DISCUSS COURT CASE HERE JW.org - Jehovah’s Witnesses Mobilize Global Response to Threat of Ban in Russia

[Tia]

Thank you Brother for posting the link update!

We will continue to pray for our spiritual families in Russia -

The article mentioned Bro.Kristensen and others...I will

be thinking of them while out in FS tomorrow.  Makes me

think of our study in the God Kingdom Rule book.  How timely!!!

[trottigy]

1 hour ago, Sheep said:

That article clears up a few things on what was discussed a few posts back, about whether or not a date was set for the appeal. Some sources were saying it was for June 13. However that date is for a different case. Your post was much appreciated. Thank you.

The Supreme Court has not yet set a date for the appeal hearing, but Jehovah's Witnesses believe it could take place as late as September 2017.

In the meantime, Jehovah's Witnesses have also submitted a challenge to Judge Ivanenko's refusal, during the proceedings in April, to dismiss the Justice Ministry's suit. The Supreme Court is due to hear this challenge on 13 June.

[Tbs77]

26 May 2017

RUSSIA: Fines, vandalism follow Jehovah's Witness liquidation

By Victoria Arnold, Forum 18

http://www.forum18.org/archive.php?article_id=2282

As Jehovah's Witnesses challenge the Supreme Court liquidation of all their organisations as "extremist", their Centre is closed, police have sealed some Kingdom Halls and bank accounts are frozen. Individuals continue to face fines, children face pressure, and places of worship face increased vandalism.

Pressure on children, further fines for individuals and an upsurge in incidents of vandalism against places of worship have followed the 20 April Supreme Court ruling that the Jehovah's Witness Administrative Centre and all its local religious organisations across Russia should be liquidated as "extremist". The Centre's activities are suspended, police have sealed some Kingdom Halls and all bank accounts have been frozen. One early denial of a civilian alternative to military service may foreshadow future difficulties for Jehovah's Witness conscientious objectors.




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[bagwell1987]

1 hour ago, Tbs77 said:

26 May 2017

RUSSIA: Fines, vandalism follow Jehovah's Witness liquidation

By Victoria Arnold, Forum 18

http://www.forum18.org/archive.php?article_id=2282

As Jehovah's Witnesses challenge the Supreme Court liquidation of all their organisations as "extremist", their Centre is closed, police have sealed some Kingdom Halls and bank accounts are frozen. Individuals continue to face fines, children face pressure, and places of worship face increased vandalism.

Pressure on children, further fines for individuals and an upsurge in incidents of vandalism against places of worship have followed the 20 April Supreme Court ruling that the Jehovah's Witness Administrative Centre and all its local religious organisations across Russia should be liquidated as "extremist". The Centre's activities are suspended, police have sealed some Kingdom Halls and all bank accounts have been frozen. One early denial of a civilian alternative to military service may foreshadow future difficulties for Jehovah's Witness conscientious objectors.




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[Tbs77]

An update of some of the happenings in Russia on Forum18 http://www.forum18.org/archive.php?article_id=2282
 

Sorry about duplication of your post Bible Steve... Please forgive me.

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[AH173]

While studing and doing some extra research for the Congregation Bible Study this week, I discovered this priceless gem:

 

