Russia Loses Conscientious Workers as Attacks on Faith Go On

According to tabulations April 20, 2020, three years after the liquidation of Jehovah's Witnesses’ communities, 332 people became victims of criminal prosecution, 166 of these undergoing imprisonment. These are honest, non-drinking workers: teachers, builders, firefighters, accountants, lawyers. Authorities ruin their career, paralyze their life.

Valuable employees

Believers who have fallen into the millstones of criminal prosecution work in various fields, such as medicine, economics, architecture, business, education, art, and all kinds of services. Among them are an aircraft technician, a leading designer, an educator, a janitor, a designer, a railroad worker, a captain of a motor ship, a crab catcher, a master of sports, a nurse, a musician, an oilman, a hairdresser-stylist, a welder, a theater soloist, a rescuer, a scientist, a miner.

The professional merits of some are so significant that they are marked by awards, diplomas, orders and titles not only from the leadership, but also from the government of Russia. Many older believers bear the honorary title of veteran of labor. Here are some examples. Galina Dergacheva devoted her whole life to teaching. She is a veteran of labor of the Magadan region and for her impeccable work has been repeatedly awarded diplomas and valuable gifts. Dmitry Vinogradov is a prize-winner of numerous chess tournaments. He devoted many years to coaching at the Olympic Reserve School, and later received a British diploma and worked in a large retail chain as a member of the board of directors. Sergey Loginov made a huge contribution to the development of the energy sector of the Northern region. He received awards for his work from the governor and the Ministry of Fuel and Energy of Russia. Prior to the start of the criminal prosecution, Dmitry Ravnushkin held the position of chief power engineer at his enterprise. Igor Trifonov worked as a firefighter for 22 years.

Once in jail or under house arrest, under a ban on certain actions or a ban on engaging in certain activities, at best forced to follow summonses to investigative institutions and courts, believers can no longer engage in normal work.

For faith - in the ranks of the unemployed

Forced dismissal is a type of economic repression that, along with the blocking of bank accounts and the seizure of property, deprives believers of their livelihood. Since April 2017, at least 18 peaceful believers from 11 regions of Russia have been dismissed under pressure from law enforcement agencies. The essence of the problem is the religion of the employee, because of which the bosses "do not need problems." Basically, believers are forced to leave "of their own free will" under the threat of dismissal under the article.

In Karpinsk (Sverdlovsk region), a believer who worked as a watchman at a school was forced by the principal to resign, explaining that this initiative came from law enforcement agencies. As it turned out, the woman was under surveillance, including right in the school building, and the director was given printouts of her SMS correspondence. The daughter of a believer studies at the same school. The child's refusal to sing songs on military themes was also blamed on the mother. According to the director, all this "goes to the detriment of the political party of Russia." In Petrozavodsk, Dmitry Ravnushkin was detained right at his workplace. He was taken to the FSB for interrogation, which lasted about 4 hours. Three days later, Dmitry was fired from his job, where he held the position of chief power engineer. The bosses explained: "We don't need problems." Another married couple from Karelia, Maksim Amosov and his wife Maria, were detained on the street. The director of the store where Maxim worked was warned to look for a new accountant. Firefighter from Surgut (Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug) Igor Trifonov worked in the Ministry of Emergency Situations for 22 years and had only positive characteristics from the leadership, but because of the criminal case he was fired from the Ministry of Emergency Situations. Georgy and Elena Nikulin live in Mordovia. Georgy is a specialist with 9 professions. Just like his wife, due to criminal prosecution, he cannot get a job for a long time. The family does not have enough money for food and basic household items. Criminal cases have also been initiated against the spouses from Rostov-on-Don, Alexander and Galina Parkov, under an "extremist" article. Aleksandr has been in jail for almost a year. Galina, who is still free, had to quit her job. Her bank card, to which her salary was transferred, was blocked. A woman is interrupted by odd jobs in order to support herself and support her husband. Vitaliy Popov from Novosibirsk was forced to resign "of his own free will" after a call from law enforcement officers to his employer. According to the director, she received a call and was told that "there is no place for an extremist in an educational institution."

"The Labor Code of Russia directly prohibits the restriction of labor rights depending on beliefs," commented Yaroslav Sivulsky, a representative of the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses, "but unfair criminal prosecution and pressure on employers have created a situation of impunity, when believers are deprived of the opportunity to even try to defend their rights». The paradox of the situation is, Sivulsky believes, that Jehovah's Witnesses are known as valuable, honest, punctual and hardworking employees.

In addition, Rosfinmonitoring has added more than 200 of them to the list of persons involved in extremism and terrorism. For believing in Jehovah God and reading the Bible peacefully, they lose their jobs, business, pensions, bank accounts, and even the opportunity to buy a SIM card or take out insurance. Ultimately, businesses lose valuable employees, and believers and their families find themselves in a difficult financial situation.