A ‘dire time for human rights in Russia’ as World Cup begins

[Tony Koretz]

A ‘dire time for human rights in Russia’ as World Cup begins

“This is a very dire time for human rights in Russia,” according to the Russia programme director for Human Rights Watch, Tanya Lokshina, speaking ahead of the start of the 2018 Football World Cup, which kicked off in Moscow earlier today.

Since Vladimir Putin became Russia’s president again in 2012 there has been a “staggering human rights clampdown”, she told the Australian Associated Press last week.

“What we see in Russia today, as far as freedom of expression is concerned, is just devastating,” she said. “Every year it is just getting worse.”

“There is no sign that … persecution of religious minorities and foreign missionaries is coming to an end.”
However, she said the World Cup may at least shine a light on the abuses: “Russia being in the spotlight, so many fans coming from all around the world, so many media publications… It’s all going to make people focus on the profound human rights crisis in Russia.”

Among the challenges facing Russians is the clampdown on religious freedom since the introduction two years ago of the so-called “anti-missionary law”.

Under this law, prosecuted individuals face heavy fines, up to six years in prison, and, for foreigners, deportation.

An American missionary, Donald Ossewaarde, who was based in the Russian city of Oryol, was one of the first convicted under the law. In March 2017, he filed an application to the European Court of Human Rights arguing that his right to religious freedom had been violated by the law after he was found guilty of conducting “illegal missionary activities”. He had been holding weekly Bible meetings at his home for 14 years before the introduction of the law.

READ MORE https://www.worldwatchmonitor.org/2018/06/a-dire-time-for-human-rights-in-russia-as-world-cup-begins/

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[Greg]

Can’t remember who it was but I heard a while ago that years ago it was prophesied that Russia would have a window of time where the Gospel could go out etc…

When I heard these things were happening a while ago, I thought that the window of time has now closed. I think I was still listening to TruNews at this time – though they said nothing about this clamping down – they were still very “Russia is great” (I’m not giving my opinion on that, just saying they liked Russia / Putin). Them not saying about this clamping down was yet another reason I stopped listening.

Unfortunately, something like the World Cup rarely means that these type of stories are broadcast. I haven’t heard anything negative about Russia during the coverage – just that some parts used to be closed but are now very welcoming to foreigners. And I’m sure the tv would never talk about Bible meetings being illegal. They may talk about homosexual laws, but not about missionaries.

[Author]

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