Thirty European nations condemned the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia

On 23 July 2020, at a meeting of the Permanent Council of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), 30 member States issued a statement strongly criticizing the repression of Jehovah's Witnesses by the Russian authorities.

The joint statement of OSCE member States said: “We have heard the Russian delegation claim more than once at the Permanent Council that Jehovah’s Witnesses are, and will continue to be, able to practice their religion freely, and that freedom of religion or belief is guaranteed in the Russian Federation. However, we continue to see numerous reports about home raids, detentions, and criminal investigations concerning Jehovah’s Witnesses. This is in strong contrast with the claims by the Russian delegation.”

The statement stresses: "All people, including members of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, must be able to peacefully enjoy their human rights, including the right to freedom of religion or belief, freedom of association and peaceful assembly and freedom of expression, without discrimination, as guaranteed by the Constitution of the Russian Federation, Russia's OSCE commitments and obligations under international law.”

Of particular concern to European leaders were the mass arrests and beatings of believers in the city of Voronezh in mid-July this year. Nicola Murray, Deputy Head of the UK Delegation with the OSCE, drew attention to “increasing number of searches, as well as use of simultaneous large-scale home raids, creates the impression of an organised campaign of persecution against Jehovah’s Witnesses.” She added: "So-called ‘evidence’ used against those investigated and prosecuted includes regular aspects of communal religious life.”

The US joined the OSCE statement. Lane Darnell Bahl, representative of the U.S. Mission to the OSCE, called on the Russian authorities to cease criminal investigations against Jehovah's Witnesses, halt the seizure of their headquarters in Russia, and immediately release all imprisoned or detained believers.

This is not the first time that EU countries have demanded that Russia stop persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses on the basis of their religion. Similar statements on this topic were published onMarch 12, 2020 and May 10, 20188. Many other foreign and Russian organizations have made similar calls.