*** yb79 pp. 149-150 Canada ***
POLICE CENSORSHIP DEFEATED
The sedition cases had all been dismissed. That was fine. But there still remained a mountain of over 1,600 bylaw charges. What about these? Basic to these cases was the effort of Quebec authorities to keep all dissemination of information subject to police censorship. Typical was Bylaw 184 of the City of Quebec, which said: “It is forbidden to distribute in the streets of Quebec any book, pamphlet, booklet, circular, tract whatever without having previously obtained for so doing the written permission of the Chief of Police.”
To overcome this censorship bylaw, a test case was started in Quebec City in 1947 asking that the bylaw be declared illegal. In court, three clergymen—a Catholic priest, an Anglican cleric and a Jewish rabbi—appeared as witnesses for the City of Quebec. They endeavored to persuade the judge to rule against Jehovah’s Witnesses. Here was further evidence that politics and the major religions were united against the true servants of God!
This case, styled Saumur v. Quebec, also was appealed to the Supreme Court of Canada and was argued there for seven days. On October 6, 1953, the nine-judge Court ruled in favor of Jehovah’s Witnesses in a split decision of five to four. Victory in this case terminated the hundreds of bylaw cases still pending in the courts of Quebec. The Saumur ruling also is acknowledged in Canada as a landmark decision of benefit to all the Canadian people.
One columnist was so moved by this grand decision that the following remarks appeared in the Toronto Telegram:
“EQUAL RIGHTS TO ALL
“A large bonfire on Parliament Hill should celebrate the Supreme Court of Canada’s decision in the Saumur case; a bonfire worthy of a great occasion. Few decisions in the history of Canadian justice can have been more important. Few courts can have done better service than this to Canada. None has placed Canadians who value their inheritance of freedom more deeply in its debt. . . . The deliverance cannot be celebrated with the bonfires it deserves.”
Interestingly, at the time that this case went to trial, the branch office in Canada had sent out word requesting that all the brothers petition Jehovah in prayer as to the outcome of the matter. So much depended on having a favorable decision in this case! (1 Tim. 2:1, 2) The eventual outcome indicates that there was a favorable response from the “Hearer of prayer.” (Ps. 65:2) Indeed, “a righteous man’s supplication, when it is at work, has much force.”—Jas. 5:16.
 

Indeed, we must keep praying for our dear brothers and sisters at this time to NOT GIVE UP!

[GeordieGirl]

I heard that June 13 was not the date for our hearing which is why I queried it in id-3570 of this topic but many seemed to think thats when it was.  However, it appears that that is not the date.  Until the brothers tell us on JW.org what the date is I am not going to take any notice of any dates that are given out.  There are too many apostates out there trying to disrupt things and too much speculation.  

 

Thank you for the link to this as it has cleared up a lot of speculation and set some matters straight.

 

http://www.forum18.org/archive.php?article_id=2282

 

On 19 May, lawyers for the Administrative Centre lodged an appeal against the 20 April Supreme Court liquidation ruling. It is not known when the Supreme Court will hear the appeal.

 

 

 

Edited May 29, 2017 by GeordieGirl

[Victoria]

I just got a response from President's Administration. I am glad somebody read at least one of my letters. They said noone can influence court decisions.

[TRUTH04]

The story of Trump attending our meeting seem to be spreading to the responsible brothers. Yesterday one of our elders cited it as an example of why we should be serious on our assignments because anyone can visit uninvited, example Trump.

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[Friends just call me Ross]

2 hours ago, Victoria said:

I just got a response from President's Administration. I am glad somebody read at least one of my letters. They said noone can influence court decisions.

The 'President's Administration' knows all about how Putin's opponents end up dead.  If that isn't an influence, what is?

Alas, they have never read Daniel 2:21

Quote

(Daniel 2:21) He changes times and seasons, Removes kings and sets up kings, Gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those with discernment.
 

If Jehovah can influence  the time continuum, the seasons and entire governments, He can certainly influence court decisions. 

[Tortuga]

1 hour ago, TRUTH04 said:

The story of Trump attending our meeting seem to be spreading to the responsible brothers. Yesterday one of our elders cited it as an example of why we should be serious on our assignments because anyone can visit uninvited, example Trump.

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Too bad the brother didn't call the branch to confirm the story first....

[yedidia]

3 hours ago, TRUTH04 said:

Yesterday one of our elders cited it as an example

(Proverbs 19:25) . . .and there should be a reproving of the understanding one, that he may discern knowledge.

[Tortuga]

8 minutes ago, yedidia said:

(Proverbs 19:25) . . .and there should be a reproving of the understanding one, that he may discern knowledge.

