- Update info:
- 30 Aug 2019 (Suspended)
- Latest info:
- 20 Feb 2019
- Country:
- RUSSIAN FEDERATION
- Subject:
- Dennis Christensen (he/his)
- Period:
- 26 May 2019
- Distribution date:
- 20 Feb 2019
- UA No:
- 019/2019
Danish national and Jehovah’s Witness Dennis Christensen was found guilty on 6 February of “organizing activities of an extremist organization” and sentenced to six years imprisonment by a court in Orel, western Russia. He is a prisoner of conscience imprisoned solely for peacefully exercising his right to freedom of religion. He must be immediately and unconditionally released, and his conviction must be quashed.
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Jehovah’s Witnesses have faced persecution and harassment in Russia since 2009, when a court in Rostov Region in southern Russia banned the local Jehovah’s Witnesses’ (JW) organization and declared 34 of JW’s publications “extremist”. In subsequent years, several Jehovah’s Witnesses’ groups across Russia were pronounced “extremist” by local courts. The relevant decisions relied on the vague definition of “extremism” in Russian law, and were consistent with the growing practice of its vague application which increasingly targeted political, but also religious and other forms of dissent. In April 2017, the Russian Supreme Court ruled that the central Jehovah’s Witnesses organization in Russia should be closed, its activities stopped, and its property confiscated. This effectively banned all local groups. Since then, any activity on behalf of a local Jehovah’s Witnesses group has been regarded as criminal.
Dennis Christensen was arrested a month after the Supreme Court’s decision, becoming the first Jehovah’s Witness to be detained in Russia following the ban, with several other followers of the faith arrested since. According to the prosecution, he was organizing local worship. Him making respective announcements, collecting donations and organizing cleaning of the venue used by the worshipers, was cited as evidence of his “crime”.
Amnesty International regards the Russian authorities’ decision to criminalise JW’s teachings and practices an arbitrary and discriminatory measure, and a violation of the right to freedom of religion. The organization has called on the authorities to quash these decisions. It has also consistently stressed that anti-extremism legislation in Russia is often applied arbitrarily and has called on the authorities to review the relevant legislation and practice and bring them in line with international standards.
Amnesty International considers Dennis Christensen and any Jehovah’s Witness deprived of their liberty solely in connection with the peaceful exercise of their right to freedom of religion to be prisoners of conscience. They must be immediately and unconditionally released, all convictions quashed and all pending charges against them dropped.
PREFERRED LANGUAGE TO ADDRESS TARGET: Russian or English.
You can also write in your own language.
PLEASE TAKE ACTION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE UNTIL: 26 March 2019
Please check with the Amnesty office in your country if you wish to send appeals after the deadline.
- Update info:
- 30 Aug 2019 (Suspended)
- Latest info:
- 20 Feb 2019
- Country:
- RUSSIAN FEDERATION
- Subject:
- Dennis Christensen (he/his)
- Period:
- 26 May 2019
- Distribution date:
- 30 Aug 2019
- UA No:
- 019/2019
The sentence against Danish Jehovah’s Witness Dennis Christensen was upheld on 23 May. After that he was transported to the correctional penal colony No 3 in Kursk region, some 200 km away from Orel, the city in western Russia where he lived with his wife. Dennis Christensen is a prisoner of conscience, serving six years in prison for peacefully exercising his right to freedom of religion.
NO FURTHER ACTION IS REQUESTED. MANY THANKS TO ALL WHO SENT APPEALS.
Dennis Christensen is a Danish national who has been living in Russia for more than 20 years. He became the first Jehovah’s Witness to be detained following a decision by Russia’s Supreme Court to ban the religious organisation in April 2017. On 6 February 2019, the Zheleznodorznyi District Court in Orel found Dennis Christensen guilty of “organizing activities of an extremist organization” (Article 282.2 (1) of the Russian Criminal Code) and sentenced him to six years in prison. According to the prosecution, he was organizing local worship by Jehovah’s Witnesses, and as evidence of his “crime” he was collecting donations and organizing cleaning of the venue used by the worshipers. On 23 May, the Orel Regional Court upheld the sentence and he was then transported to correctional penal colony No 3 in Kursk region, some 200 km away from his home in Orel.
According to the data provided by the Jehovah’s Witnesses organization, since Dennis Christensen’s conviction on 6 February, the repressions against its members in Russia has intensified. As of 31 July, 587 searches have been conducted in the houses of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia. Criminal proceedings have been opened against at least 241 Jehovah’s Witnesses under “extremism” charges, and at least 129 individuals placed in custody. Dozens of men and at least six women were remanded in custody as of 31 July, and 27 people were under house arrest.
The right to freedom of religion is enshrined both in the Russian Constitution and in international human rights treaties to which Russia is a state party. By prosecuting Dennis Christensen, as well as other Jehovah’s Witnesses, Russia violates its human rights obligations. Dennis Christensen is a prisoner of conscience, deprived of his liberty solely for exercising his right to freedom of religion.
We will continue monitoring and supporting Jehovah’s Witnesses who are facing persecution in Russia.
NAME AND PREFFERED PRONOUN: Dennis Christensen (he/his)
THIS IS THE SECOND AND FINAL OUTPUT FOR UA 19/19
LINK TO PREVIOUS UA: https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/eur46/9846/2019/en/
