bruceq

Yes Tom that is true and it is also in the public press here :
Enormous attention to Jehovah's Witnesses case
PETITION FILED FOR SPACIOUS COURTROOM AND VIDEOTAPING IN HEARINGS IN SUPREME COURT OF RUSSIA
Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, 23 March 2017
 
On 21 March 2017 the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia sent to the Supreme Court of Russia a petition that for the hearing on the lawsuit of the Russian Ministry of Justice a courtroom for the sessions capable of accommodating 200 and more persons be provided and also that there be provided the possibility for persons present in the courtroom to make video recordings of the judicial session.
 
"In and of itself the submission of such an unprecedented petition to the court is for Russia an extraordinary event, attention to which is riveted not only in all of Russia but throughout the world also, since Jehovah's Witnesses are not only a well known and recognized religion in Russia but also a famous Christian religion worldwide, that is professed in an overwhelming majority of countries and territories of the world. After the posting of the aforementioned information on the website of the Supreme Court of the RF, the Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia received numerous requests for clarification of the date and time of the hearing from representatives of local religious organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses, state bodies, news media, rights advocacy organizations, representatives of embassies of various countries, believers, and other persons," one of the petitions says. "Orally they express their desire to be immediately present for the consideration of this case."
 
The hearings will begin on 5 April 2017 at 10:00 in the Supreme Court of Russia, located at the address: Moscow, ul. Povarskaia, 13. The closest metro stations are Barrikadnaia and Arbatskaia. (tr. by PDS, posted 25 March 2017)

Russia Religion News Current News Items

AMAZING - THE MOST READ NEWS ITEM IN RUSSIA AT THE TASS RUSSIAN NEWS AGENCY IS ON JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES !!!
Most read Now Today This week 1 Russia designates myriad of Jehovah’s Witnesses’ materials as extremist 2 Press review: Russia cools down tensions with NATO and Turkey exits Syria 3 The might of Russia's advanced nuclear submarine 4 Moscow puzzled by Tillerson's statements about ‘Russian aggression’ in Ukraine 5 ‘Secret spy room’ uncovered in Moscow during renovation work 6 Ukraine’s top diplomat says there will be no concessions for Russian singer at Eurovision 7 Free Syrian Army and Turkey may be planning new operation in Syria

More:
http://tass.com/russia/759625
NOT ONLY ARE THE JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES THE MOST READ ITEM FOR "TODAY" BUT IF YOU CLICK ON THE "WEEK"  IT IS THE MOST READ ITEM FOR THE ENTIRE WEEK ON THE RUSSIAN NEWS  - TASS
Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia suspended over extremism

More:
http://tass.com/society/937146

Former president of Russian Baptists sets Jehovah's Witnesses case in wider context
INTERVIEW: WITH PASTOR YURY SIPKO
Portal-Credo.Ru, 27 March 2017
The second decade is ending when lawlessness, falsehood, violence, bribery, and blackmail have seized all levels of the upper government. The concept of rights and liberties of man and citizen are ridiculed and betrayed. Amendments to the law on freedom of conscience, regulating evangelistic activity, rammed in one fell swoop into the "package of antiterrorism laws" and nobody flinched. Having equated evangelism, an essentially religious activity, with terrorism, the government declared war on believing people. Followers of Scientology have been banned, numerous local organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses have already been prohibited, and the lawsuit for banning the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses (JW) testifies to the loss of common sense by people of the government.  After all, this declaration of the Ministry of Justice was preceded by numerous criminal acts by people of the government when questionable literature was planted in Jehovah's Witnesses' meetings.
 
--Can there be a rationale for placing Witnesses' publications in the list of "extremist publications"?
 
--There is not a single instance when the activity of the JW organization was aimed at support of terrorism or was extremist. In our country, the JW have done nothing illegal and they have never even come close to the territory of politics.
FROM TASS NEWS AGENCY MOSCOW, RUSSIA JUST MINUTES AGO:
Russia designates myriad of Jehovah’s Witnesses’ materials as extremist
World March 31, 2:24UTC+3
The Jehovah’s Witnesses center underwent an unscheduled inspection of documents from February 8 to 27 Share 11               © ITAR-TASS/Yevgeny Yepachintsev, archive MOSCOW, March 30. /TASS/. In the period of 2009 through 2016, the Russian Justice Ministry recognized 95 materials circulated by the Jehovah’s Witnesses Managerial Center in Russia religious organization as the ones having an extremist nature, the ministry said in a report at its official homepage.
 
