A show trial, which started last October in the Russian city of Gorno-Altaisk but failed to pick up momentum after the thirty plus testifiers for the prosecution spoke out in favour of the defendant – a 34 year old Jehovah’s Witness accused of promoting extremism – has resumed this week with sentencing due shortly.
Street sweeper Aleksandr Kalistratov, who says the allegations against him are “absurd” [which they are], could, if found guilty, be jailed for up to two years. After his house was raided by armed security officers, who confiscated his books, prosecutors charged him under Article 282(1) of the Russian Federation Criminal Code for inciting religious enmity and distributing literature covered by the rapidly growing Federal List of Extremist Materials, which currently runs to over 50 pages. As Geraldine Fagan, a Moscow based religious affairs analyst, put it:
“If the texts say that their faith is the best or the truest, then it is understood to be extremist.”
Whilst Mr Kalistratov awaits his sentence [and, I assume, the end of the world followed by the establishment of God’s kingdom on earth], authorities are continuing to misuse laws brought in to help combat terrorism by advocating their use to justify further arrests and harassment of those religious minorities that may be seen as a threat to the supremacy of the Russian Orthodox Church. Police have detained some 150 Jehovah’s Witnesses in recent months, and will assuredly be knocking at the door of scores more in the near future. No pun intended, of course . . . .
who cares; you lot have persecuted athiests for two thousand years…we reap what we sow
Assuming that by “you lot” you’re referring to Jehovah’s Witnesses, let me clarify that I’m not one. As for JW’s persecuting atheists for two thousand years that wouldn’t be possible given that they [JW’s] have only been around for a century and a half. If you meant general Christians [one of which I’m also not] then fair point, but two wrongs don’t make a right.
Jehovah’s Witnesses are very good citizens. They are not worth of persecution. Russian government should to take an equal investigation. Who are Jehovah’s Witnesses in your country who are doing bad things?
No one is saying that Jehovah’s Witnesses are doing bad things, anonymous. I think it was more a reference to the way certain Christian groups have treated non-Christians over the years.