Russian Court Sentences Jehovah's Witness To 6 Years In Prison

Forum 18 reports that after 74 hearings over the past year, a Russian trial court in the city of Oryol yesterday sentenced Jehovah's Witness adherent Dennis Christensen to six years in prison under Russia's law banning extremist organizations. The court convicted Christensen of "organizing the activities of a banned extremist organisation" (Criminal Code Article 282.2, Part 1).  An appeal is planned. Christensen becomes the first Jehovah's Witness sentenced to prison in post-Soviet Russia.  Over 100 other criminal cases against Jehovah's Witnesses are pending.  In 2017, Russia's Supreme Court banned all Jehovah's Witness activity and ordered their property seized by the state. (See prior posting.)  Christensen will be entitled to credit for time already served in jail, and so will likely serve no more than 3 years and 5 months in prison. [Thanks to Scott Mange for the lead.]