In a second day of proceedings, the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation continued to consider a claim from the Ministry of Justice to liquidate the Administrative Center of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia. The day concluded with a recess until Friday, April 7, 2017, at 10:00 a.m.

David A. Semonian, a spokesman at the Witnesses’ world headquarters in New York, explains: “Today’s proceedings revealed that the Ministry of Justice has no basis for their claims against our organization.” He adds, “But we also note that the Ministry of Justice officially admitted today that if Jehovah’s Witnesses are banned, they may be under threat of criminal prosecution if they even gather together for prayer. We hope that the Supreme Court upholds justice and prevents this violation of our basic human rights.”

Media Contacts:

International: David A. Semonian, Office of Public Information, +1-845-524-3000

Russia: Yaroslav Sivulskiy, +7-812-702-2691