ST. PETERSBURG, Russia—Pofika chaka cha 2016, patha zaka 125 kuchokera pamene akuluakulu a boma la Czar anathamangitsa a Semyon Kozlitskiy ku Russia. Iwo anali mmodzi wa Mboni za Yehova zoyambirira m’dzikoli ndipo anathamangitsidwa chifukwa choti ankalalikira uthenga wa m’Baibulo. Mu 1891, a Kozlitskiy anawamanga n’kuwatumiza ku Siberia ngakhale kuti anali asanawazenge mlandu uliwonse. Iwo anakhala kumeneko mpaka pamene anamwalira mu 1935.

M’zaka 100 zapitazi, boma la Russia lakhala likuzunza kwambiri a Mboni za Yehova. Malinga ndi lipoti laposachedwapa la Komiti Yoona za Ufulu wa Anthu ya bungwe la United Nations, pali maumboni ochuluka amene akusonyeza kuti boma la Russia likupitiriza “kuphwanya ufulu wa anthu woyankhula komanso wopembedza, pofuna kulimbana ndi magulu monga ngati la Mboni za Yehova.”

Komiti Yoona za Ufulu wa Anthu imeneyi inapatsidwa mphamvu zoti izionetsetsa kuti mayiko akutsatira mfundo zimene zili mu Pangano la Mfundo za Ufulu wa Anthu Onse ndi wa Zandale. Dziko la Russia lili m’gulu la mayiko amene amatsatira mfundo za m’panganoli. A Heiner Bielefeldt, omwe ndi nthumwi yapadera ya bungwe la United Nations pa nkhani za ufulu wopembedza anati: “Amene anapanga mfundo za m’panganoli anazindikira kufunika kwa ufulu wopembedza ndipo anafuna kuti ufuluwu usamaphwanyidwe zivute zitani. Ufulu wopembedza ndi umodzi mwa maufulu ochepa amene sayenera kuphwanyidwa mwa njira ina iliyonse.” Posachedwapa komitiyi inali ndi msonkhano wake wa nambala 113 (onani chithunzi pamwamba) ndipo inatulutsa lipoti limene limatulutsidwa nthawi zonse akakumana. Mu lipotilo, komitiyi inanena kuti dziko la Russia limanena kuti limateteza ufulu wa anthu wopembedza, koma makhoti a m’dzikoli akhala akugwiritsa ntchito lamulo loteteza anthu ku zinthu zoopsa polimbana ndi a Mboni.

Mu 2002, boma la Russia linakhazikitsa lamulo la nambala 114 lakuti, “Kuthana ndi Ochita Zinthu Zoopsa.” Mwa zina cholinga chake chinali kuthana ndi zigawenga. Koma Boma la Russia linasintha lamulolo mu 2006, 2007 komanso mu 2008 moti panopa lamulolo silimangokhudza zigawenga zokha koma aliyense amene boma likuona kuti akuchita zinthu zomwe zingasokoneze anthu. Nyuzipepala ya The Moscow Times ndi imene inanena zimenezi mu nkhani ya mutu wakuti “Lamulo la Dziko la Russia Loteteza Anthu ku Zinthu Zoopsa Likuphwanya Ufulu wa Anthu.” A Derek H. Davis, omwe anali mkulu wa nthambi ya J.M. Dawson ya maphunziro okhudza zachipembedzo ndi za m’dziko pa yunivesite ya Baylor anati, “Kungochokera pamene zigawenga zinaphulitsa nyumba ziwiri za ku America pa September 11, zikuoneka kuti panopo cholinga chachikulu cha lamuloli ndi kulimbana ndi zigawenga. Pogwiritsa ntchito lamulo limeneli, boma la Russia limanena kuti gulu lililonse la chipembedzo limene bomalo silikugwirizana nalo, ndi gulu la zigawenga. A Davis ananenanso kuti, “Mawu oti ‘zinthu zoopsa’, akhala akugwiritsidwa ntchito mopanda chilungamo komanso monyanyira polimbana ndi gulu la Mboni za Yehova.”

