Repression of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia Becoming Ever More Draconian

Paul Goble

            Staunton, June 30 – Russians often speak of the differences between repression that comes all at once and that which comes over time by telling the story of a frog in a pan of warming water. If the water is boiling initially, the frog alarmed jumps out; but if the temperature goes up more slowly, the frog relaxes and ultimately finds himself dead.

            A similar analogy applies to Western responses to Russian repressions. When those attacks are sharp but limited, many in Western democracies react not only quickly but in a highly targeted manner. But when these attacks grow more slowly over time, there is an all too frequent tendency to ignore what is going on.

            The Putin regime counts on this; and in far more cases than not, it slowly turns up the heat on those it views as its opponents, confident that the potential supporters of such people abroad will be less numerous and vocal than if it takes serious action against any one individual in which case as with Aleksey Navalny the West will react.

            This reflection is prompted by the sentencing of two Jehovah’s Witneeses, Aleksey Berchuk, 45, and Dmitry Golik, 34 years to eight years and seven years imprisonment, the former being the longest term any Russian court has imposed on a Witness since Russian courts declared the Witnesses’ formal legal structures illegal in April 2017 (credo.press/237936/).

            Over the last four years, sentences given to Jehovah’s Witnesses have not only increased in frequency but in length, an indication of the difficulties the Russian powers that be have in frightening followers of this denomination into silence and the desire of the Kremlin to achieve that end by whatever means in necessary.

            In the past, Russian courts returned sentences of three or four years, but now seven or eight has become the new normal, something that has not sparked the outrage internationally it should precisely because of the way in which the Putin regime has proceeded. But it isn’t too late to change our response, especially as the sentences are likely to become even longer if we don’t.

            Jarrod Lopes, spokesman for the central office of the Jehovah’s Witnesses in New York, says that “Aleksey and Dmitry are part of our international family so we are saddened by the news that they have been imprisoned and separated from their family and friends. Russian officials continue to treat peace-loving Christians like them as violent criminals.”

            “This is incomprehensible,” he continues. “It recalls the time of the birth of Christianity. Jesus, his apostles and other disciples were severely persecuted by the local authorities simply for their peaceful worship. We marvel at the courage and faith of those first-century Christians, and we have the same sentiments toward modern-day Christians like Aleksey and Dmitry.”

            Lopes continues: “We hope the Russian authorities will soon recognize Jehovah’s Witnesses for who they really are, socially responsible Christians who want nothing more than to have the freedom to worship in Russia as they do in over 200 other lands.”  They deserve attention and support for all who care about freedom of religion and freedom more generally.