Press release from jw-media.org

Official Media Web Site
For Immediate Release
April 14, 2011
(Russian)
One of Jehovah’s Witnesses declared
innocent in historic criminal case in Russia
GORNO-ALTAYSK, Russia—The Gorno-Altaysk City
Court just concluded a trial with profound
implications for freedom of expression and
religious belief in Russia. Judge Marina
Sokolovskaya has issued a not-guilty verdict in
the criminal case against Aleksandr Kalistratov,
who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses.
The case was the first of its kind
in Russia. Mr. Kalistratov was
charged with inciting religious
hatred or enmity; however, not
one of the 71 witnesses in the
case could testify that Kalistratov
was guilty. Additionally, no
evidence was produced during
the six-month trial that
substantiated the charge. Viktor
Zhenkov, one of Mr. Kalistratov’s defense
attorneys, stated: “It is unmistakably clear that
Aleksandr Kalistratov committed no crime.
Today’s ruling proves that the charges against
Kalistratov and other Jehovah’s Witnesses in
Gorno-Altaysk are totally without proper basis.
These charges are really a misapplication of the
extremist law.”
When asked for his reaction to the verdict, Mr.
Kalistratov responded:“I am grateful for the
courageous stand that the judge took in issuing
such a decision. I just hope that the ruling will be
helpful to many of my fellow believers who
continue to be prosecuted in Russia. It would be
sad for other innocent Russian citizens to be
subjected to illegal surveillance merely out of
religious intolerance.”
More than 7,500,000 of Jehovah’s Witnesses in
over 230 lands have been watching the
developments in this case with keen interest.
“Our fellow worshippers around the world and
other observers of this case are rejoicing that the
court confirmed that Kalistratov is innocent,”
states Vasily Kalin, Chairman of the
Administrative Center of Jehovah’s Witnesses in
Russia. “This victory is a major step forward in
the protection of freedom of worship.”
Today’s verdict is in harmony with the unanimous
judgment of the European Court of Human Rights
on June 10, 2010, which noted that Russian
courts had clearly violated the rights of the
Moscow Community of Jehovah’s Witnesses. That
judgment states that the Russian government
“has a legal obligation . . . to put an end to the
violation found by the Court and to redress as far
as possible the effects.”
Contacts:
In Russia: Grigory Martynov, tel.:
+7 812 702 2691
In Belgium: The European Association of
Jehovah’s Christian Witnesses, tel.:
+32 2 782 0015
In USA: J. R. Brown, tel.: +1 718 560 5600