*** w15 10/15 p. 32 “The Naive Person Believes Every Word” ***
Today it is possible to spread news—true or false, useful or worthless, harmless or dangerous—at an incredible speed. Anyone who sends an e-mail or a text to even one person has to realize that whether it was intended or not, the content could travel all over the world in a flash. May we therefore resist the urge to forward information quickly and indiscriminately. When we read sensational news items, remember that love is not unduly suspicious; nor is it naive or gullible. Above all, love refuses to believe malevolent insinuations about Jehovah’s organization or lies about our brothers that are circulated by people who are slaves to “the father of the lie,” Satan the Devil. (John 8:44; 1 Cor. 13:7) Thinking ability and discernment will help us become “shrewd” and consider how to handle responsibly the increasing amount of information available to us on a daily basis. As the Bible says, “the naive will inherit foolishness, but the shrewd are crowned with knowledge.”—Prov. 14:18.
 

[yedidia]

2 hours ago, Tortuga said:

*** w15 10/15 p. 32 “The Naive Person Believes Every Word” ***

well, it is sometimes easier to let the Watchtower talk than directly quote the Bible, but I just hope this elder will not be to sad when he understand that he has been "the naive Person..." 

[Bruceq]

Eight-year-old Jehovah's Witness chided for singing songs for classmates

SCHOOLGIRL THREATENED WITH TRANSFER TO ANOTHER FORM OF STUDY IN CONNECTION WITH SUPREME COURT DECISION

Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, 29 May 2017

 

On 17 May 2017, E. Mikhalevskaia, the director of a school in the village of Tomilino (Moscow province), in the presence of the school psychologist and director of security, officially handed to the parents of an eight-year-old pupil a document in which, citing the decision of the Supreme Court against Jehovah's Witnesses, they were informed about a prohibition on the territory of the school "of all actions that do not relate to the educational process." "Upon discovery of a violation of this prohibition," the director warned, "we will be forced to report the violation to police personnel and the Board of Education, and to raise the question about a transfer of the pupil to another form of education." In response to questions of the parents, the director gave them to understand that she knows about the religious faith of the family. The girl sang Jehovah's Witnesses songs and also talked about God with classmates.

 

This is not the first instance, since the decision of the Supreme Court, of pressure on school children; incidents have occurred in Bashkortostan and in Rostov and Kirov provinces. According to current legislation in Russia, parents have the pre-emptive right to the education and training of their children ahead of all other persons. It is on the parents that the Family Code lays the obligation of care for the "spiritual and moral development of their children." (tr. by PDS, posted 29 May 2017)

[Sheep]

18 hours ago, GeordieGirl said:

I heard that June 13 was not the date for our hearing which is why I queried it in id-3570 of this topic but many seemed to think thats when it was.  However, it appears that that is not the date.  Until the brothers tell us on JW.org what the date is I am not going to take any notice of any dates that are given out.  There are too many apostates out there trying to disrupt things and too much speculation.  

 

Thank you for the link to this as it has cleared up a lot of speculation and set some matters straight.

 

http://www.forum18.org/archive.php?article_id=2282

 

On 19 May, lawyers for the Administrative Centre lodged an appeal against the 20 April Supreme Court liquidation ruling. It is not known when the Supreme Court will hear the appeal.

That article also says the June 13 date is for a different legal challenge of the Administrative Center that is to be heard on that date. I already posted something about that a couple of days ago, based on that article. (See also Jerry's reply to my post.)

 

Personally, I think the misunderstanding came from a translation error of a Russian article from Google Translate, and is not necessarily the pernicious work of apostates. (We'd like to blame everything on them, but we have to be fair even though they aren't.) I think I understood the translation of a Russian article like that, although I can't remember which one.

 

Or, some of us may just have been reading something too fast to recognize that June 13 was for something else.

