RUSSIA: Jehovah's Witnesses face possible liquidation

By Victoria Arnold, Forum 18

If prosecutors proceed with their threat to liquidate the Jehovah's Witness headquarters near St Petersburg, thousands of local congregations across Russia could also face prohibition of their activities and individuals could be vulnerable to criminal charges for expressing their beliefs, Forum 18 notes.

The Jehovah's Witnesses' principal body in Russia is under threat of dissolution as an "extremist" organisation after the deadline in an official warning from the General Prosecutor's Office expired on 10 May, Forum 18 notes. If prosecutors decide to pursue liquidation, thousands of local Jehovah's Witness congregations across Russia could also face prohibition of their activities and individuals could be vulnerable to criminal charges for expressing their beliefs.

If dissolution of the Administrative Centre is pursued, this would be the first instance of a registered, centralised religious organisation with active subdivisions being liquidated for "extremism", Forum 18 notes.

Lawyers have until 10 June to challenge the warning in court, the Administrative Centre told Forum 18 from St Petersburg. Lawyers for the Administrative Centre are planning to lodge a challenge at Tver District Court in Moscow, and told Forum 18 they still hope that the matter will be resolved in their favour. READ MORE

http://www.forum18.org/archive.php?article_id=2181

Iown Mylife

Thank you for posting, Andersons.

This hullabaloo is just exactly what the WT craves and uses to strengthen their hold on the fully cult-ified flock.

The government's purposes would fare much better if they alerted the general public to ignore JW's.

Marina

slimboyfat

Not good news for anyone. I think it's unfair or uninformed to say JWs or JW leadership "crave" this scenario. They've worked very hard to avoid it and generally pursue good relations with all governments.

TheListener

This will a a dose of reality to their bunker videos.

Vidiot

"...extremism..."

Call a spade a spade.

Vidiot

slimboyfat - "... I think it's unfair or uninformed to say JWs or JW leadership 'crave' this scenario..."

Maybe.

Can't say they won't spin it, though.

wizzstick

Can't say they won't spin it, though.

Yep. Will this be the time to resurrect their old skool boogeyman 'The King Of The North'? Didn't they used to say that the King Of The North would turn on God's people?

Or something similar?

Vidiot

@ wizzstick...

To which I'd simply counter with...

"wait... isn't Babylon the Great supposed to be attacked first? "

:smirk:

Pete Zahut

For some reason it doesn't sit well with Government Officials to have a group going around in public, undermining their efforts to keep the Country organized and stable, by saying that said Government is backed by the Devil and soon to be destroyed by God.

JW's cry "persecution" yet in a way, bring it upon themselves and even use it as a barometer of how well they are doing in terms of their prophesies.

xjwsrock

The new buzzword is "The Assyrian"

God's people will be attacked by "The Assyrian"

In an elders school last year, the instructors said when The Assyrian attacks, we can't expect to have the backing of the Branch or the Slave.

"Elders this means you will have to stand on your own for the congregation! Are you ready for that?"

This was met with ooohs and aaahs from the morons in the audience.

RUSSIA: Jehovah's Witnesses face possible liquidation

RUSSIA: Jehovah's Witnesses face possible liquidation

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