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

Well that was useless.

The one thing I use IE for (putting in my time at work) doesn't support IE9. So its back to 8, and ignoring it and using Chrome and Opera for 99.9% of the time anyway.

Lizardgirl

How he knew. Now how did it get in her file?

http://www.thinkwithportals.com/comic/#9

page 9

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The cake is a lie.

they look snappy paired up with an orange jumpsuit

from http://jw-media.org/rus/20110401.htm

from jw-media.org 

 

 

Verdict in significant Russian criminal trial to be announced April 14, 2011

Public defender: “Not guilty—not before the law, not before man, not before God!”

GORNO-ALTAYSK, Russia—On April 14, 2011, the Gorno-Altaysk City Court will announce the verdict in the criminal case against Aleksandr Kalistratov, who is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. He is being accused of inciting religious hatred and enmity under Article 282(1) of the Russian Federation Criminal Code.

During the six-month trial, not one of the 71 witnesses who were questioned could confirm that Kalistratov was guilty of inciting religious hatred or enmity. Additionally, Professor Aleksey Nagovitsyn, who spoke in court, declared that the 48 publications of Jehovah’s Witnesses that served as the grounds for the bill of indictment in this criminal case neither in whole nor in part “contained an intent aimed at fomenting hatred or enmity, or the degradation of human dignity on the basis of religious orientation or affiliation with any social group.”

Since no crime was committed in the case, and the charge lacks proper grounds, Kalistratov’s attorneys have every basis for insisting on a verdict of not guilty. One of the defense attorneys, Viktor Shipilov, illustrated this point the following way: “If a triangle has no sides, then that geometrical figure itself does not exist, or, in our case—the crime [does not exist].” Mikhail Odintsov, Kalistratov’s public defender, summed up the essence of the case: “Aleksandr Kalistratov is not guilty—not before the law, not before man, not before God!”

Despite the absence of evidence of a crime, the prosecuting attorney demanded that Kalistratov be sentenced to 160 hours of community service. Viktor Zhenkov, another of Kalistratov’s defense attorneys, stated: “Any guilty verdict in this case, will result in not simply mandatory community service for Kalistratov; but will label all Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia as criminals.”

The verdict will be announced on April 14 at 9:00 a.m. Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia, numbering more than 162,000, as well as their fellow believers worldwide await the outcome of one of the most significant criminal cases in Russia’s modern day.

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

Theres a new horror movie coming out. Its "Reality"