[Tortuga]

I recently reviewed this from the Organized book, chapter 17. It's good to remember...

 

Tests that come because of wars, revolutions, or outright persecution and official bans may make it impossible for you to carry on Christian worship openly. You may not be able to meet as a congregation. Contact with the branch office may be cut off. Visits by circuit overseers may be interrupted. Publications may not arrive. If any of these things happen, what should you do?The answer is, do whatever you can and as much as you can under the circumstances. Personal study should be possible. Small groups can usually meet for study in private homes. Publications studied in the past and the Bible itself can be used as a basis for meetings. Do not worry or get excited. The Governing Body will generally be able to establish some form of communication with responsible brothers in a short time.Even if you do find yourself isolated from all your Christian brothers, keep in mind that you are not isolated from Jehovah and his Son, Jesus Christ. Your hope can remain firm. Jehovah can still hear your prayers, and he can strengthen you with his spirit. Look to him for guidance. Remember that you are a servant of Jehovah and a disciple of Jesus Christ. Therefore, make good use of opportunities to witness. Jehovah will bless your efforts, and others may soon join you in true worship.—Acts 4:13-31; 5:27-42; Phil. 1:27-30; 4:6, 7; 2 Tim. 4:16-18.

[Victoria]

8 hours ago, Sheep said:

That article also says the June 13 date is for a different legal challenge of the Administrative Center that is to be heard on that date. I already posted something about that a couple of days ago, based on that article. (See also Jerry's reply to my post.)

 

Personally, I think the misunderstanding came from a translation error of a Russian article from Google Translate, and is not necessarily the pernicious work of apostates. (We'd like to blame everything on them, but we have to be fair even though they aren't.) I think I understood the translation of a Russian article like that, although I can't remember which one.

 

Or, some of us may just have been reading something too fast to recognize that June 13 was for something else.

I think the reason of the misunderstanding is not the translation error because we Russians were confused as well. And of course it is not the work of apostates because this date is on official website of Supreme Court. It is just for another case and not very important. But we can pray for brothers to give a good witness on June 13.

[Sheep]

16 minutes ago, Victoria said:

I think the reason of the misunderstanding is not the translation error because we Russians were confused as well. And of course it is not the work of apostates because this date is on official website of Supreme Court. It is just for another case and not very important. But we can pray for brothers to give a good witness on June 13.

Thank you for the clarification. That's why I thought we might have just been reading too fast and missed the detail about the challenge to the judge's refusal to dismiss the Justice Ministry's suit. As soon as we saw the word "appeal" we assumed it was about the decision on the ban, and the date got embedded in our collective heads. It just shows we all should pay more attention to how we're reading and avoid the trap of spreading inaccurate information.

Edited May 29, 2017 by Sheep

[GeordieGirl]

4 hours ago, Sheep said:

That article also says the June 13 date is for a different legal challenge of the Administrative Center that is to be heard on that date. I already posted something about that a couple of days ago, based on that article. (See also Jerry's reply to my post.)

 

Personally, I think the misunderstanding came from a translation error of a Russian article from Google Translate, and is not necessarily the pernicious work of apostates. (We'd like to blame everything on them, but we have to be fair even though they aren't.) I think I understood the translation of a Russian article like that, although I can't remember which one.

 

Or, some of us may just have been reading something too fast to recognize that June 13 was for something else.

I didn't mean that the June 13 date came from apostates.  My comment was just an observation about apostate activity with regard to the Russian situation in general, though I didn't word my post very well and I can see why you thought what you did. So my apologies for confusing things. 

 

Apostates are even more active than usual with regard to Russia and have been posting all sorts of weird stuff and as I observed on here a number of days ago, people are reading stuff online, think it's true, not checking sources and then sharing it, even on here and I, personally, am just a bit fed up with it. Because of this, I just think it's safer, in regard to the Russian situation, to rely on JW.org for accurate information.

However, this is just my personal opinion.  

