Russian SC rejects complaint of Jehovah's Witnesses against verdict of Rostov Regional Court

The consideration of the private complaint submitted by the Society of Watchtower, Bibles and Tractates of Jehovah's Witnesses in Germany against the refusal of the Rostov Regional Court to accept the cassation complaint of the foreign legal entity took place on September 7 at the Supreme Court (SC) of the Russian Federation.

This session was a continuation of the case that started in Taganrog and lasts for several years already. The "Caucasian Knot" reported that on September 11, 2009, the Rostov Regional Court ruled to recognize 34 materials of this religious organization as extremist.

When German representatives of the publishing house of the Society of Watchtower tried to enter the case, the Rostov Regional Court rejected them. Then, a complaint was lodged to the Russian SC.

In his speech at the SC session Armin Pikl, advocate of Jehovah's Witnesses, has emphasized that the Society of the Watchtower should have a chance to take part in the litigation and explain on the case under which the legitimacy of the literature published by the above Society is considered.

However, according to the decision passed by the SC, the complaint was rejected.

"I'd like to sum up the essence of the reasons of the judge-reporter Alexander Kharlanov as follows: defend the broken rights in some other order," Sergey Tarasov, an employee of the press service of Jehovah's Witnesses told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

He expressed hope that "the last resort would work - the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR)." According to Sergey Tarasov, a complaint was submitted there back on June 1.

Lev Levinson, an expert of the Institute of Human Rights, has commented the situation: in his opinion, the accusers are worried, most likely, by the fact that Jehovah's Witnesses have grown in Russia into a powerful organization - a competitor to the Russian Orthodox Church.

"They have already a minimum of 150,000 active parishioners. It's hard to find another Protestant branch more adapted to secular life. They have no fasting, no bans on certain food, and no wearisome monkery. Family values, care of children and honest labour are extolled. However, they reject state and military service. But they agree to take alternative military service, and, as we have marked more than once, they have coped with our defective ACS (alternative civil service)," Mr Levinson has emphasized.