Updated: German gunman kills six at Hamburg Jehovah’s Witness hall
Last updated: 11am, 11th March, 2023 (AEDT)Hamburg, GermanyAP A gunman stormed a service at his former Jehovah’s Witness hall in Germany, killing six people before taking his own life after police arrived, authorities in the port city of Hamburg said Friday. Police gave no motive for Thursday night’s attack. But they acknowledged recently receiving an anonymous tip […]
Russia jails more Jehovah’s Witnesses, prompting calls for “strong measures”
RNS Despite a court ruling by Russian judges in October that seemed to endorse leniency for Jehovah’s Witnesses arrested after their faith was labeled “extremist”, a recent rash of sentences against members of the faith group has prompted concern among human rights advocates that the government is continuing its earlier crackdown against the denomination. More […]
Child sex abuse found across major UK religions – report
London, UKAP An inquiry investigating child sexual abuse in a wide range of religious organisations and settings in England on Thursday found “shocking failures” in how many religions handled abuse allegations, with victim-blaming and abuse of power by religious leaders often contributing to under-reporting. The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse looked into child protection […]
Russia, China, Myanmar recommended for State Department list of religious freedom violators
RNS A religious freedom watchdog is urging the State Department to name four additional countries to its list of the worst religious liberty offenders. In its 2021 annual report, released on Wednesday, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom said India, Russia, Syria and Vietnam should be considered “countries of particular concern.” Those nations have been […]
First Jehovah’s Witness woman sentenced in Russia after faith declared “extremist”
RNS A female Jehovah’s Witness has been sentenced to two years in a Russian prison for practicing her faith, marking the first time the country has imprisoned a woman since a 2017 ruling that declared the faith group “extremist”. Valentina Baranovskaya, 69, was sentenced on Wednesday along with her son, Roman Baranovskiy, 46, who received […]
Jehovah’s Witnesses’ release in Eritrea a rare sign of religious toleration
Nairobi, KenyaRNS In Eritrea, members of the Jehovah’s Witnesses group who had been serving long prison sentences were set free on Friday, a surprising development for the east African country, where freedom of religion or belief is severely suppressed. The denomination announced that two women and 26 men had been freed after spending between five […]
Scholars call out Putin and the ‘escalation’ of persecution against Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia
RNS A group of 50 religion scholars from around the world is calling on President Vladimir Putin and his administration to end the persecution of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia. The scholars’ statement, released Thursday, follows the Center for Studies on New Religions’ one-day conference, “Jehovah’s Witnesses and Their Opponents: Russia, the West, and Beyond,” held […]
Sixty-nine punished for practising faith in Kazakhstan in first half of 2018
World Watch Monitor Courts in Kazakhstan prosecuted at least 69 individuals, religious communities or organisations for religious activities in the first half of this year, according to Oslo-based news service Forum 18. Punishments included fines of up to four months’ average salary ($US1,400) and three-month bans on activities such as distributing religious literature or meeting for worship. […]
Uzbek pastor might face criminal charges after police repeat raids on his home
World Watch Monitor A Uzbek Baptist pastor, who is already serving a two-year sentence in his home for having religious books, might now be facing criminal charges. Police raided Pastor Stanislav Kim’s flat in Urgench, north-western Khorezm Region, twice last month, on Easter Sunday (8th April) and a week later (15th April), while the Baptist […]
Russia’s religious communities face ‘unclear’ requirements
World Watch Monitor Legal requirements applied to the expression of freedom of religion in Russia impose a significant burden on religious communities not recognised by the state – in the shape of fines, legal costs and bureaucracy – reports regional news agency Forum 18. The requirements are “unclear” and applied “inconsistently”, Forum 18 says, and are […]