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 RUSSIA Court in Petrozavodsk fined four Jehovah's Witnesses for reading the Bible July 31, 2023 Karelia On July 28, 2023, the judge of the Petrozavodsk City Court of the Republic of Karelia Stepan Sergeev fined Maxim Amosov, Nikolai Leshchenko and Dmitry Ravnushkin 500,000 rubles each, and Mikhail Gordeev 450,000 rubles. They were found guilty of extremism for participating in religious meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses. Believers do not agree with the verdict. In court, they emphasized that the worship services were exclusively peaceful in nature and were "conditioned by the motive to fulfill the commands recorded in the Bible." The criminal case was initiated by the branch of the FSB in Karelia in July 2019. In the same month, a raid took place at the home of local Jehovah's Witnesses in Petrozavodsk. Several believers were charged with organizing the activities of an extremist organization (Part 1, Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) . ...

 RUSSIA The court of appeal confirmed the conditional sentence for a father of many children from Asha Vadim Fedorov July 28, 2023 Chelyabinsk Region On July 27, 2023, the board of the Chelyabinsk Regional Court approved the sentence to Vadim Fedorov - 6 years probation for reading and discussing the Bible, which law enforcement agencies and the court considered "organizing the activities of an extremist organization." Before the appellate ruling was issued, the believer declared the absurdity of the accusations: “The presence of extremist motives in my actions has not been proven. I performed all my actions solely for the purpose of exercising the right to a joint confession of faith, guaranteed by Art. 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation. In the spring of 2023, the Ashinsky City Court of the Chelyabinsk Region found Vadim guilty of extremism . According to the prosecution, in the course of divine services, believers are not allowed to read even the non-prohibit...

 RUSSIA In Krasnodar, the appeal finalized the sentence of six Jehovah's Witnesses from Gukovo: from 6.5 to 7 years in prison for their faith July 28, 2023 Rostov Region,   Krasnodar Territory,   Lipetsk Region,   Ulyanovsk Region On July 25, 2023, a panel of judges of the Fourth Cassation Court of General Jurisdiction, chaired by Igor Konyaev, upheld the verdict and appeal ruling against six believers from the city of Gukovo. All of them are already serving their terms in the colonies. Aleksey Gorely, Oleg Shidlovsky, Nikita Moiseev, Aleksey Dyadkin, Vladimir Popov and Yevgeny Razumov were sentenced to 6.5 to 7 years in prison. Such a harsh sentence was handed down to Jehovah's Witnesses by Judge Natalya Batura of the Gukovsky City Court in September 2022. The believers ended up behind bars in August 2020, immediately after investigators opened a criminal case against them and searched their homes. The appeal upheld the verdict of the court of first i...

 RUSSIA One of Jehovah's Witnesses Anton Virich Was Arrested in the Krasnoyarsk Territory. He Was Taken to a Pre-trial Detention Center 5,000 Kilometers From the Place of Detention July 28, 2023 Krasnodar Territory,   Primorye Territory On July 11, 2023, a believer Anton Virich, 43, was detained in the city of Uzhur (Krasnoyarsk Territory). For 9 days, his location remained unknown. Friends found a man in the Spassk-Dalniy pre-trial detention center. He was accused of organizing the activities of an extremist organization. The car in which Anton and his wife were traveling was stopped by the traffic police. The man was taken to the police station. There, Virich was told that since February 11, 2022, he had been under recognizance agreement, about which he knew nothing and had not received any notifications about it to his address. At the same time, the copy of the document shown to him did not indicate which particular settlement he could not leave. In the evening of the ...

 RUSSIA In Tver, Jehovah's Witnesses were Searched, a Criminal Cases for Faith was Initiated July 27, 2023 Tver Region On July 24, 2023, searches were carried out in Tver in three houses of residents who profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. A criminal case under an extremist article was initiated against 40-year-old Maksim Barbazyuk, 50-year-old Aleksandr Kostyuk and 68-year-old Valeriy Tolmazov. The security forces began the raid at 6 am. Electronic devices were seized during the searches. According to believers, law enforcement officers behaved correctly. By 3 pm, the three men were taken for interrogation to the investigative department of the Investigative Committee for the Tver Region, where they were told that on June 29, 2023, a criminal case had been opened against them. Investigator Maksim Prusakov questioned believers about their religious views. The interrogations continued until 11 pm. The decision to open a criminal case states: “Kostyuk, Barbazyuk and Tolm...