Edited May 30, 2017 by GeordieGirl

[Desert Dan]

And remember, many of the forums are picked up via Google Seach for this site and Reddit and others. Check for yourself and don't be surprised.  Many don't have to login to see some of the comments and viewpoints of our brothers here.  As always, watch what we think and say especially when agitated by things we see in this world...

[Bruceq]

Harsh measure against Jehovah's Witness unjustified

APPEAL FILED IN OREL AGAINST COURT ORDER HOLDING JEHOVAH'S WITNESS IN CUSTODY
Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, 31 May 2017
 
On 29 May 2017, an appeal was filed in the legal college for criminal affairs of the Orel provincial court against the court's pretrial restraining order in the form of confinement under guard with respect to local resident and foreign citizen Dennis Christensen.
 
The believer's lawyer thinks the order to be illegal and asks for it to be rescinded. The court had been asked to show why it was impossible to select a milder measure, although this was not done. The court indicated that the only basis for choosing the severest measure of restraint was the circumstance that Christensen is a subject of Denmark (in the court's opinion, that may be concealed from investigative agencies). Other unfounded arguments of the investigator about the necessity of imprisonment of the accused were rejected by the court.
 
In addition, the court made such a harsh decision only on the basis of his religious faith, despite that he has not been convicted previously and has a permanent place of residence and employment, where he is evaluated positively, and also despite that his conduct is fundamentally different from the conduct of those persons who attempt to incite hostility, hatred, and demeaning of human dignity. This means that the court displayed discrimination on the basis of nationality and relation to religion.
 
Extremism, or incitement of hostility, is alien to Jehovah's Witnesses, inasmuch as they follow the humanitarian commandments of Jesus Christ. They deny all accusations of extremism as extremely mistaken. (tr. by PDS, posted 31 May 2017)
 

[DarinS]

Update at morning worship- ...at Assembly Hall

Brother handling daily text shared some info about recent Zone visit (May 2017)

'Jesus is with us' - comment at zone visit for Russia - held in Estonia because of legal stuff- why does Jehovah allow these troubles and this ban ...? We are not sure but here is a statistic - in preceding 7 years in Russia 37,000 had become inactive- after the ruling - by approx May 7 ......13,000 were reactivated - comment by Mark Sanderson repping GB - the judge did what the elders couldn't accomplish--

.....my words....for example he made those inactive wake up and realize the time left is very short.....remember..... Jesus is with us, helping us

[Omoyeme]

5 minutes ago, DarinS said:

[...] but here is a statistic - in preceding 7 years in Russia 37,000 had become inactive- after the ruling - by approx May 7 ......13,000 were reactivated - comment by Mark Sanderson repping GB - the judge did what the elders couldn't accomplish.

 

Wow! Excellent observation by Brother Sanderson.  Jehovah does indeed see the bigger picture more than we ever could.  And he's bringing "His lost sheep back into the fold."  No doubt there are inactive ones in other regions of the world who have heard of this ruling, which may prompt them to come back to Jehovah as well.

Thank you for posting this news Brother Darin! 

Edited June 1, 2017 by Omo_Yeme

[Tbs77]

Update at morning worship- ...at Assembly Hall
Brother handling daily text shared some info about recent Zone visit (May 2017)
'Jesus is with us' - comment at zone visit for Russia - held in Estonia because of legal stuff- why does Jehovah allow these troubles and this ban ...? We are not sure but here is a statistic - in preceding 7 years in Russia 37,000 had become inactive- after the ruling - by approx May 7 ......13,000 were reactivated - comment by Mark Sanderson repping GB - the judge did what the elders couldn't accomplish--
.....my words....for example he made those inactive wake up and realize the time left is very short.....remember..... Jesus is with us, helping us

Just a reminder. I think that all of us need to be mindful to keep Russian ban talk given at any branch that isn't publicized on any JW websites on the hush-hush for obvious reasons.

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