Denial Of Access To Spiritual Assistance By Jehovah’s Witnesses In Prison Is Discriminatory

by Bangalore 4 Replies latest watchtower scandals

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  Bangalore

  Denial Of Access To Spiritual Assistance By Jehovah's Witnesses In Prison Is Discriminatory.

  http://www.freedomofconscience.eu/denial-of-access-to-spiritual-assistance-by-jehovahs-witnesses/

  Bangalore
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  blondie

  Denial of access to spiritual assistance by Jehovah’s Witnesses

  Par admin • 29 mar, 2010 • Catégorie: news •

  Denial of access to spiritual assistance by Jehovah’s Witnesses in prison is discriminatory

  The misuse of the parliamentary report on cults once more denounced

  HRWF (29.03.2010) - In its decision nr 2010-43 of 22 February 2010, HALDE (The High Authority Fighting against Discrimination and for Equality) has concluded that the denial of spiritual assistance to Jehovah’s Witnesses in prison by one of their religious ministers is a case of religious discrimination.

  Concerning the accreditation of religious ministers of Jehovah’s Witnesses as chaplains, HALDE (The High Authority Fighting against Discrimination and for Equality) has recommended to the minister of Justice to make possible religious practices in penitentiary conditions on the basis of objective criteria and to make sure they are implemented in detention centers without any other restrictions than those necessitated by security and order in the prison..

  This decision follows the refusal by the director of the penitentiary center of Châteauroux to allow an imprisoned Jehovah’s Witness to be visited by a religious minister of his faith on the grounds that his religious denomination is on the black list of cults attached to the French parliamentary report on cults. The prison director’s decision was dismissed by the administrative court of appeal of Bordeaux on 20 October 2009. This is one more case of misuse of the black list of so-called cults endorsed by the French parliamentary commission on cults in 1995.

  HALDE’s position is based on two cases dealt with by the European Court on Human Rights: the court decision Kokkinakis v. Greece of 25 May 1993 including Jehovah’s Witnesses among the religious faiths to be respected and the case Poltoratski v. Ukraine of 29 Avril 2003, in which a detainee was deprived of his right to participate in the weekly religious service in prison and to receive the visit of an Orthodox priest.

  In the case brought to its attention, HALDE said that « the ban does not seem to be justified by a possible threat to public order, as the association of Jehovah’s Witnesses had been granted the status of “association cultuelle” (religious association) by an administrative judge, or by another legitimate reason involving public security, protection of social order, health, public morality or the rights and freedoms of other people ».

  In conclusion, HALDE stated that such refusals are « discrimination based on the beliefs of the concerned people, which is prohibited by article 14 in combination with article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights ».

  See full text of HALDE’s decision (in French) at http://www.halde.fr/IMG/alexandrie/5191.PDF
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  blondie

  There must be other cults on that list. Are there members of those cults in prison and are they refusing visitation by members of their cult?
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  hamsterbait

  Are young JWs in France still being sent to prison for refusing national Service?

  Now that alternative service is "allowed " (conscience matter - you better decide what the GB wants) are they taking this up instead?

  So what are Jw doing in jail - the WT loves to harp on about how many Catholics are in jail (for doing wht the Church made quite clear is wrong)

  HB
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  Mad Sweeney

  They should bring Steve Hassan in to help them out.