Jehovah's Witnesses Complain Against the Actions of Police Officers in the Jewish Autonomous Region

In January 2016, a complaint was sent to the Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region in connection with the gross disruption of the worship service of Jehovah's Witnesses that occurred on October 8, 2015 in the center of Birobidzhan. On that day, believers who came to the rented premises before the start of the meeting found that someone had planted several publications included in the list of extremist materials in an empty box. They hurried to destroy the publications, and within 15 minutes a group of 8 police officers arrived, who, without any warrant, canceled the service and inspected the premises. Of course, no extremist materials were found. The believers filed a collective complaint against these actions. The Birobidzhan District Court rejected it, and the believers hope that a higher court will satisfy their appeal.