 RUSSIA ‘Jehovah Is Always by My Side’ July 26, 2023 The Dimitrovskiy District Court of Kostroma will soon announce its verdict in the case involving Sister Valentina Samus. The prosecutor has yet to request a potential sentence. Profile Valentina Samus Born: 1949 (Kostroma, Kostroma Region) Biography: Worked as a nurse practitioner. Now retired Married Ivan in 1970. They raised a son and a daughter Prayed that God would help her get to know him. Met Jehovah’s Witnesses soon after and began studying the Bible. Baptized in 2007 Personal Comments How has your relationship with Jehovah grown stronger during this difficult time? I have become more aware of how constant and unchangeable Jehovah is. Jehovah is my Father, and he is always by my side. I have repeatedly experienced how turning to him in prayer removes my fear and anxiety. I can talk to Jehovah about everything without any reservations. And I trust that whatever he allows to happen will ultimately be to my benefit. This make...

 Russia Tomich Sergey Klimov was released from a penal colony in Astrakhan after serving his sentence July 26, 2023 Tomsk region, Astrakhan region On July 26, 2023, Sergey Klimov was released from the colony where he was serving his sentence for believing in God Jehovah. Relatives and numerous friends greeted Sergey with flowers and posters. During the whole time of the persecution, the believer spent 5 years behind bars. Sergei was detained and placed in a pre-trial detention center back in June 2018 after searches in Tomsk. When, in April 2020, the appeal approved the sentence — 6 years in a general regime colony — Klimov was transferred to Astrakhan correctional colony No. 8. Since a day of detention in a pre-trial detention center counts for a day and a half in a general regime colony, in fact, Sergei spent more than 3.5 years in a correctional institution after the verdict was announced. During his imprisonment, Sergei's eyesight deteriorated significantly. In addition, in Oct...

 RUSSIA Witnesses in Vladivostok Sustained by Prayer and Positive Attitude. July 25, 2023 The Pervorechenskiy District Court of Vladivostok will soon announce its verdict in the case involving Sisters Nina Astvatsaturova, Yelena Barmakina, Ludviga Katanaeva, Yekaterina Treguba, and Yelena Tsorn, and Brothers Igor Lonchakov and Yuriy Redozubov. The prosecutor has yet to request a potential sentence. Profiles Nina Astvatsaturova a Born: 1959 (Kuybyshev, Samara Region) Biography: Worked as a mechanical engineer Impressed by the Bible’s scientific accuracy and practical value. Baptized in 2003 Yelena Barmakina Born: 1967 (Cherepanovo, Novosibirsk Region) Biography: Works as a photographer Introduced to Jehovah’s Witnesses after mother and brother began to study the Bible. Baptized in 2000 Married Dmitriy in 2006. He was sentenced to eight years in prison in 2023 Personal Comments What has helped you to cope with this emotionally challenging time? Following the search of our home, my hu...

 GERMANY A Press Conference of Hate: False Accusations of Sexual Abuse Against the Jehovah’s Witnesses 07/24/2023 Anti-cultists claim that the cases of child sexual abuse among the Jehovah’s Witnesses are higher than among Catholic priests. The claim is false. by Massimo Introvigne On June 24, an anti-Jehovah’s-Witnesses organization called JZ Help is holding a web press conference on the theme “Jehovah’s Witnesses: Child Abuse Worse than in the Catholic Church?” From the presentation of the press conference, we learn that “Australian activist Lara Kaput and activist Steven Unthank from saysorry.org,” after having met with the German Reappraisal Commission in Berlin on June 20, will “share their experience” with the Australian Royal Commission. “At the press conference,” we read, “they [the anti-Jehovah’s-Witnesses activists] will present data from the Royal Commission’s investigation, which show that the number of victims within Jehovah’s Witnesses is many times higher than within...

