Emily
Editor, Senior Moderator
The Journal of CESNUR, Volume 7, Issue 1, January—February 2023, pages 12—25.
© 2023 by CESNUR. All rights reserved.
ISSN: 2532-2990 | www.cesnur.net | DOI: 10.26338/tjoc.2023.7.1.2
The Journal of CESNUR
The Russian Campaign Against the Jehovah’s Witnesses and
Its Influence in Central Asia
Rosita Šorytė
FOB (European Federation for Freedom of Belief)
ABSTRACT: In Central Asian countries, courts have penalized the Jehovah’s Witnesses for allegedly
damaging the mental health of their victims and propagating “religious extremism.” These accusations
did not originate in Central Asia but were imported there from Russia. After examining some specific
court cases, the paper discusses three main Russian accusations against Jehovah’s Witnesses:
“brainwashing,” extremism, and anti-patriotic attitudes. It then considers why the Jehovah’s Witnesses
have been singled out for persecution that Putin’s Russia has consistently tried to export abroad.
KEYWORDS: Jehovah’s Witnesses in Central Asia, Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia, Jehovah’s
Witnesses in Kazakhstan, Jehovah’s Witnesses in Kyrgyzstan, Anti-Cult Movement in Russia.
A Strange Incident in Kazakhstan...
https://cesnur.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/tjoc_7_1_2_soryte.pdf
© 2023 by CESNUR. All rights reserved.
ISSN: 2532-2990 | www.cesnur.net | DOI: 10.26338/tjoc.2023.7.1.2
The Journal of CESNUR
The Russian Campaign Against the Jehovah’s Witnesses and
Its Influence in Central Asia
Rosita Šorytė
FOB (European Federation for Freedom of Belief)
ABSTRACT: In Central Asian countries, courts have penalized the Jehovah’s Witnesses for allegedly
damaging the mental health of their victims and propagating “religious extremism.” These accusations
did not originate in Central Asia but were imported there from Russia. After examining some specific
court cases, the paper discusses three main Russian accusations against Jehovah’s Witnesses:
“brainwashing,” extremism, and anti-patriotic attitudes. It then considers why the Jehovah’s Witnesses
have been singled out for persecution that Putin’s Russia has consistently tried to export abroad.
KEYWORDS: Jehovah’s Witnesses in Central Asia, Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia, Jehovah’s
Witnesses in Kazakhstan, Jehovah’s Witnesses in Kyrgyzstan, Anti-Cult Movement in Russia.
A Strange Incident in Kazakhstan...
https://cesnur.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/tjoc_7_1_2_soryte.pdf