The secretary of the “Spanish Association of Victims of Jehovah's Witnesses” is condemned for spreading false accusations

 SPAIN

 The secretary of the “Spanish Association of Victims of Jehovah's Witnesses” is condemned for spreading false accusations

 Jehovah's Witnesses are a “legitimately recognized confession”

 November 1, 2023

 On October 27, 2023, the Court of First Instance number 1 of Torrejón de Ardoz has partially upheld a lawsuit filed by Jehovah's Witnesses against Mr. Enrique Carmona, secretary of the AEVTJ ("Spanish Association of Victims of Jehovah's Witnesses). ").  The court established that some of the expressions used by Mr. Carmona in a YouTube video about the activities of the AEVTJ “constitute an illegitimate interference with the plaintiff's fundamental right to honor.”  Mr. Carmona was sentenced to pay 5,000 euros in damages.

 In a lecture published on YouTube, Mr. Carmona stated that Jehovah's Witnesses are a “sect,” a “dangerous sect,” called them a disease “like diabetes,” and even compared them to “terrorism.” “jihadism”.  “Such a statement,” the judge commented, “cannot be protected by freedom of expression, since the words are clearly disproportionate and manifestly insulting.”  This accusation “has no further objective basis” and “involves attributing pernicious or harmful traits to [the religious community].”

 The Court ruled that the expression “sect” has “a negative connotation that can be harmful to the fame and credibility of the plaintiff, since the information or opinion […] is based on a fact that is inaccurate, since the Christian Witnesses of Jehovah are a religious confession registered in the General Section (Minority Religions), registration number 000068 of the Registry of Religious Entities maintained by the Ministry of Justice, so that we are facing a legitimately recognized confession in our country like many others.

 According to the court, Mr. Carmona's other accusations were not formulated in a way that made clear the violation of the plaintiffs' right to honor.  However, the court confirmed that (1) “at no time are [Jehovah's Witnesses] prevented from … going to the police or judicial authorities to report [a crime such as sexual abuse of minors]”;  (2) it is irrelevant… “whether or not there is a kind of 'ecclesiastical' court that judges these issues internally, because this does not prevent [Jehovah's Witnesses] from being able and having to go to the police or judicial authorities in their case. ”;  (3) Jehovah's Witnesses do not resort to coercion and none of them are forced “to lie to judicial authorities (there are no convictions for crimes of obstruction of justice)”;  (4) any suffering resulting from leaving the religious community is something that must be accepted, “just as it would occur if one belonged to any other association or society of which one had been a member for years, forming an essential part of life”;  (5) “if someone chooses to ignore or reject contact with another person, it is a personal choice, and if the religious confession morally imposes that fact… it would be part of the religious norms that members freely assume when they decide to enter or remain inside";  Therefore, “it cannot attribute greater responsibility to the religious entity or its members, who do nothing more than follow its dogmas and principles that are part of their religious freedom.”

 Jehovah's Witnesses hope that this ruling will help stop the spread of unfounded accusations that generate unjustified hatred against a peaceful and law-abiding religious denomination.