READ ALSO Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia suspended over extremism  
"In the period of 2009 through to 2016, ninety-five materials that Jehovah’s Witnesses brought into and circulated in Russia were found to have an extremist nature," the report said. "As many as eight local cells of the organization were recognized to be extremist ones, banned and disbanded since 2009."
The Jehovah’s Witnesses center underwent an unscheduled inspection of documents in the period of February 8 through February 27.
The report also said the Justice Ministry suspended all activities of the organization as of March 15 and until consideration of the case by the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation.
  As of March 15, the organization and its structural units cannot use the services of mass media, hold meetings or mass actions or public functions, or use bank accounts except for the purpose of paying bills and taxes, compensating for the losses inflicted upon others and paying out remunerations to the personnel they hire.
Reports on suspension of operations of the Jehovah’s Witnesses managerial center appeared in the media on March 23 when the Justice Ministry placed it on the list of public and religious organizations, the operations of which were suspended in the wake of their extremist actions.
On April 5, Russia’s Supreme Court will hear a lawsuit wherein the Justice Ministry seeks to recognize the Jehova’s Witnesses as a religious organization, to disband it and to ban its operations in Russia.


More:
http://tass.com/world/938600
Most read AT TASS RUSSIAN NEWS AGENCY Now Today This week 1 Russia designates myriad of Jehovah’s Witnesses’ materials as extremist 2 Press review: Russia cools down tensions with NATO and Turkey exits Syria 3 The might of Russia's advanced nuclear submarine 4 Moscow puzzled by Tillerson's statements about ‘Russian aggression’ in Ukraine 5 ‘Secret spy room’ uncovered in Moscow during renovation work 6 Ukraine’s top diplomat says there will be no concessions for Russian singer at Eurovision 7 Free Syrian Army and Turkey may be planning new operation in Syria

More:
http://tass.com/russia/759625

Jehovah's Witnesses employ modern technology in their defense
RUSSIAN JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES LAUNCH HASHTAG IN SOCIAL NETWORKS BECAUSE OF THREAT OF BANNING THEIR ACTIVITY IN THE COUNTRY
Portal-Credo.ru, 25 March 2017
 
Late in March Russian Jehovah's Witnesses began a campaign for promoting on the Internet the hashtag #StopJWBan in order to attract attention to the threat of a ban on their confession. Thanks to the action, in just one day almost 20 thousand persons viewed on YouTube a video appeal of Vasily Kalin, the director of the Administrative Center of their confession, a Portal-Credo.ru correspondent reports.
 
"They don't let us defend ourself in courts and they do not admit us to major news media. Only the Internet remains," the campaign on the website, stopjwban.blogspot.com, says.
 
The action is actively connected to believers beyond the boundaries of the country. Twitter users from various countries have published on the aforementioned hashtag photographs of their own letters to Russian authorities, the American president, the United Nations, and other international organizations.
 
The hearing in the Supreme Court of the RF on the lawsuit of the justice ministry is scheduled for 5 April, which requests declaring the religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses to be "extremist" and liquidating it.  (tr. by PDS, posted 26 March 2017)

Russian scholar supports Jehovah's Witnesses
MAKSIM SHEVCHENKO: "THIS LAWSUIT VIOLATES FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF FREEDOM OF CONSCIENCE"
Video by Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, 30 March 2017
 
Maksim Leonardovich Shevchenko is the president of the Center for Strategic Studies of Religion and Politics in the Modern World and a member of the Council for Development of Civil society and Human Rights under the president of the Russian federation.
 
"I consider that this lawsuit, of course, violates fundamental principles of freedom of conscience inasmuch as it is difficult to call the Jehovah's Witnesses an extremist organization. Jehovah's Witnesses have not been detected in either any terrorism acts or evil intentions. The Witnesses do not call for any armed actions, terrorist organizations, or disobedience.
 
"The attempt is made to accuse Witnesses of not donating blood. But there is a mass of Orthodox groups, or Muslims, or Jews even more so who show the same care towards blood, considering it the sacred bearer of life, for example. So it is possible to go too far.
 