Komiti Yoona za Ufulu wa Anthu inanena kuti vuto lagona poti lamuloli silimafotokoza momveka bwino tanthauzo la zinthu zimene ndi zoopsa. A Geraldine Fagan, omwe analemba buku lakuti Believing in Russia—Religious Policy After Communism, anafotokozera nyuzipepala ya The Washington Post zimene makhothi a m’dzikoli amachita. Iwo anati, “chifukwa chakuti lamuloli silimveka bwinobwino, makhoti a m’dzikoli amauza anthu amene amaowaona kuti ndi akatswiri pa nkhani za zosiyanasiyana, omwenso amadana ndi Mboni za Yehova, kuti alembe malipoti onena kuti mabuku a Mboni ndi oopsa.”

Zimene zinachitika kumayambiriro kwa chaka chino, ndi umboni wakuti zimene ananena a Fagan ndi zoona. Katswiri wina wa zilankhulo anapereka umboni wabodza ndipo zimenezi zinachititsa kuti woweruza milandu wa khoti la Vyborg agamule kuti magazini ena awiri a Mboni ndi oopsa. Amene ankaimira boma pa mlanduwu ndi yemwenso analemba chisamani chonena kuti Baibulo la Dziko Latsopano lomwe linapangidwa ndi a Mboni ndi loopsa moti kuzenga mlandu wake kunayamba pa 15 March, 2016.

Mavuto amene a Mboni akukumana nawo mu 2016 pa nkhani zokhudza malamulozi anayamba mu 2015. A Roman Lunkin omwe ndi mkulu wa bungwe loona za maphunziro a zachipembedzo ndi chikhalidwe pa yunivesite ina ku Moscow anafotokoza kuti: “A Mboni anazunzidwa m’njira zosiyanasiyana komanso mowirikiza kwambiri mu 2015.” Mu March akuluakulu a boma ku Russia analetsa kuti mabuku a Mboni asalowe m’dzikolo. Iwo analetsanso mabuku omwe poyamba makhoti a m’dzikoli ananena kuti simunalembedwe zinthu zoopsa. Mu July, analetsanso ma Baibulo a chinenero cha Chirasha omwe amafalitsidwa ndi a Mboni kuti asalowe m’dzikolo. M’mwezi womwewu dziko la Russia linatseka webusaiti ya Mboni za Yehova ya jw.org. Mu November, a Mboni analetsedwanso kulowetsa m’dzikoli ma Baibulo amene Akhristu a zipembedzo zinanso, kuphatikizapo a Tchalitchi cha Orthodox, amagwiritsa ntchito. Pamene chaka cha 2015 chinkapita kumapeto, woweruza milandu wina mumzinda wa Taganrog anagamula kuti a Mboni okwana 16 anali olakwa chifukwa chochita misonkhano ya chipembedzo chawo. Woweruzayo anagamula zimenezi ngakhale kuti misonkhanoyi siinkasokoneza aliyense. Nkhani imeneyi itachitika, nyuzipepala ya The Washington Post inanena kuti umenewu ndi “umodzi wa milandu ikuluikulu imene dziko la Russia lazenga posachedwapa polimbana ndi zinthu zimene ndi zoopsa.”

Nkhani imene inachitika ku Taganrog ndi yodabwitsa kwambiri chifukwa bambo Lunkin ananena kuti: “Anthu ena amene akhala a Mboni kwa nthawi yayitali amene akuzunzidwa panopa ku Russia, ali ndi masatifiketi osonyeza kuti pa nthawi ina yake m’mbuyomo ankazunzidwanso.” M’nthawi ya ulamuliro wa Soviet Union, a Mboni za Yehova masauzande ambiri anatsekeredwa m’ndende. M’chaka cha 1990 ndi pamene dziko la Russia linamaliza kutulutsa a Mboni amene linawamanga. Wa Mboni wina aliyense atamasulidwa anapatsidwa Zikalata Zosonyeza Kuti Alibe Mlandu. Zikalatazo zinali zonena kuti a Mboniwo anali osalakwa ndipo sanali “adani a dzikolo.” Zimenezi zinathandiza kuti mbiri ya a Mboni ikhalenso yabwino m’dzikolo. Ndiyeno a Lunkin anapitiriza kunena kuti: “Zimene akuluakulu a boma la Russia akuchita panopa pogwiritsa ntchito lamulo loteteza anthu ku zinthu zoopsa, kwenikweni zikuphwanyanso ufulu umene anthu amenewa anapatsidwa.”

