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Russian court gives four Jehovah's Witnesses real jail time, suspended sentences in Trans-Baikal Territory

Chita, June 7, Interfax - The Central District Court of Chita has found a group of local residents guilty of organizing a cell of Jehovah's Witnesses, an organization officially designated as extremist and banned in Russia, the Russian Investigative Committee department for the Trans-Baikal Territory said.

Four residents of Chita organized a local cell of Jehovah's Witnesses from 2017 to February 2020, during which they held assemblies and public sermons, made religious presentations, collected donations, and circulated extremist religious literature, the department said.

"The organizers and members of the organization followed secrecy precautions. Assemblies were held in small groups, and videoconferences were arranged using the Internet," it said.

The defendants have been found guilty of setting up an extremist organization's activities (Russian Criminal Code Article 282.2 Part 1). Two members were sentenced to six and a half years and the third was sentenced to six years in a general security penitentiary.

The fourth member of the group has been given a suspended sentence of six years in prison and banned from occupying leading positions at nongovernmental organizations for six years.

In April 2017, the Russian Supreme Court designated the Administrative Center of the Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia and its local religious organizations as extremist and outlawed them.

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