"I think, of course, that Witnesses are persecuted for only one reason—that working in accordance with the principle "from man to man," they constitute serious competition for the Russian Orthodox Church in a number of regions. And I consider that Jehovah's Witnesses, as an organization that was born in Russia in the 19th century, are, if not traditional, at least a native Russian organization. Its American affiliate, Watchtower, cannot define the face of this organization, just as the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR) cannot define the face of Russian Orthodoxy.
 
"Jehovah's Witnesses were imprisoned in stalinist camps and in nazi camps and, in general, they professed their faith firmly and strongly. Those who deal with Witnesses in personal life, when it is not a matter of religious questions but simply human relations, know that as a rule they are very decent, honest people, who do not steal or drink and who can be trusted.
 
"If it is possible in this way to ban the organization, whose members number in hundreds of thousands, then that means it is possible to repress other religious or public worldview groups quite easily. I consider that this is arbitrariness, and it is impossible to agree with this arbitrariness in any way. And one must protect the rights of citizens of the Russian federation who are members of this religious organization, in a judicial manner.
 
"And contemporary persecutions seem to me simply absurd. I do not understand how they are meaningful even for those who initiate them. What, is it simply to make a check mark? That we will suffocate those who are choking? It seems to me this is the unpleasant manner of the Russian security structures and judicial system. Here there obviously is the hand of influential public organizations, the Moscow patriarchate and its sympathizers at high levels of security services, who think that in prohibiting the Witnesses they are fulfilling some kind of supposed duty before Russian Orthodoxy.
 
"Therefore, frankly speaking, I think the ban to be unconstitutional and a violation of fundamental principles of freedom of conscience and of the very essence of the law on extremist activity." (tr. by PDS, posted 30 March 2017)
 
Russian transcript posted on website of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, 30 March 2017
THIS IS FROM THE "ORGANIZATION FOR SECURITY AND COOPERATION IN EUROPE"
Russia’s Misuse of Terrorism and Extremism Laws to Restrict the Freedom of Thought, Conscience, Religion or Belief
As delivered by Chargé d’Affaires, a.i. Kate M. Byrnes
to the Permanent Council, Vienna
March 30, 2017
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
The freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief is a pillar of the OSCE’s concept of comprehensive security. In the Helsinki Final Act, we determined that “participating States will respect human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief,” and that states “will recognize and respect the freedom of the individual to profess and practice, alone or in community with others, religion or belief acting in accordance with the dictates of his own conscience.” In Copenhagen in 1990, we reaffirmed that “this right includes freedom to change one’s religion or belief and freedom to manifest one’s religion or belief, either alone or in community with others, in public or in private, through worship, teaching, practice and observance.” More recently in 2010 in Astana, we determined that “greater efforts must be made to promote freedom of religion or belief….” These decisions demonstrate recognition by all 57 participating States that the freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief remains essential to maintaining human dignity, and to ensuring security in the OSCE region.
The United States is, therefore, extremely concerned by the Russian government’s actions targeting members of religious minorities, including the Jehovah’s Witnesses, Crimean Tatars, and others, under the façade of combating “extremism.” More recently, on March 15, the Russian Ministry of Justice suspended the activities of the Jehovah’s Witnesses and asked the Supreme Court to dissolve the Jehovah’s Witnesses Administrative Center and its 395 local religious organizations for supposed “extremist activity.” Should the Supreme Court grant the Ministry of Justice’s request, we understand that there effectively would be no further opportunity for appeal within the Russian court system. If property held by these local organizations were to be confiscated by the state, the local organizations would likely cease to exist as legal entities, resulting in the complete legal dissolution of a religious group that has been present in Russia since the 1800s. Should this occur and Jehovah’s Witnesses continue their activities, individual Jehovah’s Witnesses could risk criminal prosecution simply for gathering to practice their faith.
Local and regional authorities have been targeting Jehovah’s Witnesses for years in Russia, as authorities have sought to shutter local branches on baseless “extremism” grounds.
Mr. Chair, colleagues, let me be clear – the threat to our region from violent extremism and terrorism is real. However, the prosecution of members of peaceful religious minority groups for “extremism” serves only to distract from and undermine our mutual efforts to combat true violent threats.
The United States urges Russian authorities to abide by Russia’s international obligations and OSCE commitments. We therefore call upon Russian authorities to withdraw their request to liquidate the Jehovah’s Witnesses Administrative Center, stop their overall repression of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia, allow Jehovah’s Witnesses to enjoy their rights to freedom of religion and peaceful assembly without interference, as guaranteed also by the Russian Federation’s own constitution, and ensure that Russia’s “anti-terrorism” and “anti-extremism” legislation is not misused to target members of religious minorities. We call on Russia to respect the right of all of its residents to exercise the freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief.
In closing, let me add that the United States looks forward to the upcoming OSCE Supplementary Human Dimension Meeting on the topic of the freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief. We hope all participating States will support the Chairmanship’s effort to hold this event, and look forward to a principled discussion of this important topic.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.

