Russia Sentences Dane to Six Years in Jehovah’s Witnesses Crackdown, Reports Reuters

By Andrew Osborn

MOSCOW – A court in Russia has sentenced a Danish member of the Jehovah’s Witnesses to six years in prison for organizing a banned extremist group, a decision that has drawn criticism for infringing on religious freedom.

Dennis Christensen, 46, was detained by armed police in May 2017 during a prayer meeting in Oryol, situated approximately 200 miles south of Moscow. This arrest followed a regional court’s ruling that labeled the local Jehovah’s Witnesses as illegal a year prior.

Subsequently, Russia’s Supreme Court designated the group as "extremist" and mandated its disbandment across the country. Christensen’s case marked the first extremism-related arrest involving a Jehovah’s Witness in Russia and set the stage for numerous similar cases that followed.

On Wednesday, the Oryol court found Christensen guilty after a lengthy trial, as reported by his lawyer, wife, and a representative of the Jehovah’s Witnesses. Christensen maintained his innocence, asserting that he was merely exercising his constitutional right to practice his religion.

In response to the ruling, Danish Foreign Minister Anders Samuelsen urged Russia to uphold religious freedoms and criticized the government’s classification of Jehovah’s Witnesses alongside terrorist organizations.

The Jehovah’s Witnesses, an international religious group headquartered in the U.S., have faced significant pressure in Russia, where the predominant Orthodox Church, supported by President Vladimir Putin, paints them as a dangerous foreign sect that threatens state integrity and traditional values—claims the group firmly denies.

The deteriorating relationship between Russia and the West, exacerbated by the annexation of Crimea in 2014, has fueled a more aggressive campaign to root out perceived internal threats.

The Jehovah’s Witnesses count approximately 170,000 adherents in Russia and 8 million globally. Known for their door-to-door evangelism, thorough Bible study, and refusal of military service and blood transfusions, the group holds beliefs about an impending end to the world, envisioning survival in a future Kingdom of God for the faithful.

Christensen moved to Murmansk in northern Russia in 2000, where he encountered the established Jehovah’s Witness community and met his wife, Irina. The couple later relocated to Oryol for its milder climate and affordable housing. Christensen is proficient in Russian and appreciates Russian culture.

His lawyer, Anton Bogdanov, announced plans to appeal the verdict, labeling it illegal and warning of its potential to set a troubling precedent. Over 100 criminal cases have been initiated against members of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, with around 24 individuals currently imprisoned or on trial and a similar number under house arrest. Some of their literature has been banned.

Yaroslav Sivulsky, representing the European Association of Jehovah’s Witnesses, noted that the ruling recalls an era of Soviet persecution against the group. "In essence, we have returned to Soviet times,” he said, recalling how his own father was imprisoned for seven years in 1959 for distributing Bible literature. "It’s disheartening that in the 21st century, individuals are being jailed for holding beliefs that authorities deem unacceptable."

Dmitry Peskov, a spokesperson for the Kremlin, stated that there were valid reasons underpinning Christensen’s arrest, though he was not familiar with the specifics.

Irina Christensen expressed that she and her husband remained calm despite perceiving the situation as unjust. Before the verdict, she highlighted how state media has contributed to widespread biases against Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russian society, a tactic she believes diverts attention from the country’s economic challenges.