Dennis Christensen. Photo source: Simon Kruse / Berlingske

Human Rights

USCIRF Recognizes One of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia as a Prisoner of Conscience

Oryol Region,   United States of America

On September 26, 2018, Christina Arriaga, vice chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), announced the inclusion of Dennis Christensen, who has been in a Russian prison for almost a year and a half for his faith, on the organization's list of "Religious Prisoners of Conscience." The list is intended to focus the Commission's work on the release of specific prisoners and to draw attention to their plight and the general state of religious freedom in their countries.

The Commission's official press release states: "Dennis Christensen was arrested in Oryol on 25 May 2017 following an attack on a prayer service in which he was participating. As of September 13, 2018, Christensen has appeared 38 times before the Oryol District Court. He faces up to 10 years in prison. [...] In April 2017, Russia's Supreme Court declared Jehovah's Witnesses an extremist organization and banned its activities."

"However, these religious groups only seek to practice their views peacefully and without fear," the press release also says.- At the time of his arrest, Dennis was reading the Bible with his fellow believers. The international community must uphold internationally recognized human rights and press for the release of... Dennis and many other citizens imprisoned in Russia for their religious beliefs and activities."

In 2018, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom listed Russia as a "Country of Particular Concern." According to the Commission's regulations, these are countries whose governments commit systematic, persistent and egregious violations of religious freedom.

Case of Christensen in Oryol

Case History
Dennis Christensen is the first Jehovah’s Witness in modern Russia to be imprisoned only because of his faith. He was arrested in May 2017. The FSB accused the believer of organizing the activities of a banned organization on the basis of the testimony of a secret witness, theologian Oleg Kurdyumov from a local university, who kept covert audio and video recordings of conversations with Christensen about faith. There are no extremist statements or victims in the case. In 2019, the court sentenced Christensen to 6 years in prison. The believer was serving time in the Lgov colony. He repeatedly asked for the replacement of part of the unserved term with a fine. For the first time, the court granted the request, but the prosecutor’s office appealed this decision, and the prison administration threw the believer into a punishment cell on trumped-up charges. Christensen developed illnesses that prevented him from working in prison. On May 24, 2022, the believer was released after serving his sentence and was immediately deported to his homeland, Denmark.
Timeline

Persons in case

Criminal case

Region:
Oryol Region
Locality:
Oryol
Suspected of:
according to the investigation, together with the others he conducted religious services, which is interpreted as “organising the activity of an extremist organisation” (with reference to the court’s decision on the liquidation of the local organisation of Jehovah’s Witnesses)
Court case number:
11707540001500164
Initiated:
May 23, 2017
Current case stage:
The verdict entered into force
Investigating:
UFSB of Russia in the Oryol region
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:
282.2 (1)
Court case number:
1-37/1
[i18n] Рассмотрено судом первой инстанции:
Железнодорожный районный суд г. Орла
Judge:
Алексей Николаевич Руднев
[i18n] Суд апелляционной инстанции:
Орловский областной суд
[i18n] Суд апелляционной инстанции:
Льговский райсуд Курской области
Case History