JW Russia: EU Citizen Abused in Russian Jail – Jehovah’s Witnesses

[Guest Indiana]

An EU citizen has been placed in solitary confinement, denied visitation with his wife and subjected to a grueling daily regimen while awaiting trial in central Russia, the Jehovah’s Witnesses told The Moscow Times.

The federal penitentiary service of Kirov region did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Andrzej Oniszczuk, 50, was one of several adherents of the religious group detained in the Volga region of Kirov on extremism charges in October 2018. Russia labeled the Jehovah’s Witnesses an extremist organization in 2017, leading to raids nationwide and the sentencing of a Danish national last month.

“Andrzej has been kept in solitary confinement for over five months,” Jehovah’s Witnesses spokesman Jarrod Lopes said in an emailed statement.

Prison authorities prohibit Oniszczuk from lying down for 15 hours during the day, withhold the Bible and allow showers only once a week, the spokesman said. Oniszczuk’s wife has been denied several requests to visit him, Lopes told The Moscow Times.

He said Polish diplomats were “finally” allowed to visit and assist the EU citizen despite Oniszczuk’s initial signature “under duress” to refuse visits from embassy staff.

The organization said a total of 24 Jehovah’s Witnesses are currently held in pretrial detention in Russia, where 150 believers are under investigation on extremism charges.

Lopes said in February that investigators in Siberia had stripped, suffocated, doused with water and applied stun guns on at least seven believers detained on extremism charges. Russia's Investigative Committee has denied the claims.

https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2019/03/19/eu-citizen-abused-in-russian-jail-jehovahs-witnesses-a64855

[Srecko Sostar]

9 hours ago, Indiana said:

Andrzej Oniszczuk

Is his nationality by birth as Polish above his Personal choice of belonging to Nationality of People of Jehovah's Witnesses? 

9 hours ago, Indiana said:

Prison authorities prohibit Oniszczuk from lying down for 15 hours during the day, withhold the Bible and allow showers only once a week, the spokesman said.

This is normal for prison and prisoners. I went through the same conditions and have no complain about it. My choice, my endure, my punishment. Prison authority just worked their job.

9 hours ago, Indiana said:

He said Polish diplomats were “finally” allowed to visit and assist the EU citizen despite Oniszczuk’s initial signature “under duress” to refuse visits from embassy staff.

??? and what is main problem here. "Under duress" he signed? or Embassy staff was disappointed for not have visited him in first place? Again, JW brother is in negate state for all "Worldly Governments", Russian and Polish as well. As member of Kingdom Nation, Andrzej is not depending on "worldly" people help.   

Stay brave and endure!

[Evacuated]

On 3/20/2019 at 1:36 PM, Srecko Sostar said:

Stay brave and endure!

As a general comment and not as a response to the poster.

Whether cynically intended or not, this statement holds good. However, for Jehovah's Witnesses to accept such injust and inhumane treatment regardless of the pathetic notion that such treatment is "normal" for the prison environment, is to sanction it's use on anyone, for any alleged "offence", at the whim of the authority. Others do not have the resources available to faithful Witnesses of Jehovah to enable them to endure such treatment.

[Srecko Sostar]

If people chooses one path and believe how their choice is good ...... Stay brave and endure!

If people believe how their circumstances are not possible to change ......Stay brave and endure!

If people have faith how one day all will be better.....Stay brave and endure!

 

"Normal" treatment in normal prisons is such that prisoners have limitations... in many things. Among some limitations is how time is determined for sleep, be awaken, go on fresh air, time for eat, work, free time and so on.

 

In my time while waiting for Court tribunal and after Judicial decision while waiting for transfer to prison (and all that was in Military Court and Military Jail building) "normal" time for walking on fresh air was only 1 hour a day (inside walls of course inside building courtyards, there was 3 separate yards for 1 prisoners separately walking in own yard), all other time you spend in cell, sitting, reading or standing, but it was forbidden to lie on the bed until late evening aka sleeping time (i am not remember that precisely but i think that waking up in the morning was at 6 

After, in prison, waking up was in 5 or 6 am, morning toilets, breakfast, roll call, going to 8 hour work, pause for snack, roll call, going for lunch, after lunch some people went to school, others has free time, roll call before dinner at 6 or 7. Watching TV to 9, roll call, light off at 10 pm. Very Normal :))))))

And I have endured, ...... ok perhaps i am not "normal" now after all that, as other "normal" people :)))))))))))))))))))))))