Pa 26 March, 2004, bungwe lovomerezeka ndi boma la Mboni za Yehova linathetsedwa ku Moscow, lomwe ndi likulu la dziko la Russia. Zimenezi zinachititsanso kuti chipembedzo cha Mboni za Yehova chisakhalenso chovomerezeka m’dzikoli. Komabe, a Mboni za Yehova anachita apilo za nkhaniyi ku Khoti Loona za Ufulu wa Anthu ku Ulaya ndipo nkhaniyi inawakomera. Pa 10 June, 2010, khotili linalamula dziko la Russia kuti lisinthe chigamulo chakecho komanso kuti lilipire chifukwa cha zinthu zosiyanasiyana zomwe zinaonongeka. Zimenezi zinachititsa kuti pa 27 May, 2015, aunduna wazachilungamo wa ku Russia aikenso chipembedzo cha Mboni za Yehova pa mndandanda wa zipembedzo zovomerezeka m’dzikolo.

A Heiner Bielefeldt, omwe tawatchula aja anati, “Ndikugwirizana ndi zomwe a Khoti Loona za Ufulu wa Anthu ku Ulaya apeza. Sindikuona kuti pali zifukwa zomveka bwino zomwe zachititsa kuti aletse ntchito ya Mboni za Yehova ndipo akungowaphwanyira ufulu wopembedza.” Khotili litapereka chigamulo chake, boma la Russia linapereka chindapusa. Ngakhale kuti anapereka chindapusachi, panadutsa zaka pafupifupi 5 kuti akuluakulu a bomali avomereze gululi monga chipembedzo chovomerezeka.

A Yaroslav Sivulskiy, omwe amayankhula m’malo mwa Mboni za Yehova ku Russia ananena kuti: “M’dziko la Russia muli a Mboni pafupifupi 175,000 ndipo mu mzinda wa Moscow muli a Mboni opitirira 9,600. A Mboni a m’dzikoli kuphatikizaponso ena opitirira 8 miliyoni padziko lonse, akuona kuti zimene zinachitika povomerezanso a Mboni ku Moscow ndi chizindikiro champhamvu chosonyeza kuti pakhaladi ufulu wopembedza m’dzikoli.” Komabe, akatswiri ena monga a Davis tinawatchula aja, akuona kuti boma la Russia “linavomerezanso a Mboni za Yehova m’dzikoli pazifukwa zandale. Bomali linatero n’cholinga chofuna kukopa anthu kuti aziona ngati ndi labwino ndipo limapereka ufulu wopembedza kwa anthu.”

Mu 2015, Komiti Yoona za Ufulu wa Anthu inabwerezanso zimene inanena mu 2003 ndi 2009. Komitiyi inati boma la Russia “lisinthe mwansanga lamulo lake loteteza anthu ku zinthu zoopsa” komanso lifotokoze momveka bwino tanthauzo la mawu oti “zinthu zoopsa” ndipo tanthauzolo likhale ndi mfundo yokhudzana ndi ziwawa kapena chidani. Inanenanso kuti bomali liwunike bwino zinthu zomwe amati ndi zoopsa ndi kufotokoza bwinobwino zimene zingachititse chinthu kuti chiikidwe m’gulu la zinthu zoopsa. Komitiyi yalamula bomali kuti “lichite zonse zimene lingathe kuti lisamagwiritse ntchito lamuloli molakwika.”

A Lunkin ananena kuti: “A Mboni za Yehova akuzunzidwa chifukwa cha nkhani za chipembedzo. Chodabwitsa n’chakuti anthu a zipembedzo zina amachitanso zinthu zokhudza kupembedza zomwezo koma samalangidwa.” A Mboni amanenezedwa kuti amaphwanya malamulo ndipo zimenezi zimachititsanso kuti ofalitsa nkhani azinena zoipa zokhudza a Mboniwo. Ngakhale zili choncho, a Lunkin ananena kuti: “Mboni za Yehova ndi gulu lodziwikabe m’dziko lonse la Russia ndipo chiwerengero cha anthu ake chawonjezereka kwambiri.”

Lankhulani ndi:

Kuchokera Kumayiko Ena: David A. Semonian, Office of Public Information, tel. +1 718 560 5000

Russia: Yaroslav Sivulskiy, tel. +7 812 702 2691