Russia arrests more Jehovah's Witnesses

[Isabella]

Moscow — Russian authorities have carried out dozens of raids and detained several people as they pursue a new criminal case accusing the country's Jehovah's Witnesses of extremism, the national Investigative Committee said Tuesday. The Christian denomination is suspected of illegally resuming its work in Russia despite an official ban.

The country's Supreme Court ruled in 2017 that the group, founded in the United States and claiming almost 9 million followers globally, was an "extremist" organization and ordered it to disband. The decision led to the conviction of scores of followers across the country.

Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/russia-jehovahs-witnesses-arrest-raids-charges-extremist-group-extremism/

[Isabella]

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Masked law enforcement officers carried out mass raids on the Jehovah’s Witnesses across Russia on Tuesday and made a number of arrests as part of a new criminal case against the group, the Investigative Committee said.

The law enforcement agency said it had opened an investigation as it suspected the Christian denomination was organising the activity in Moscow of its national centre and affiliates.

Yaroslav Sivulskiy, a spokesman for the European Association of Jehovah’s Witnesses, denied the centre had resumed its activity and said the group was being targeted in a campaign of persecution.

Russia’s Supreme Court ordered the Jehovah’s Witnesses to disband in 2017 after labelling it extremist, and some of its adherents have since been jailed or hit with criminal charges in a crackdown.

Read more: https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-russia-politics-religion/russian-investigators-open-new-criminal-case-into-jehovahs-witnesses-searches-under-way-idUKKBN2840SY