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Russia It continued to crack down on Jehovah’s Witnesses in 2022, the group mentioned, convicting 45 members of the motion, a 40% improve from the 32 convicted in 2021. A complete of 115 Witnesses are in Russian prisons, the very best quantity since 2017. the court docket of Russia a call that successfully banned the group.
19 of these prisoners are over 60 years outdated, the oldest of whom is 71-year-old Borid Andreev from the Primorye area. Andrey Vlasov, a disabled Jehovah’s Witness, was sentenced to seven years in jail regardless of struggling to “handle day by day actions with out help”, the group mentioned.
Witnesses report that the police searched the properties of 200 members in 39 Russian settlements. Within the final 5 years, greater than 1,800 residential homes have been searched, of which greater than 670 Witnesses are accused or below prison investigation.
Trials and imprisonments proceed regardless of a June 7 ruling by the European Court docket of Human Rights Russia finish the ban on Jehovah’s Witnesses, launch the imprisoned members of the group, and cease additional persecution.
The ECHR additionally ordered Russia pay $67.3 million in damages for seized property and non-material damages. Russia withdrew from the Council of Europe in March and reduce ties with the European Conference on Human Rights in September.
Nonetheless, the Secretary Basic of the Council of Europe, Maria Pejcinovich Burich, addressed a letter to Russian International Minister Sergey Lavrov on December 9, stating: Russia “stays below a binding obligation below worldwide regulation” to implement the judgments of the ECHR.
Russia stays on the State Division’s record of nations of explicit concern, partially due to its therapy of Witnesses.
Different worldwide observers have criticized Russian assaults on the group.
“Russia now marks a brand new milestone of infamy,” Rachel Danbury, deputy director for Europe and Central Asia at Human Rights Watch, mentioned in an announcement. “Nobody needs to be placed on trial for a second, not to mention in jail, for the peaceable expression of their spiritual beliefs.”
Members of the US Fee on Worldwide Spiritual Freedom famous the state of affairs of the Witnesses Russiaand Commissioner Sharon Kleinbaum says there is no such thing as a attainable justification for his or her imprisonment.
“This 12 months, Russia has continued its inexplicable and increasing persecution of Jehovah’s Witnesses, with extra Witnesses than ever behind bars and dealing with lengthy jail phrases for training their beliefs,” Ms. Kleinbaum mentioned. “The Russian authorities should cease its observe of falsely labeling spiritual teams as ‘extremist’ and permit freedom of faith or perception for all.”
Jehovah’s Witnesses spokesman Jarrod Lopez mentioned through electronic mail.Russia misuses its anti-extremism laws to ban, imprison, and typically beat and torture Jehovah’s Witnesses. It’s laborious to consider that this poorly disguised repression has continued for greater than 5 years.”
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