THIS IS FROM RUSSIA RELIGION NEWS
Local Jehovah's Witnesses congregations seek involvement in court proceedings
22 CRIMEAN JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES ORGANIZATIONS SUBMIT DECLARATION TO RUSSIAN SUPREME COURT
Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, 30 March 2017
 
The Ministry of Justice is demanding to liquidate, find extremist, ban, and confiscate the buildings of all 396 registered organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, including 22 organizations in Crimea. For the 8,000 believers on the peninsula, who have professed their religion freely for decades, this news was completely unexpected.
 
These 22 local religious organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses in the republic of Crimea were registered on the initiative of Russian authorities in May 2015. Since then they have not received from the state any charges, fines, or warnings. Therefore they are extremely perplexed with regard to the initiative of the Ministry of Justice to ban them and to recognize them as extremist.
 
Most disturbing is that the Ministry of Justice considered it possible to declare all these organizations outside the law—behind their back and without involving them in the case. The plaintiff's declaration—with much delay—was sent only to the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.
 
For this reason, 22 Crimean local religious organizations filed in the Supreme Court a petition for involving them in the case in the capacity of an administrative co-defendant. They recall that in the Russian federation the right to judicial protection is among the basic inalienable rights. (tr. by PDS, posted 30 March 2017)

Russia Religion News Current News Items
A RUSSIAN ORTHODOX BISHOP HAS STATED THAT THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD NOT BAN THE WITNESSES BECAUSE THAT WOULD GIVE MORE ATTENTION TO THEM AND MORE PEOPLE WILL BECOME JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES.
EVERYONE KEEP UP THE LETTER WRITING AND KEEP GIVING ATTENTION. DO NOT BE SILENT.. PRAISE JAH. http://www2.stetson.edu/~psteeves/relnews/170327b.html

Russian scholar supports Jehovah's Witnesses
MAKSIM SHEVCHENKO: "THIS LAWSUIT VIOLATES FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF FREEDOM OF CONSCIENCE"
Video by Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, 30 March 2017
 
Maksim Leonardovich Shevchenko is the president of the Center for Strategic Studies of Religion and Politics in the Modern World and a member of the Council for Development of Civil society and Human Rights under the president of the Russian federation.
 
"I consider that this lawsuit, of course, violates fundamental principles of freedom of conscience inasmuch as it is difficult to call the Jehovah's Witnesses an extremist organization. Jehovah's Witnesses have not been detected in either any terrorism acts or evil intentions. The Witnesses do not call for any armed actions, terrorist organizations, or disobedience.
 
"The attempt is made to accuse Witnesses of not donating blood. But there is a mass of Orthodox groups, or Muslims, or Jews even more so who show the same care towards blood, considering it the sacred bearer of life, for example. So it is possible to go too far.
 
"I think, of course, that Witnesses are persecuted for only one reason—that working in accordance with the principle "from man to man," they constitute serious competition for the Russian Orthodox Church in a number of regions. And I consider that Jehovah's Witnesses, as an organization that was born in Russia in the 19th century, are, if not traditional, at least a native Russian organization. Its American affiliate, Watchtower, cannot define the face of this organization, just as the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR) cannot define the face of Russian Orthodoxy.
 
"Jehovah's Witnesses were imprisoned in stalinist camps and in nazi camps and, in general, they professed their faith firmly and strongly. Those who deal with Witnesses in personal life, when it is not a matter of religious questions but simply human relations, know that as a rule they are very decent, honest people, who do not steal or drink and who can be trusted.
 
"If it is possible in this way to ban the organization, whose members number in hundreds of thousands, then that means it is possible to repress other religious or public worldview groups quite easily. I consider that this is arbitrariness, and it is impossible to agree with this arbitrariness in any way. And one must protect the rights of citizens of the Russian federation who are members of this religious organization, in a judicial manner.
 
