Breaking: ECHR Rules Russian Ban on Jehovah's Witnesses Illegal

European Court of Human Rights declares Russia's ban on Jehovah's Witnesses unlawful

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has handed down a landmark judgment condemning Russia's treatment of Jehovah's Witnesses (JW) .

The court this week declared Russia's 2017 ban on Jehovah's Witnesses to be unlawful. It also deemed the ban on their printed publications and website, JW.org, illegal.

Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia have experienced imprisonment and the confiscation of their property for many years on the grounds that they are extremists.

The ECHR found the claim of extremism to be baseless.

"The applicants' religious activities and the content of their publications appear to have been peaceful in line with their professed doctrine of non-violence," the judgment stated.

The court ordered Russia to suspend all pending criminal proceedings against Jehovah's Witnesses and free those already in prison.

"[Russia] must take all necessary measures to secure the discontinuation of all pending criminal proceedings against Jehovah's Witnesses . . . and [the] release of all Jehovah's Witnesses who have been deprived of their liberty," the court said.

For the past several years Russian officials have illegally beaten, tortured, raped, and imprisoned the peaceful and non-violent Christian minority of Jehovah's Witnesses under the false guise that they are extremists. Even the court that put the ban into effect back in 2017 produced no evidence for their claims. They were considered extremists because they are non-violent and cannot be radicalized to harm people. Yesterday the ECHR, of which Russia is a part, declared their ban illegal.

The Moscow Times says that Russia will probably not respect the ruling as they are pulling out of the ECHR:

But Russia seems unlikely to carry out the judgment, with lawmakers swiftly passing legislation Tuesday to end the ECHR’s jurisdiction. The bill, which must now be approved by Russia’s upper house of parliament and signed by President Vladimir Putin, sets March 16 as the cut-off date for recognized rulings.

The court itself had said it would continue receiving claims from Russia until Sept. 16, when it would no longer be party to the European Convention on Human Rights.

Europe’s Top Rights Court Rules Against Russia’s Jehovah’s Witnesses Ban

a reply to: randomuser
It depends on what one considers extremism. Many Christians do see the JW's as an extreme cult. Considering their history, I'm inclined to agree, but they aren't by any means the only cult that uses the bible to justify its existence.

Whatever the case, I doubt Russia really cares what the ECHR thinks is illegal.

originally posted by: Klassified
a reply to: randomuser
Whatever the case, I doubt Russia really cares what the ECHR thinks is illegal.

Add me to the list of those that don't care what that court says.

Given the shortage of people speaking out during the authoritarian uprisings across the West it's really hard to take any of this stuff seriously from human rights orgs.

a reply to: randomuser

I had to put a darn NO SOLICITING sign in my yard because the Jehovah witness were almost every week in my yard Knocking the door, on Saturdays, then they were calling me in my phone, I had no clue how in the hell they go my number.

They are pest.

But I do not advocate for the mistreatment of another human being.

I have little sympathy for the witnesses, they aren't people in my eyes- they are property of a cult.

That said, logically, I intrinsically have little sympathy for agendas which threaten the wellbeing of others who hold non-violent beliefs. Ideologies are not defeated by force, you cannot adopt subjugation tactics toward an enemy when the rationale of resisting their ideology is because it subjugates or dimunizes people. It's a logical fallacy.

Also, LOL at anything Europe has to say about human rights anymore. They are descending into socialist cesspools eager to trade away individualism for practically any reason.

a reply to: randomuser

Gee I wonder why? Probably for the same reason Putin pulled out one of the Geneva Convention protocols that specifically called for the protection of civilians in a war zone.

Russian MPs vote to quit European Court of Human Rights

a reply to: marg6043

I work with a "JW" black dude... he never has pushed anything on me.. one of the nicest men you could ever meet. very nice guy and when it comes to politics he is confused and why he has to pay soo much for gas and food now... slowly, and I mean slowly waking up.. He speaks in front of hundreds at his church.. I'm trying and it's hard because he believes what yahoo news tells him..... He's retiring soon but yes indeed he is seeing the burden of this administration..

Human-Rights™ Associations™, Courts™, Lawyers™, and everything that their Organizations™, have been complicit with the entire Technocratic™ agenda for a long-time now.

Not sure if they're Controlled-Opposition™ or not, but anyone with eyes to see, and ears to listen : noticed their total silence since the beginning of The Technocratic™ Global™ Flu D'État™ of 2020.

Nowhere to be seen or heard, during Lockdowns™ and Mandates™, and therefore their legitimacy has plummeted to nil.

