Moscow (AsiaNews) - Another case was opened against the Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, accused of "extremist
activity". This time the
community of Orenburg region (southeast of European Russia to the border with Kazakhstan) is being targeted by the local investigative committee. Investigators are inquiring about the actions of some residents belonging to the Jehovah's Witnesses, in the area since 1994. According to Vladimir Markin, the investigating
committee, the community has 3 thousand followers. "Between June 1994 and April 2012 - Markin said - the members of this religious community have held, in Orenburg and in the region, mass events such as public sermons, which contained statements that incite hatred and judged human dignity on the basis of religious affiliation".
Among the religious
minorities in the former USSR, the JWs are among the most victimized. Present with about 200 thousand faithful scattered throughout the Federation, they are accused of
sectarianism, "religious extremism", "incitement to social isolation" and behaviors that
undermine the harmony of society.
The Russian authorities disapprove of some of the practices of the faithful such as conscientious objection to military service, the refusal to use
weapons, the refusal of blood
transfusions and the demand
for the total devotion of its adherents to the community.