is seeking to punish them for appealing about their client's case to President Nursultan Nazarbayev and other state agencies.
The two lawyers are being investigated under Criminal Code Article 423, which punishes: "Revealing information from a pre-trial investigation by an individual warned under the law of the inadmissibility of information being revealed without the permission of the prosecutor or person undertaking the pre-trial investigation". Punishments are fines of up to 2,000 Monthly Financial Indicators, or restricted freedom or imprisonment of up to two years........................................
KNB Investigator Duskaziyev is also accusing Kuznetsov of putting pressure on Guliyev, who testified in Akhmedov's case. Kuznetsov and Akhmedov's son Parviz met Guliyev to discuss the case. Guliyev later wrote a complaint to Investigator Duskaziyev against Kuznetsov. -
darkspilver
And why would the org ignore Asaf Guliyev?
Now that's interestingly weird because....
This is the current news item from 26 January 2017:
KAZAKHSTAN: Kazakhstan Authorities Entrap and Imprison Witness on Fabricated Charges
On January 18, 2017, Kazakhstan’s National Security Committee arrested and imprisoned Teymur Akhmedov for talking to others about his religious beliefs. During May and June 2016, seven men invited Teymur to a rented apartment, claiming to be interested in the beliefs of Jehovah’s Witnesses. They also met at Teymur’s home later in the year. Unbeknownst to Teymur, these seven “Bible students” covertly video recorded their conversations.
Based on these peaceful religious discussions, Teymur was charged with “inciting religious discord” and “advocating [religious] superiority.” He is in pretrial detention for 60 days, but he faces a 5- to 10-year prison term if found guilty.
Teymur, who is 60 years old, is married and has a serious medical condition. His attorneys expect that the appeal from the pretrial detention order will be heard during the week of January 23, 2017.
https://www.jw.org/en/news/legal/by-region/kazakhstan/witnesses-imprisoned-20170126/But, wait, lets choose another (non-English) language, because, why not?....
KAZAKHSTAN: Akuluakulu a Boma a ku Kazakhstan Anamanga a Mboni pa Mlandu Wabodza
Pa 18 January 2017, komiti yoona za chitetezo m’dziko la Kazakhstan inamanga Teymur Akhmedov ndi Asaf Guliyev chifukwa cholankhula ndi anthu ena zokhudza zikhulupiriro zawo. M’mwezi wa May ndiponso wa June 2016, anthu 7, omwe anati anakafuna kudziwa zimene a Mboni za Yehova amakhulupirira, anaitana Teymur ndi Asaf kuti akakambirane nawo kunyumba ina yalendi. Komanso pa nthawi ina anthuwo anakumana ndi Teymur ndi Asaf kunyumba zawo. A Mboniwa sankadziwa kuti anthuwa ankajambula vidiyo ya zimene ankakambiranazo.
[etc etc]
https://www.jw.org/ny/nkhani/malamulo/potengera-dera/kazakhstan/a-mboni-anamangidwa-20170126/Wait! Notice the difference?!
Let's now go back in time and see what the English page looked like on say 20 February 2017....
KAZAKHSTAN: Kazakhstan Authorities Entrap and Imprison Witnesses on Fabricated Charges
On January 18, 2017, Kazakhstan’s National Security Committee arrested and imprisoned Teymur Akhmedov and Asaf Guliyev for talking to others about their religious beliefs. During May and June 2016, seven men invited Teymur and Asaf to a rented apartment, claiming to be interested in the beliefs of Jehovah’s Witnesses. They also met at the homes of Teymur and Asaf later in the year. Unbeknownst to the Witnesses, these seven “Bible students” covertly video recorded their conversations.
Based on these peaceful religious discussions, Teymur and Asaf were charged with “inciting religious discord” and “advocating [religious] superiority.” Both men are in pretrial detention for 60 days and face a 5- to 10-year prison term if found guilty.
Teymur is 60 years old and has a serious medical condition. Asaf is 43 years old. Both men are married. Their attorneys expect their appeal to be heard during the week of January 23, 2017.