BBC RUSSIA – Six months as extremists: what happens to "Jehovah's Witnesses" in Russia

[Bible Speaks]

Six months as extremists: what happens to "Jehovah's Witnesses" in Russia

Anastasia Golubeva

Russian BBC Service

In May 2017, the inhabitant of Eagle, the Dane Dennis Christensen and several of his co-religionists gathered in the building for worship, in order, in their words, to read the Bible. A month before, the Supreme Court of Russia recognized the activities of "Jehovah's Witnesses" in Russia as extremist and banned the organization. To hold a meeting that May evening in the Oryol community was not possible: officers of the FSB broke into the hall. They detained only Christensen.

By this time, the Dane lived in Orel for the last ten years, was married to a Russian woman, worked as a carpenter. As a result, Christensen became the first "Jehovah's Witness", who was charged with an extremist article after the organization's ban in Russia.

According to the lawyer of the Dane Irina Krasnikova, Christensen is accused of continuing the activities of a local religious organization that was already banned.

"They just gathered to read the Bible, I think it's absurd to blame a person for extremism," says the lawyer. Irina Krasnikova insists: Christensen could not continue the activities of the banned organization, since he was not its founder or leader.

In June, the Dane was arrested, all the requests for protection to mitigate the measure of restraint, the court rejected and left him under arrest.

"In SIZO he had chronic illnesses due to lack of heating and hot water in the cell, and he was also restricted in visits from the family," says the lawyer. Long report go to website for whole article. 

http://www.bbc.com/russian/features-41331942