From 1995 to 1998, the Moscow prosecutor’s office instigated criminal proceedings against the Witnesses four times. Jehovah’s Witnesses were accused of inciting people to religious intolerance, destroying families, engaging in activities against the State, and infringing on the rights of other citizens. When these accusations could not be confirmed, a civil lawsuit was brought against the Witnesses in 1998, based on the same groundless accusations.

Approximately a year later, the ministry of justice reregistered the Administrative Center of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia, recognizing that Jehovah’s Witnesses do not promote anything to incite people to religious hatred, to destroy families, or to infringe on human rights, and neither does their literature. Nevertheless, the prosecutor’s office brought forth the same charges again!

Some professors of religious studies realize that Jehovah’s Witnesses base their beliefs exclusively on the Bible. Says Dr. N. S. Gordienko, professor of religious studies at the Herzen Russian State Pedagogical University in St. Petersburg: “When the experts accuse Jehovah’s Witnesses for their teachings, they do not realize that they are actually making accusations against the Bible.”

Nevertheless, the Moscow City Court ruled to strip the Moscow community of Jehovah’s Witnesses of its legal status. However, this does not prevent our brothers from fulfilling the Bible command to share the good news with others. Jehovah’s Witnesses are convinced that the people of Moscow must make their own decision regarding their religious beliefs. Restricting this right would be an infringement on the freedoms of every resident of Moscow. Therefore, Witnesses in Moscow will continue to fulfill Jesus Christ’s commandment to preach and to make disciples. (Matt. 28:19, 20) At present the European Court of Human Rights is reviewing the decision of the Moscow City Court.

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Recent Legal Developments

Our right to worship without government interference was confirmed in January 2007 when the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) issued a unanimous judgment in our favor stating that the “collective study and discussion of religious texts by members of the religious group of Jehovah’s Witnesses was a recognized form of manifestation of their religion in worship and teaching.”

Though their activity in the city of Moscow was officially restricted in 2004, our brothers continue to meet together openly for worship and to engage in the preaching work to the fullest extent possible. In 2007 the brothers were overjoyed to commemorate the Memorial and held district conventions in Moscow without interference, as was largely the case throughout Russia.

Although legal challenges remain, our brothers courageously continue to counteract incidents of opposition. For instance, a new application was filed with the ECHR concerning the Lyublino Police Department’s disruption of the Memorial observance in Moscow on April 12, 2006. The police detained 14 brothers and threatened their lawyer at knifepoint. Although a local court ruled partially in favor of our brothers, the decision was overturned and the case was lost on appeal. Additionally, a complaint was filed in July 2007 against various government officials who have been conducting a protracted and unwarranted investigation into our religious activities in St. Petersburg.