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Some of Jehovah’s Witnesses have been imprisoned for refusing to do their compulsory military service.
Their faith doesn’t allow them to receive blood transfusions, and several have been tried for denying them to their children.
Originally posted by aleon1018
Chances are, JWs would have been treated as badly by the Romans as another political threat.
Source
Twenty-three arrests in Eritrea include children and elderly
ASMARA, Eritrea—Three children ranging from two to four years of age were among the latest group of 23 Jehovah’s Witnesses arrested in Eritrea. In that number is also a child of 8, a woman over 70 and another over 80.
On June 28, 2009, some 23 members of one congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Asmara were peacefully meeting together for worship. These meetings also serve to encourage and support congregation members since many have already suffered the loss of other family members who were imprisoned, several of whom were the breadwinners for their family. Most of the latest arrests are female congregation members because their husbands and sons have long since been arrested.
The total number of Jehovah’s Witnesses known to be imprisoned in Eritrea is now 69. About 20 of them are in their 60s and 70s. Since July 2008, Eritrean authorities have summarily arrested responsible members of the Witness community. Most are now in prison. Also, over the past several years, the police have often arrested people for merely attending a Witness meeting.
In many cases, however, no reason for the arrest was given. This is a contrast from arrests made presumably on the basis of nonparticipation in military service. Three young men arrested on those grounds are still being held in prison nearly 15 years later, but they have never been formally charged.
Source
Conscientious Objectors
REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA July 2009
Currently, there are 72 Jehovah’s Witnesses who are in prison for their conscientious refusal of military service on religious grounds. Of these, 71 have been tried and convicted and 1 is being held in pretrial detention. The names, dates of imprisonment, grounds (under criminal code1 ), the duration of punishment and present locations are as follows:
Source
South Korea has compulsory military service but does not have a legislative provision for alternative civilian service. There is no exemption from military service for ministers of religion or for conscientious objectors. Every year, 400 to 700 draft-age men who are Jehovah’s Witnesses are convicted and imprisoned because they refuse to perform military service. Conscientious objectors to military service are tried in civilian courts and are usually sentenced to 18 months in prison. Conscientious objectors who are called up as reservists must face multiple prosecutions and repeated punishments over an eight-year period.
Since the 1950’s, more than 13,000 of Jehovah’s Witnesses have been imprisoned in South Korea for refusing to perform military service.
As of September 30, 2008, there were 408 Jehovah’s Witnesses in prison in South Korea because of their conscientious objection to military service. Additionally, over 80 Witnesses are subjected to repeated fines totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars because of conscientious objection to military reserve duty.
Originally posted by TheMythLives
reply to post by Liberal1984
Have you ever talked to one? No seriously, banning just makes things worse, let them be. I know its difficult, but their one of the only religions to practice what they preach. So Russia, let them be, even though some of us understand why you wnat to ban them, just let them be..
Originally posted by Elliot
It is probably and agenda to make the Jehovah's Witnesses cling together stronger than ever in their belief system as they believe that they are persecuted because they are the only True religion.
This was why JWs were the lackeys in the concentration camps. AS long as you did not ask them to go against their Bible you could get them to do absolutely anything as they are brainwashed into obedience to the state!