"And contemporary persecutions seem to me simply absurd. I do not understand how they are meaningful even for those who initiate them. What, is it simply to make a check mark? That we will suffocate those who are choking? It seems to me this is the unpleasant manner of the Russian security structures and judicial system. Here there obviously is the hand of influential public organizations, the Moscow patriarchate and its sympathizers at high levels of security services, who think that in prohibiting the Witnesses they are fulfilling some kind of supposed duty before Russian Orthodoxy.
 
"Therefore, frankly speaking, I think the ban to be unconstitutional and a violation of fundamental principles of freedom of conscience and of the very essence of the law on extremist activity." (tr. by PDS, posted 30 March 2017)
 
Russian transcript posted on website of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, 30 March 2017
THIS IS FROM THE "ORGANIZATION FOR SECURITY AND COOPERATION IN EUROPE"
Russia’s Misuse of Terrorism and Extremism Laws to Restrict the Freedom of Thought, Conscience, Religion or Belief
As delivered by Chargé d’Affaires, a.i. Kate M. Byrnes
to the Permanent Council, Vienna
March 30, 2017
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
The freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief is a pillar of the OSCE’s concept of comprehensive security. In the Helsinki Final Act, we determined that “participating States will respect human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief,” and that states “will recognize and respect the freedom of the individual to profess and practice, alone or in community with others, religion or belief acting in accordance with the dictates of his own conscience.” In Copenhagen in 1990, we reaffirmed that “this right includes freedom to change one’s religion or belief and freedom to manifest one’s religion or belief, either alone or in community with others, in public or in private, through worship, teaching, practice and observance.” More recently in 2010 in Astana, we determined that “greater efforts must be made to promote freedom of religion or belief….” These decisions demonstrate recognition by all 57 participating States that the freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief remains essential to maintaining human dignity, and to ensuring security in the OSCE region.
The United States is, therefore, extremely concerned by the Russian government’s actions targeting members of religious minorities, including the Jehovah’s Witnesses, Crimean Tatars, and others, under the façade of combating “extremism.” More recently, on March 15, the Russian Ministry of Justice suspended the activities of the Jehovah’s Witnesses and asked the Supreme Court to dissolve the Jehovah’s Witnesses Administrative Center and its 395 local religious organizations for supposed “extremist activity.” Should the Supreme Court grant the Ministry of Justice’s request, we understand that there effectively would be no further opportunity for appeal within the Russian court system. If property held by these local organizations were to be confiscated by the state, the local organizations would likely cease to exist as legal entities, resulting in the complete legal dissolution of a religious group that has been present in Russia since the 1800s. Should this occur and Jehovah’s Witnesses continue their activities, individual Jehovah’s Witnesses could risk criminal prosecution simply for gathering to practice their faith.
Local and regional authorities have been targeting Jehovah’s Witnesses for years in Russia, as authorities have sought to shutter local branches on baseless “extremism” grounds.
Mr. Chair, colleagues, let me be clear – the threat to our region from violent extremism and terrorism is real. However, the prosecution of members of peaceful religious minority groups for “extremism” serves only to distract from and undermine our mutual efforts to combat true violent threats.
The United States urges Russian authorities to abide by Russia’s international obligations and OSCE commitments. We therefore call upon Russian authorities to withdraw their request to liquidate the Jehovah’s Witnesses Administrative Center, stop their overall repression of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia, allow Jehovah’s Witnesses to enjoy their rights to freedom of religion and peaceful assembly without interference, as guaranteed also by the Russian Federation’s own constitution, and ensure that Russia’s “anti-terrorism” and “anti-extremism” legislation is not misused to target members of religious minorities. We call on Russia to respect the right of all of its residents to exercise the freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief.
In closing, let me add that the United States looks forward to the upcoming OSCE Supplementary Human Dimension Meeting on the topic of the freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief. We hope all participating States will support the Chairmanship’s effort to hold this event, and look forward to a principled discussion of this important topic.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.

ONE OF MY BIBLE STUDIES YESTERDAY CAME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES ARE THE TRUE RELIGION BECAUSE OF WHAT IS HAPPENING IN RUSSIA. HE NOTICED THAT ONLY THE WITNESSES AND NO OTHER RELIGION IS TARGETED TO BE BANNED ON APRIL 5. HE SAID "THERE ARE OVER 2,000 RELIGIONS IN RUSSIA AND THEY ARE PICKING ON A SMALL PEACEFUL RELIGION THAT CANNOT FIGHT BACK AS MOST WOULD DO. WHY ONLY THE WITNESSES?" HE SAID IT IS NOW OBVIOUS THAT THEY HAVE THE TRUTH. MANY RELIGIONS ARE BEING RESTRICTED IN RUSSIA BUT ONLY ONE HAS BEEN SUBMITTED TO THE SUPREME COURT TO BE ABOLISHED !!!