 RUSSIA Brother Yuriy Savelyev Released From Prison July 20, 2023 On July 19, 2023, Brother Yuriy Savelyev was released from a Russian penal colony in the city of Rubtsovsk. He was first detained on November 9, 2018, and spent over four and a half years behind bars. During his time in prison, Yuriy experienced health problems due to the unsanitary conditions. Additionally, on several occasions he was placed in strict punishment cells for trumped-up violations. Despite these difficulties, Yuriy maintained a positive disposition by relying on the strength he received through prayer. Yuriy’s pleasant demeanor and display of Christian qualities earned the respect of many of his fellow prisoners as well as prison guards. Prior to receiving his prison sentence, Yuriy addressed the court, quoting Matthew 22:37, where Jesus said: “You must love Jehovah your God with your whole heart and with your whole soul and with your whole mind.” Yuriy has set a powerful example of living up to those w...

 RUSSIA 69-year-old Yuriy Savelyev Was Released from a Colony in Rubtsovsk July 19, 2023 Novosibirsk Region,   Altai Territory On July 19, 2023, Yuriy Savelyev was released from penal colony No. 5 in the Altai Territory, having fully served his sentence. The believer was met by dozens of friends. Yuriy Savelyev, 69, is one of the Russian Jehovah's Witnesses whose criminal prosecution for his faith has been dragging on since 2017. The elderly believer was under covert video surveillance. In November 2018, a criminal case was opened against Yuriy, in the same month the man ended up in a pre-trial detention center, where he stayed for more than two years until the verdict was passed. In December 2020, the court sentenced Savelyev to 6 years in prison. Since a day of detention in a pre-trial detention center is counted as one and a half in a general regime colony, Yuriy spent de facto 760 days (about 2 years) in a correctional facility after the verdict. He served this term i...

 RUSSIA An Appeal in Murmansk Approved the Guilty Verdict but Reduced the Fine for Denis Merkulov July 19, 2023 Murmansk Region By decision of the Murmansk Regional Court, on July 18, 2023, the conviction of Denis Merkulov, one of Jehovah's Witnesses from Apatity, came into force. At the same time, the appeal reduced the fine - the believer will pay 400,000 rubles instead of 500,000 rubles for the peaceful confession of his faith. In the appellate court, prosecutor Pavel Zhilinkov sought a tougher sentence, but the judicial panel agreed with the position of the lower court, which imposed a fine on the believer. Merkulov was found guilty of organizing the activities of an extremist organization because he peacefully discussed the Bible amongst friends and held religious services. The believer himself considers the court decision a violation of his right to freedom of religion. In the Murmansk region, six of Jehovah's Witnesses have already received heavy fines simply for not giv...

 RUSSIA The case of Merkulov in Apatity Denis Merkulov Updated: July 19, 2023 Name: Merkulov, Denis Aleksandrovich Date of Birth: March 7, 1976 Current status: convicted person Article of the Russian Criminal Code: 282.2(1) Time spent in prison: 1 day in temporary holding facility, 56 days under house arrest Sentence: punishment in the form of a fine in the amount of 400,000 rubles Biography In July 2021, during a mass raid against believers in the Murmansk region, the security forces broke into the apartment of Denis Merkulov and his wife Natalya, breaking open the iron front door and breaking the double-glazed window. Law enforcement officers confiscated bank cards and thereby deprived the family of their livelihood. A peaceful believer was accused of organizing extremist activities. Denis was born in March 1976 in Kirovsk (Murmansk region). When he was 4 years old, the family moved to Apatity, where Denis lives to this day. Denis grew up as an athletic child: he went in for runn...

 RUSSIA Appeal in Khabarovsk replaced Alexei Ukhov with a suspended sentence for his faith July 18, 2023 Khabarovsk Territory On July 18, 2023, the Khabarovsk regional court commuted the sentence of Aleksey Ukhov in his case for faith, replacing the actual imprisonment with a suspended sentence. Although the believer is found guilty, he will not have to go to jail. At the same time, the sentence was retained - 6 years and 6 months. The 43-year-old believer was charged with "studying and quoting the texts of Holy Scripture." In his appeal against the verdict, he stated: “The court unreasonably recognized as a crime my peaceful practice of the religion of Jehovah’s Witnesses together with other persons… I lead a peaceful life, respect authority and observe the law, because I am a believer… I was convicted only for my faith in God.” Referring to the position of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, which did not prohibit the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses and did not...

