NOVEMBER 29, 2018
ERUSSIA
Dennis Christensen Receiving International Support
UMfoweth’ uDennis Christensen usehlale ejele izinsuku ezingaphezu kwezingu-525 futhi uvele enkantolo izikhathi ezingaba ngu-50 ngenxa yokwenza imisebenzi yenkolo yakhe. INkantolo Yesifunda YaseZheleznodorozhniy ese-Oryol, eRussia, ihlele ukuba icala lakhe liqulwe maphakathi noDisemba. Nakuba sekuphele izinyanga ezingu-18 etokile, uDennis usaqhubeka ejabule futhi enethemba. Lokhu kuwubufakazi bokuthi uJehova uyamsekela, njengoba izigidi zabafowethu bezilokhu zimthandazela.
UDennis uthole amakhadi nezincwadi ezivela koFakazi baseRussia nakwamanye amazwe bebonisa ukuthi bayamthanda. Ngo-Okthoba 30, ngesikhathi kuzoqulwa icala lakhe, uDennis wabonisa labo ababezomsekela amakhadi nezithombe izingane ezazimthumele zona ukuze bakhuthazeke.
During a break in his court hearing on October 30, 2018, Dennis Christensen displays through the glass of his detention booth some of the letters of encouragement he has received.
In addition to our worldwide brotherhood, the international community has shown great interest in Dennis’ case. On July 21, 2017, the Moscow-based Memorial Human Rights Centre granted Dennis political prisoner status. On June 20, 2018, Russia’s Human Rights Council requested that the Prosecutor General’s Office verify the lawfulness of the criminal prosecution of Jehovah’s Witnesses. On September 26, 2018, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom formally adopted Dennis as a “religious prisoner of conscience.”
Russia guaranteed in open court that the ban on the legal entities of Jehovah’s Witnesses would not affect the rights of individual Witnesses to practice their faith. Local and federal law enforcement agencies have disregarded this guarantee and misapplied the law to justify arresting Dennis and many others, charging them with “extremist” activity. This year, Russia conducted scores of raids across the Federation. As of this posting, 25 brothers and sisters are in prison, 18 are under house arrest, and more than 40 are under a variety of other restrictions. The outcome of Dennis’ criminal trial will therefore set a precedent for the more than 90 other Jehovah’s Witnesses, in approximately 30 regions of Russia, who are awaiting the results of their criminal investigation.
We know our international family will keep praying that Jehovah continues to strengthen and encourage our dear brothers and sisters facing criminal charges for their faith, as we eagerly look forward to the day when he will “cause justice to be done” in their behalf.—Luke 18:7.