AGREE WE MUST NOT BE SILENT AS JEHOVAH'S ORGANIZATION HAS TOLD US THROUGH THERE SOCIAL MEDIA HERE ON THE INTERNET [JW.ORG]. THINK ABOUT THIS - 20 TO 30 YEARS AGO WHEN WE LAST WROTE TO OFFICIALS WE HAD TO WAIT FOR LETTERS FROM THE GOVERNING BODY TO TELL US WHAT TO DO. NOW HOWEVER BECAUSE OF JW.ORG AND BROADCASTING THIS MESSAGE TO SPEAK [OR WRITE] OUT CAME INSTANTANEOUSLY THROUGH THE USE OF THE INTERNET. AND NOW OUT LETTERS ARE ARRIVING AT THE SAME TIME IN RUSSIA. WHAT A GREAT WITNESS.

ONE OF MY BIBLE STUDIES YESTERDAY CAME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES ARE THE TRUE RELIGION BECAUSE OF WHAT IS HAPPENING IN RUSSIA. HE NOTICED THAT ONLY THE WITNESSES AND NO OTHER RELIGION IS TARGETED TO BE BANNED ON APRIL 5. HE SAID "THERE ARE OVER 2,000 RELIGIONS IN RUSSIA AND THEY ARE PICKING ON A SMALL PEACEFUL RELIGION THAT CANNOT FIGHT BACK AS MOST WOULD DO. WHY ONLY THE WITNESSES?" HE SAID IT IS NOW OBVIOUS THAT THEY HAVE THE TRUTH. MANY RELIGIONS ARE BEING RESTRICTED IN RUSSIA BUT ONLY ONE HAS BEEN SUBMITTED TO THE SUPREME COURT TO BE ABOLISHED !!!

If it's from bethel we will hear about it at the meetings.
Thank you

AGREE WE MUST NOT BE SILENT AS JEHOVAH'S ORGANIZATION HAS TOLD US THROUGH THERE SOCIAL MEDIA HERE ON THE INTERNET [JW.ORG]. THINK ABOUT THIS - 20 TO 30 YEARS AGO WHEN WE LAST WROTE TO OFFICIALS WE HAD TO WAIT FOR LETTERS FROM THE GOVERNING BODY TO TELL US WHAT TO DO. NOW HOWEVER BECAUSE OF JW.ORG AND BROADCASTING THIS MESSAGE TO SPEAK [OR WRITE] OUT CAME INSTANTANEOUSLY THROUGH THE USE OF THE INTERNET. AND NOW OUT LETTERS ARE ARRIVING AT THE SAME TIME IN RUSSIA. WHAT A GREAT WITNESS.

The Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses wants to heighten attention to this critical situation,” states David A. Semonian, a spokesman at the Witnesses’ world headquarters
https://www.jw.org/en/news/releases/by-region/russia/jw-mobilize-global-response-to-threat-of-ban/

 

THIS IS FROM RUSSIA RELIGION NEWS
Local Jehovah's Witnesses congregations seek involvement in court proceedings
22 CRIMEAN JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES ORGANIZATIONS SUBMIT DECLARATION TO RUSSIAN SUPREME COURT
Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, 30 March 2017
 
The Ministry of Justice is demanding to liquidate, find extremist, ban, and confiscate the buildings of all 396 registered organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, including 22 organizations in Crimea. For the 8,000 believers on the peninsula, who have professed their religion freely for decades, this news was completely unexpected.
 
These 22 local religious organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses in the republic of Crimea were registered on the initiative of Russian authorities in May 2015. Since then they have not received from the state any charges, fines, or warnings. Therefore they are extremely perplexed with regard to the initiative of the Ministry of Justice to ban them and to recognize them as extremist.
 
Most disturbing is that the Ministry of Justice considered it possible to declare all these organizations outside the law—behind their back and without involving them in the case. The plaintiff's declaration—with much delay—was sent only to the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.
 
