Russia STOLE Over $57 Million in our Property..

[Bob]

https://www.jw.org/en/news/jw/region/russia/Russia-Continues-to-Seize-Properties-of-Jehovahs-Witnesses-Valued-at-Over-57-Million/

 

I figured it would be closer to $100 million, but the figure is climbing. I sure hope justice will soon be served. As the article indicates, our worship is not predicated on having meeting places, but at the same time, we don't stand for having our property illegally taken either.

Edited July 5, 2019 by Bob

[SUNRAY]

I am thinking that this report is at the right time considering this Geneva meeting on human rights..https://www.giplatform.org/events/un-human-rights-council-41st-session

[Dages]

Jesus himself will take that back... Grrr

[Foxes53]

Those opposing Jehovah and stealing from him will end up like the Babylonians......

[Dustparticle]

LAW SUIT!!!

[rbrown1205]

One thing that I appreciate is that the brothers in Russia are showing us how to keep integrity under ban.  We haven't had anything like this since the 1920's to the 1940's, when people used to beat us up and tar and feather us when we went out preaching, and they tried to force us to salute the flag, and suchlike. But because of the brothers here taking everything to court and getting something like 14 or more major Supreme Court decisions in our favor, we rarely have problems here. 

 

Now, the overwhelming majority of Jehovah's witnesses do not have these events in our memory - we have only read about it. When I was coming in, there were only a little over a million active Witnesses, but now, there are over 8.5 million.  Back in the early seventies, a few of us remember respectful conversations with policemen who were called by someone in the neighborhood that we were visiting.  Now, particularly where I am now, we hardly ever experience that anymore.

 

Not so the Russian brothers.  Most adults there are well aware of the persecutions from the 1980's on back, and they know how they very carefully carried out their ministry - and they did not give it up, despite the fact that they took the risk of being arrested every time they did so.  By the internet and other forms of communication, our brothers are showing us how to not give up, even as we read now about how Paul did not give up, but he glorified his ministry, even when he was imprisoned.  Can we learn from our Russian brothers, and others from other countries who are suffering for their stand for obedience to Jehovah?  I pray that we do.

Edited August 7, 2019 by rbrown1205

[Miss Bea]

Another nail in their coffin. They think they are smart and powerful now. Unlike King Nebuchadnezzar, who loved like an animal for a bit, but got his sanity back, they will first of all, meet Jehovah, up and close personal. Then pay the price. After they full-well realize just who Jehovah is! 

Then fade into oblivion. 

[Omoyeme]

I just noticed this quote from the Moscow Times. Oddly enough, I can't find any confirmation on this. Can this be verified?

 

Quote

In the end, the ECHR condemned the campaign against the Jehovah’s Witnesses and fined Russia almost 80 million euros ($90.1 million) for having confiscated the organization’s property.

Edited October 3, 2019 by Omoyeme

[EccentricM]

To think, all that is "donations" as well.

[paulc]

They better give it back while they still can..

[harmania]

7 dollars per publisher ?

[Dages]

We will get everything back, and more... Russia will be soon no more, but we will be forever.

[Miss Bea]

From Jehovah. There will be consequences! And, they will know just who is making them answer for what they have done! Jehovah does things with class...should be interesting. 

[Shawnster]

On 7/5/2019 at 8:06 AM, Bob said:

I sure hope justice will soon be served.

Outside of Jehovah, what justice is there?  The government is the one that makes the laws and the government is the one that stole the property.  

[Sheep]

On 10/3/2019 at 5:00 PM, Omoyeme said:

I just noticed this quote from the Moscow Times. Oddly enough, I can't find any confirmation on this. Can this be verified?

 

Quote

In the end, the ECHR condemned the campaign against the Jehovah’s Witnesses and fined Russia almost 80 million euros ($90.1 million) for having confiscated the organization’s property.

 

I'm not sure of the chronology of this claim to the ECHR. The Moscow Times story is dated February 7, 2019. This story on jw.org, dated July 4, 2019, says the claim has been filed and that a ruling is still future.

[Bob]

5 hours ago, Shawnster said:

Outside of Jehovah, what justice is there?  The government is the one that makes the laws and the government is the one that stole the property.  

Agree, but we still must use the courts to fight for our rights, or there would be no use to appeal to Caesar at all. I mean, the Supreme Court that ruled against us in the flag salute era is the same Supreme Court that reversed that wrong decision. 

[retroHelen]

Typical of what the West calls Russia - a Kleptocracy. They wait until anyone there accumulates enough wealth and then finds pretext to take/steal it off them. Oligarchs languish in jails who were once friends of Putin, now have all their assets confiscated, charged rightly or wrongly, at the whim of government, with tax evasion.

 

As was shown by leaked documents, it was decided over 4 years ago that due to the pestering of many people in the country suffering from a lack of maintenance of infrastructure and social help, that it would be a good thing to seize our buildings to immediately provide homeless accommodation and offices for social workers and clinics without much cost in outlay. No wonder they get local government support in persecuting and seizing property over there in poor areas needing public buildings! It's as if they allowed us a few years freedom to build what we did, so they could find a way of then taking it off us because they would not provide social infrastructure for their own citizens. At least the brothers took advantage of the few years of freedom they got and made the most of it!