Tag: Jehovah’s Witnesses

Turkmenistan says religious communities that don’t re-register don’t exist

October 10, 2017 Turkmenistan Jehovah's Witnesses, Turkmenistan, UN

Eighteen months after Turkmenistan introduced a law requiring religious communities to re-register with the authorities, only two have done so – other applications have been rejected by the government because of “errors”, reports regional news agency Forum 18. The two groups – both Protestant – were part of 131 religious . . . Read More

Turkmenistan repressing religious freedom through ‘fines, raids and torture’

October 4, 2017 Turkmenistan Central Asia, Jehovah's Witnesses, Protestants, Religious freedom, Turkmenabad, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan

Hero statues at Ashgabat Independence Monument. City of Ashgabat, Turkmenistan.

Fines, raids and police brutality are some of the trademarks of Turkmenistan’s repeated violations of religious freedom, according to the latest report by regional news agency Forum 18. Protestant Christians, Jehovah’s Witnesses and Muslims have all been repeatedly repressed, according to the report, despite the UN reiterating its concerns. “Turkmen . . . Read More

Growing list of Christians charged under Russia’s ‘anti-missionary law’

August 17, 2017 Russia Crimea, Don Ossewaarde, Jehovah's Witnesses, Oryol, Russia, Soviet Union, Yarovaya Law

A year on from Russia introducing its “anti-missionary bill” in July 2016, more than 180 cases have been brought before court, with prosecutions steadily increasing throughout the 12-month period. The list of cases against 129 individuals and 52 religious communities, published by regional news agency Forum 18, includes missionary activity . . . Read More

Crimea also affected in first year of Russia’s ‘anti-missionary law’

July 27, 2017 Russia Crimea, Don Ossewaarde, Jehovah's Witnesses, Pentecostals, Russia, Soviet Union, Ukraine, Vladimir Putin, Yarovaya Law

A cross seen over the construction site of a bridge across the Strait of Kerch linking Crimea to mainland Russia. (Photo by Vladimir Smirnov via Getty Images)

Since Russia’s President Vladimir Putin signed into law what some commentators referred to as an “anti-missionary bill” in July last year, individuals and groups have been targeted because of their religious affiliation in both Russia and the annexed Crimea. After the annexation in March 2014, religious organisations in Crimea had . . . Read More

Russia outlaws Jehovah’s Witnesses as ‘extremist group’

July 18, 2017 Russia Don Ossewaarde, Jehovah's Witnesses, Kazakhstan, Russia, USA, Vladimir Putin, Yarovaya Law

The administrative centre of the Jehovah's Witnesses based in the town of Solnechnoye in the federal city of St Petersburg, Russia. The Supreme Court has ordered the disbanding of the group. It needs to hand over all its assets and property to the Russian government. (Photo: Getty Images)

Russia’s Supreme Court yesterday (17 July) rejected an appeal by the Jehovah’s Witnesses against a ruling in April which declared it to be “extremist” and has ordered the disbanding of the group on Russian territory. “The justice ministry had argued that the group distributed pamphlets which incited hatred against other . . . Read More

Kazakhstan: closure of Jehovah’s Witnesses operation is sign of creeping religious intolerance

July 18, 2017 Kazakhstan Jehovah's Witnesses, Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev, Russia, Soviet Union

Kazakhstan’s decision to suspend operations at the headquarters of the Jehovah’s Witnesses is a symptom of the country’s growing intolerance towards religious rights, and particularly Christianity, writes Casey Michel in The Diplomat. Jehovah’s Witnesses, who had operated in Kazakhstan for 25 years with 18,000 followers, reacted by expressing concern that . . . Read More

Kazakh Baptists raided, fined on Easter Sunday as ‘illegal’

May 4, 2017 Kazakhstan Almaty, Astana, Baptists, Jehovah's Witnesses, Russia, Uyghurs

Police raided meetings of at least two Baptist Churches on Easter Sunday. The protestant communities draw attention because they they choose to hold their church services without seeking state registration "out of conviction".

Tammar leads a church of young Uyghurs in Kazakhstan. On Easter Sunday, as 20 of them gathered, there was a sudden police raid, including members of the anti-terrorist team. All 20 had to sign a form saying they were at this ‘illegal’ meeting, and Tammar was fined $900. At first, he wouldn’t . . . Read More

Russia: Church reacts as ‘anti-missionary bill’ becomes law

July 15, 2016 Russia Exile, House churches, Jehovah's Witnesses, Missionaries, Moscow, Pentecostals, Russia, Seventh-day Adventists, Soviet Union, Vladimir Putin, Yarovaya Law

On 7 July, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed into law a bill referred to by one Christian organisation as an “anti-missionary bill”. The new law, known more commonly as the “Yarovaya” law (the name of one of its authors), which will come into effect on 20 July, was formally introduced . . . Read More

Pakistani blasphemy law used against popular TV channel, Jehovah’s Witnesses and more

May 27, 2014 Pakistan Blasphemy, Jehovah's Witnesses, Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, Multan, Shahbaz Bhatti

Pakistani Christians and supporters protest the use of blasphemy laws in Pakistan. London, December 2009. helen.2006 / Flickr / Creative Commons With several Christians on trial awaiting potential death sentences for allegedly committing blasphemy – tensions are increasingly high across the nation with a record breaking amount of blasphemy . . . Read More

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