For this reason, 22 Crimean local religious organizations filed in the Supreme Court a petition for involving them in the case in the capacity of an administrative co-defendant. They recall that in the Russian federation the right to judicial protection is among the basic inalienable rights. (tr. by PDS, posted 30 March 2017)

Russia Religion News Current News Items
A RUSSIAN ORTHODOX BISHOP HAS STATED THAT THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD NOT BAN THE WITNESSES BECAUSE THAT WOULD GIVE MORE ATTENTION TO THEM AND MORE PEOPLE WILL BECOME JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES.
EVERYONE KEEP UP THE LETTER WRITING AND KEEP GIVING ATTENTION. DO NOT BE SILENT.. PRAISE JAH. http://www2.stetson.edu/~psteeves/relnews/170327b.html

GO TO RT.COM and look under Viral heading "Return to sender: Swedish man accidentally receives Vladimir Putin’s mail" and look at the photo ! LOL

https://www.rt.com/viral/382776-swedish-man-sent-putins-mail/
This is in English from Russian News
Return to sender: Swedish man accidentally receives Vladimir Putin’s mail
Published time: 30 Mar, 2017 07:34Edited time: 30 Mar, 2017 07:36 Get short URL Russian President Vladimir Putin. © Aleksey Nikolskyi / Sputnik   A resident of a backwater Swedish town called Trelleborg was shocked to open his mailbox and find a letter addressed to none other than Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin. “What are Postnord playing at? Someone surely must have seen this letter, at the very least the postman who delivered it. Why has it been sent out then?” the local man identified only as Per told local newspaper Trelleborgs Allehanda. 
Per was quick to point out that the only thing his home address has in common with the Russian president’s is the number 23, while also noting that the town of Trelleborg is roughly 1,532 kilometers (951 miles) from Moscow.
The current theory of PostNord, the Swedish-Danish postal service, is that one of their automated sorting machines did not read the address properly and sent it to Per in error.
READ MORE: Swedish intel claims foreign covert agents found snooping at key sites
“Sometimes, things go wrong when the machines do the sorting. Especially when they misread the address,” PostNord spokesperson Maria Ibsen told Trelleborgs Allehanda. 
“We manage 1.8 billion letters a year and sometimes errors happen, unfortunately. Of course, it’s sad if Putin did not receive his letter,” she added.
Despite natural curiosity, when pressed on the subject by Trelleborgs Allehanda, Per insisted that he has not opened the letter.
“Yes, of course I am [curious]. The thought has crossed my mind to open and look. But I haven’t,” he told the paper.

The Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses wants to heighten attention to this critical situation,” states David A. Semonian, a spokesman at the Witnesses’ world headquarters
https://www.jw.org/en/news/releases/by-region/russia/jw-mobilize-global-response-to-threat-of-ban/
 
 
 

https://www.rt.com/viral/382776-swedish-man-sent-putins-mail/
This is in English from Russian News
Return to sender: Swedish man accidentally receives Vladimir Putin’s mail
Published time: 30 Mar, 2017 07:34Edited time: 30 Mar, 2017 07:36 Get short URL Russian President Vladimir Putin. © Aleksey Nikolskyi / Sputnik   A resident of a backwater Swedish town called Trelleborg was shocked to open his mailbox and find a letter addressed to none other than Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin. “What are Postnord playing at? Someone surely must have seen this letter, at the very least the postman who delivered it. Why has it been sent out then?” the local man identified only as Per told local newspaper Trelleborgs Allehanda. 
Per was quick to point out that the only thing his home address has in common with the Russian president’s is the number 23, while also noting that the town of Trelleborg is roughly 1,532 kilometers (951 miles) from Moscow.
The current theory of PostNord, the Swedish-Danish postal service, is that one of their automated sorting machines did not read the address properly and sent it to Per in error.
READ MORE: Swedish intel claims foreign covert agents found snooping at key sites
“Sometimes, things go wrong when the machines do the sorting. Especially when they misread the address,” PostNord spokesperson Maria Ibsen told Trelleborgs Allehanda. 
“We manage 1.8 billion letters a year and sometimes errors happen, unfortunately. Of course, it’s sad if Putin did not receive his letter,” she added.
Despite natural curiosity, when pressed on the subject by Trelleborgs Allehanda, Per insisted that he has not opened the letter.
“Yes, of course I am [curious]. The thought has crossed my mind to open and look. But I haven’t,” he told the paper.

