VP/HR — Conviction of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia
28.8.2017
Question for written answer E-005293-17
to the Commission (Vice-President/High Representative)
Rule 130
Mark Demesmaeker (ECR)
In Russia, Putin has been hounding Jehovah’s Witnesses. Since 2015, the Ministry of Justice has been taking harsh action against the organisation, with the aim of eliminating it from society.
Russia is, however, a party to the European Convention on Human Rights, which guarantees freedom of thought, conscience and religion, including for Jehovah’s Witnesses, as recognised by the European Court of Human Rights.
Yet on 20 April 2017, the Russian Supreme Court applied the broadly worded anti-extremism law to the movement and decided to use the criminal law against it. It was decided that the administrative centre and the 395 local religious organisations should be dissolved, all the assets should be seized and the organisation’s activities should be prohibited.
Despite the numerous shocked reactions to this, the Appeals Division of the Russian Supreme Court upheld this judgment on 17 July 2017, which effectively means that the religious activities of Jehovah’s Witnesses are banned throughout the country.
1. How will the VP/HR use her influence to call the Russian authorities to order, as a supplement to the EEAS’s official report of 18 July 2017?
2. What measures does the VP/HR envisage taking to prevent similar judgments from being delivered in future?