Russia Bans Jehovah's Witnesses for Being an 'Extremist' Group
Russia has banned Jehovah's Witnesses (JW) after the Supreme Court accepted the government's request to outlaw the sect, effectively putting its more than 170,000 adherents in the same category as Islamic State (ISIS) militants. The court ordered the religious group to disband and hand over all of its properties to the state.
"They pose a threat to the rights of citizens, public order and public security," Justice Ministry attorney Svetlana Borisova told the court.
During six days of hearing over two weeks, she brought in former followers to testify that top church officials took "total control" of their "intimate life, education and work."
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A Washington Post article last week cited some of JW's practices that made the Russian government averse to the religion including its members' refusal to join electoral exercise, serve the military and attend national celebrations that glorify violence like the annexation of Crimea.
Since JW was founded and is based in the United States, it is on the list of organizations suspected of having pro-Western sympathies. Its opposition to blood transfusions also violates Russian health care laws. The decision didn't come as a surprise considering that Russian courts rarely challenge government decisions, regardless of the evidence.
The court ordered the closure of the JW administrative center in St. Petersburg and its 395 branches throughout Russia. It also banned all church activities including worship and door-to-door evangelizing as well as church literature that are considered as "extremist" material.
Viktor Zhenkov, a lawyer for the denomination, said they would appeal the ruling. If it fails, they will take the case to the European Court of Human Rights, in Strasbourg, France.
"We consider this decision an act of political repression that is impermissible in contemporary Russia," he said.
Alexander Verkhovsky, the director of SOVA Center for Information and Analysis, which monitors extremism in Russia, said the government is trying to send out a message and the best example is a group that shuns dissent.
"They are pacifists so they cannot be radicalized no matter what you do to them," he said. "They can be used to send a message."