GO TO RT.COM and look under Viral heading "Return to sender: Swedish man accidentally receives Vladimir Putin’s mail" and look at the photo ! LOL

@ThePraeceptor Jehovah is using his channel the Faithful and Discreet Slave. Are we not happy to follow their direction under Christ Jesus? People speak with no authority. Gossip is not Jehovah's way!   So we must stand up for pure worship around the earth, United, together and proclaim it loud! Jehovah's Name will be known and magnified forever, have no fear Jehovah is near. If we didn't support this #StopJWBan, then it shows the world and Jehovah we are not United! This will be the greatest Blessing ever! If a few are in prison, it may also be the only way to release them and stand up for all those facing the same sentences. Jehovah's Blessing is on His People! Agape, 
Bible Speaks ???

This is nothing but a big lie. Jehova wants this case to be known all over the world. But SATAN wants us to stop this campain and say nothing!
" Okay, let's see if we can clear this up: We are engaged in a PUBLIC campaign to bring to the PUBLIC's attention the threat against the freedom of the brothers in Russia. The instructions for this letter-writing campaign are on jw.org, the most widely translated website in the world. And the instructions were quite clear: don't send your letters via email; don't name Russian publishers if you happen to know any. That's all that was said regarding the internet.
Some might feel that the cartoons of Russian mail carriers or Boris and Natasha are unnecessarily antagonizing the Russian government. That is certainly a valid opinion, and we don't want disagreements about those conscience matters to divide us, but neither do we want to make rules where none exist.
Why on earth would there be an instruction to keep references to the letter-writing campaign off social media? That would be counter-productive. Who could possibly want the campaign to NOT be talked about? Could it be, SATAN?
Several friends have called Bethel and confirmed, there was NO 'instruction at morning worship' to keep it off social media. That is a lie. Do NOT spread it! In any event, that is not how communication gets to us.
Here's something else to think about: Friends of those in Russia have reported that the Russian brothers and sisters have access to their brothers and sisters ONLY via social media, and they are greatly encouraged to read the reports and see the pictures related to the letter-writing campaign. Now: who could possibly be trying to keep the joy of the campaign from those Russian friends?
Please Share this with everyone. Please SQUASH the rumor about keeping the campaign off social media." - Quote

This rumour of GB morning worship instruction is passing round everywhere.
This is just like the emails pretending to be from banks, phishing for personal details. 
Our Governing Body does not communicate worldwide on serious matters by third party source via email, social media, or any other random channel.
We have our instruction on how to conduct this campaign here: 
https://www.jw.org/en/news/releases/by-region/russia/jw-mobilize-global-response-to-threat-of-ban/
This is also the source for information on progress with this vital campaign.
ANYTHING else, including the postings on this site, is unauthorised at best. I will leave you to decide what it is at worst. 
Compare the Apostle Paul's words at 2 Thess 2:1-2 where he says
"we ask you  not to be quickly shaken from your reason nor to be alarmed either by an inspired statement or by a spoken message or by a letter appearing to be from us"
 
 
 
 
 

http://www2.stetson.edu/~psteeves/relnews/170329a.html … Legal expert declares it will be armageddon against all religions if the Witnesses get banned.

http://www2.stetson.edu/~psteeves/relnews/170329a.html … Legal expert declares it will be armageddon against all religions if the Witnesses get banned.

There was no announcement about posting on Social Media at Bethel morning worship in New York neither today nor yesterday. Perhaps they did in Russia would make sense but Internationally we WANT attention given about this event which is the entire reason for the letter writing campaign in the first place. Opposers of course would not want this publicized since it obviously shows that only Jehovah's Witnesses have the true religion since it is only JW.ORG that was banned and only JW's are currently under threat of that as well. No other religion is currently under consideration for banning. Check out "Russia Religion News" for all news related to Religious repression under former Soviet bloc nations. About 85% of the material is on Jehovah's Witnesses and the persecution that they are getting. Other Christian and Muslim groups are also being affected but ONLY the Jehovah's Witnesses are threatened with banning the entire religion in Russia.
No matter the outcome in Russia this will be a major Witness to the world and many right - hearted ones will see it for what it is that the True Religion is being targeted as the Bible says it would be. Consider the "baseless" claims of why they consider us "extremist"? Don't you think how that will affect peoples attitude about the Witnesses and the possible King of the North's attack on true worship both just before and during the Great Tribulation. A great Witness is about to happen on April 5, 2017 !