“We have grounds for the unconditional cancellation of the Supreme Court’s decision,” says Anton Omeltchenko, a lawyer on the case. “If the appeal is successful, it will confirm that Jehovah’s Witnesses have been subjected to discrimination. If it fails, it’s evidence that this is a politically-motivated persecution.”
While Omeltchenko is optimistic, evidence suggests Russia’s controversial anti-extremism laws are being more rigorously applied. According to the Center for Economic and Political Reforms, the number of convictions rose from 137 to 414 between 2011 and 2015.
The number of extremism cases against Jehovah’s Witnesses flared in 2015 after five years of relative calm, says Omeltchenko.
“The Russian Supreme Court stepped in at one point when local police used falsified evidence to try and close a Jehovah’s Witness group in Tyumen,” he told The Moscow Times. “They formulated a legal position which led us to really believe this persecution would cease, but then the Supreme Court changed its mind.”
For now, the tone throughout Kingdom Hall remains defiant.
Anfisa, a smartly-dressed woman in her mid-fifties, says her family will still preach whatever happens. “We still talk about religion and God with family and friends,” she says. “We still have spiritual needs. We can’t just separate our lives from religion. For us, they are the same thing.”
Others say they are prepared to face prosecution if the government clamps down on their faith.
“Jesus himself was persecuted,” says Sasha. “He warned his followers that they too would be persecuted. We are facing these problems because we are following the word of God. We will not compromise.”
Islamic State is a terrorist group banned in Russia