Written questions, answers and statements

Russia: Jehovah's Witnesses

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Question for Foreign and Commonwealth Office

UIN 71716, tabled on 24 April 2017

Question

Jim Shannon
Democratic Unionist Party
Strangford
Commons

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports he has received on recent restrictions placed on the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.

Answer

Sir Alan Duncan
Conservative
Rutland and Melton
Commons

Answered on

27 April 2017

The UK is very concerned by the decision of Russia's Supreme Court to categorise the Jehovah's Witnesses as "extremists". This ruling effectively criminalises the peaceful worship by 175,000 Russian citizens and is at odds with the right to religious freedom enshrined in the Russian Constitution. The Minister of State, The Baroness Anelay of St Johns, issued a statement on 21 April expressing these concerns.

Answered by

Foreign and Commonwealth Office
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