 RUSSIA Case of Odintsov in Snezhnogorsk Anatoliy Odintsov Updated: July 12, 2023 Name: Odintsov, Anatoliy Alekseyevich Date of Birth: February 7, 1958 Current status: accused Article of the Russian Criminal Code: 282.2(1) Biography Anatoliy Odintsov has become another Jehovah's Witness from the Murmansk region, who is persecuted by the authorities for his faith in God. In the spring of 2023, a case was opened against him under an extremist article. Anatoliy was born in February 1958 in Severomorsk, Murmansk region. He has a younger sister. Their parents worked at the railway station. His father was a train maker, and his mother was a freight forwarder. The parents are no longer alive. As a child, Anatoliy loved skiing on the hills, photographing winter northern landscapes, skating, collecting stamps on the topics: flora, fauna, outstanding people. Now Anatoliy is interested in cars, likes to take pictures and travel. At the end of the 8th grade, Anatoliy entered the Leningrad Elec...

 AZERBAIJAN Yet another conscientious objector case set for Strasbourg? 14 July 2023 On 8 June, Azerbaijan's Supreme Court rejected Jehovah's Witness Seymur Mammadov's final appeal against his conviction for refusing compulsory military service on grounds of conscience. Initially jailed, he is now halfway through a one-year suspended sentence. He is considering an appeal to the European Court of Human Rights, which found in favour of seven conscientious objectors jailed or given suspended sentences earlier. The ECtHR judgments "called for legislative action on civilian service as an alternative to military service". No draft Alternative Service Law has been presented to Parliament. Convicted and jailed after refusing compulsory military service on grounds of conscience, Jehovah's Witness Seymur Mammadov failed to have his conviction and punishment overturned in his final appeal at Azerbaijan's Supreme Court on 8 June. The 23-year-old Mammadov – who spent n...

 RUSSIA Court Found Lubov Serebryakova, 72, Guilty of Extremism for Reading the Bible. Peaceful Believer and Grandmother of Three, Given 4-Year Suspended Sentence July 13, 2023 Kemerovo Region On July 11, 2023, Olga Chaika, judge of the Kuznetsk District Court of Novokuznetsk, found Lubov Serebryakova guilty of extremism because of her religion. The elderly Jehovah's Witness was given a 4-year suspended sentence — a year more than the prosecutor requested for her. The believer herself does not plead guilty, which she stated to the court: “I performed all my religious actions exclusively within the framework of freedom of religion.” The essence of the charges were simply that Serebryakova attended peaceful meetings for worship and made several comments based on the Bible. In June 2021, security forces raided the homes of several elderly Jehovah's Witnesses in Novokuznetsk. They have been tracked since November 2019. Serebryakova herself was not searched. Vladislav Minayev, an in...

 RUSSIA Court in Moscow Passed Another Harsh Sentence to Three Jehovah's Witnesses—From 4.5 to 6.5 Years in a Penal Colony for Their Faith July 13, 2023 Moscow On July 12, 2023, the Savelovsky District Court of Moscow found three Jehovah's Witnesses guilty of extremism for "commenting on fragments of [biblical] texts." Anatoliy Marunov was sentenced to 6.5 years in a penal colony, Sergey Tolokonnikov— to 5 years, and Roman Mareyev— to 4.5 years. More than 100 people came to the courthouse to support the believers. Anatoliy Marunov, 69, who was under house arrest during the investigation and trial was taken into custody after the verdict was announced. All three still plead not guilty and may appeal the verdict. The lawyer for the defendants expressed his attitude to the charge, which, in his opinion, "is based on the principle of criminalization of human actions depending on the religion they profess." He stated: “The usual actions for every believer: spread...

BELGIUM Should taxpayers’ money in Belgium go to suspicious anti-cults outfits? BELGIUM: Some reflections about the Recommendation of the Federal Cult Observatory on “cult victims” (II) 12 July 2023 On June 26, the Federal Observatory on Cults (CIAOSN / IACSSO), officially known as the “Center for Information and Advice on Harmful Cultic Organizations” and created by the law of June 2, 1998 (amended by the law of April 12, 2004), published a number of “Recommendations concerning help for victims of sectarian influence“. Table of Contents Victims of “cults” or religions? The Cult Observatory is not in charge of providing psycho-social or legal assistance to victims of cults. It does, however, direct enquirers to the appropriate support services and provides general legal information. The abuses and sufferings described are very diverse in nature, says the Observatory. According to the Observatory, victims are people who declare that they are suffering or have suffered from cultic manipu...