More Persecution of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia

Two more cases of persecution of Jehovah’s Witnesses were uncovered by
the Sova center in a July 15, 2010 report, just the latest in a series
of local and central government actions against them. Both cases
highlight legal abuses common to the government’s campaign against
Jehovah’s Witnesses, but also show that in some courthouses, at least,
these specious charges are meeting with resistance.

In Belgorod, Sergey Ishchenko was detained by police in November 2009
by police asking questions about his faith. He was charged with
inciting religious hatred and one of his religious books was entered
as evidence against him. However, a court subsequently threw out the
charges, arguing that a court decision classifying that Jehovah’s
Witnesses book as “extremist” had not yet taken effect at the time of
Mr. Ishchenko’s detention (which, if it were to happen now, would most
likely be upheld by a Russian court). In addition, the court ruled,
Mr. Ishchenko “did not incite hatred or enmity” when he proselytized,
but was simply “talking about the content of the Bible.”

Mr. Ishchenko’s legal troubles, unfortunately, were just beginning.
Over the course of several months, the prosecutor changed and refiled
charges four more times, but did not succeed in having them stick. He
then changed tactics, and charged Mr. Ishchenko with two
administrative offenses–not having a “missionary’s license” and
“pressuring people with the goal of changing their religious
convictions.” For these “offenses” Mr. Ishchenko was fined a total of
1,500 rubles, though he has appealed the rulings.

At the same time, in Mozdok (Republic of North Ossetia), the FSB and
anti-extremism officers searched an apartment belonging to a community
of Jehovah’s Witnesses. The May 15, 2010 search took place without any
of the owners being present. Officers confiscated religious literature
and prosecutors brought administrative charges of harboring “extremist
literature” “with the goal of mass distribution.” However, on July 12,
a court threw the charges out, arguing that there was no evidence of a
crime.