Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
On 17 July 2017 Russias Supreme Court rejected an appeal lodged by the Administrative Centre of the Russian branch of Jehovahs Witnesses against the Supreme Court decision of 20 April which had upheld a ruling categorising them as extremists. The Russian government have made commitments to freedom of religion in international fora, including in the Council of Europe.
Following this decision, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister for Human Rights, said:
We are deeply concerned by the decision of Russias Supreme Court to reject the appeal of the Jehovahs Witnesses against their labelling as extremists.
This ruling confirms the criminalisation of the peaceful worship of 175,000 Russian citizens and contravenes the right to religious freedom that is enshrined in the Russian Constitution.
The British government continues to call upon the Russian government to uphold its international commitment to this basic freedom.
Further information
-
Follow Foreign Office Minister Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on Twitter @tariqahmadbt
-
Follow the Foreign Office on Twitter @foreignoffice and Facebook
-
Follow the Foreign Office on Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn
Media enquiries
For journalists
Email newsdesk@fco.gov.uk
Newsdesk 020 7008 3100