To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the treatment of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia; and what representations they have made to the government of Russia about such treatment.
Answered on
11 March 2019
We remain deeply concerned about treatment of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. Of particular concern are two developments from February 2019: (1) the six year prison sentence handed down to Jehovah's Witness Dennis Christensen; and (2) reports of the torture of Jehovah's Witnesses while in detention. We worked with international partners to deliver EU statements to the Council of Europe and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe on these issues. In these statements, we called on Russia to respect its international commitments on freedom of religion or belief, and to investigate the reports of torture, ensuring those responsible are held accountable. We continue to prioritise the promotion and protection of human rights, and will continue to make our concerns clear in bilateral interactions at all levels, where appropriate