“I hope that today is the day that Russia defends freedom of religion,” he told journalists as he entered the packed courtroom on Wednesday. Rights groups have condemned the trial, with Amnesty International saying it was “emblematic of the grave human rights violations” taking place in Russia. Intensifying crackdownAuthorities in 2017 amended an existing anti-extremism law to mention Jehovah’s Witnesses specifically, ordering their dissolution in Russia. The Jehovah’s Witnesses say they number more than 170,000 in Russia, a country of 144 million people where most are Orthodox Christians. In a report last year, Human Rights Watch accused the Russian authorities of a “sweeping campaign” of harassment and persecution against the movement.

Source: The Guardian February 06, 2019 12:11 UTC