Power authorities in North Ossetia confiscate published matter from Jehovah's Witnesses, lawyers claim violation of religious rights

In Vladicavkaz, capital of North Ossetia, and in the village of Noghir, officers of the Center on Counteracting Extremism under the RNO-Alania MoI conducted searches and confiscated published matter in the houses of three Jehovah's Witnesses, one of whom was a Group I invalid. The republic's MoI consider the believers of the confession "more apt for terrorist acts", but lawyers talk about an ungrounded limitation of the constitutional human rights.

The "Caucasian Knot" reported that the searches and published matter confiscation from Jehovah's Witnesses in Vladicavkaz and in the village of Noghir of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania started early in the morning, between seven and eight o'clock, on June 23.

Alexander Kartashov, former military officer, says, that, apart from published matter, he was confiscated personal documents and the documentation of the local religious community.

Robert Kozyrev says that "they confiscated a lot of books which are not in the list of extremist literature". "We objected, why do you illegitimately take the literature which is not in the list, but they said: "We are just cogs in the machine, we do as we are instructed"", says Kozyrev.

Judge Alexander Aboev reports to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that the court has received information to the effect that the law enforcement agencies possess information on a possible storage of prohibited literature in the house of Jehovah's Witnesses. This inspection has been initiated by Minister of Interior А. F. Akhmetkhanov, but the man is not accessible for comments.

The operations officer of the Center on Counteracting Extremism tells the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that the confiscated literature is now checked for extremism, material is collected to be sent to the prosecution office which will decide whether or not to initiate a criminal case.

The CCE officer is not able to answer the question if similar searches in the houses of  Jehovah's Witnesses will continue in the RNO-A.

Alla Akhbolova, head of North Ossetia MoI press service, says that Jehovah's Witnesses "have long been bothering them".

Akhbolova refers the religious organization to the sects the members of which "are more apt to committing terrorist acts, they are easily suggestible psychologically". "Unemployed young people are involved into such sects. They imported to North Ossetia some literature which is prohibited by the law. The situation here is relatively calm, as compared with other republics. Therefore, we try to carry out such raids in order not to undermine stable religious beliefs in the republic", says Alla Akhbolova, head of North Ossetia MoI press service.

At the same time, professor Nikolai Gordienko, theologian, doctor of sciences (philosophy) writes in his book "Russian Jehovah's Witnesses: history and modern times" (2002): " Jehovah's Witnesses are loyal citizens of Russia who are characterized by intrinsic law abidance, obedience to the authorities, high moral, healthy lifestyle, which is in line with the fundamental interests of individuals and the society. They cultivate benevolence not only to coreligionists but to all other citizens as well... Thus, the association of Jehovah's Witnesses is a normal religious organization and it must be treated tolerantly, in the spirit of constitutional guarantees of freedom of conscience, similar to other confessions and churches legally existing in Russia and acting within the Constitution of the Russian Federation".

Lawyer Victor Shipilov is sure that the cases of searches and confiscation of published matter in the houses of  Jehovah's Witnesses "represent not only ungrounded limitation of constitutional rights but also ignorance among the direct executors of the legal nature of the events".

"Special article 20.29 of the RF Code of Administrative Offenses establishes administrative responsibility for the storage of extremist materials exclusively for mass dissemination. It follows from this that the existence of extremist materials in a house does not in itself represent any administrative offense, let alone a crime. But, as they say, "some unwritten laws are stronger than all written ones"", says Victor Shipilov to the "Caucasian Knot".