Jehovah’s Witnesses are politically persecuted in Russia – this has been confirmed by the Bavarian Administrative Court (VGH). The verdict was about two Russian nationals living in Bavaria who entered Germany in 2018 and applied for asylum, as the VGH announced on Monday in Munich. The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees rejected their asylum applications. On the other hand, the two asylum seekers complained. The Bayreuth Administrative Court dismissed the lawsuits.
The VGH in Munich changed the verdict and obliged the Federal Republic to recognize the two Russian citizens as refugees. As Jehovah’s Witnesses, you must expect political persecution in Russia, according to the judgment of the VGH. As early as 2017, the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation classified the religious community as extremist and banned all activities. This is a serious violation of religious freedom from which the two asylum seekers must be protected. It is estimated that around 170,000 Jehovah’s Witnesses live in Russia.