Same for Unions™, and any other lying scum that professes to be defenders of the people.

a reply to: randomuser
What a foreign court thinks about the legality or illegality of a sovereign nations' laws and restrictions is totally irrelevant. Also if one reads the Russian Constitution, - Article#7 I believe, - then it states clearly that ALL religions are allowed that do NOT go against the interests of the Russian Federation. There are about 200 recognized religions/sects in Russia. Some of their own home-grown doomsday cults and sects have also been severely restricted or "exterminated". In essence Russia sees in religion simply an extension of "Political Harmony". It is pretty much the same with the "Church of England" that was created by Henry-VIII in response to his problems with the Catholic church. They are in essence catholic just without the Pope and the British Monarch being its head. The Church of England works for the interests of the country. So do all religions in Russia or its Gulag-time. Simple national interests.
Also it must e understood that the JW are considered a SECT and not a religion. Many European countries also exclude the JW from being members of public office. JW can't be teachers for example. Imagine a JW ER-doctor that refuses to give you a blood transfusion because his religion forbids it? So Europe alone has to lift their own restrictions the JW before they can call Russia's decision "Illegal".
As a "militant Atheist" I see in any religion nothing else but a sign of mental illness! So the prohibition, and or the eradication of religion is highly welcomed by me.

a reply to: SigiH55

Jehovah's Witnesses are a recognized religion around the world. And although there are many sects of Christendom, that is offshoots from a main branch, Jehovah's Witnesses are not an off-shoot, or sect, of any Catholic or Protestant Church, as are the rest of the Churches of Christendom. Jehovah's Witnesses formed as a group of earnest Bible students who read through the Bible and found that many of the teachings of main-stream religions were false such as the Trinity, Hellfire doctrine, Immortality of the soul, a distinction of a clergy and laity, the paying of money for the dead, among many other false doctrines and pagan teachings of Christendom. They also discerned that God's kingdom with Jesus Christ as its king is heavenly. It is not earthly. As Jesus and his kingdom are no part of the world, so too his followers are no part of the world. They discerned you could not be a part of the political system and fight in the wars of the world and remain Christian. They in earnest tried to show the religious leaders of Christendom where they were teaching false doctrines, but the Churches did not want to listen. So they formed their own group cutting out all the pagan influence and corruption found in the Churches of Christendom, and slowly began to return to the way real Christianity of the first-century was practiced. And it is obvious they have the spirit and backing of Jehovah God and his son Jesus Christ. It was not a work of any human this return to the truth. Jehovah's Witnesses practice the true form of Christianity, they have the true religion. It is very obvious to see.

Jehovah's Witnesses are strictly neutral politically, they do not get involved in politics and war. You will never find a Jehovah's Witness in any protest, or voting in elections, or running for political office.

They are a return to the true form of Christianity of the first century. All of their beliefs and teachings are solely based on the Bible. Anyone in the world can go to any meeting of Jehovah's Witnesses, they are open free to the public, and/or visit the JW.ORG website. All of their teachings are found there, along with thousands of videos and Bible based publications. None of which is cult-like or extremist.

That is why the High Court of human rights of Europe, of which the Russian Federation is a part, found the ban on Jehovah's Witnesses to be illegal.

The posters above that started insulting the peaceful Christian group calling them non-humans, extremists, cultists, and the like are just spokespersons of the Devil, spewing hatred towards God's people. Any honest person can find out for themselves, it is super easy. And that is also why Russia had no evidence to their baseless claims. The only way they could get away with their lies is corruption at the highest levels.

"Can a throne of corruption be allied with you
While it is framing trouble in the name of the law?"
-Psalm 94:20.



Also Jehovah's Witnesses are doctors, and nurses, and teachers. They are everyday people who believe in God and the words of God found in the Bible, and practice them in their lives. They are called Jehovah's Witnesses, because the true God is named Jehovah and they speak about Jehovah and the good news of God's kingdom to the people.

“You are my witnesses,” declares Jehovah,
“Yes, my servant whom I have chosen,
So that you may know and have faith in me
And understand that I am the same One.
Before me no God was formed,
And after me there has been none."
-Isaiah 43:10.

"“Happy are you when people reproach you and persecute you and lyingly say every sort of wicked thing against you for my sake. Rejoice and be overjoyed, since your reward is great in the heavens, for in that way they persecuted the prophets prior to you."-Matthew 5:11-12.

originally posted by: randomuser
For the past several years Russian officials have illegally beaten, tortured, raped, and imprisoned the peaceful and non-violent Christian minority of Jehovah's Witnesses under the false guise that they are extremists.

Russia would never do something like that. They are a kind, wonderful and considerate nation. It's so friendly there it's just like a giant version of Euro Disney.

Just one where Mickey is smoking, drinking vodka and punching a gay dude at the same time while invading Universal Studios.