A court in Russia’s southwestern city of Taganrog has sentenced a Jehovah's Witness to seven years in prison amid a crackdown on the religious group. The court sentenced Aleksandr Skvortsov on June 20 after finding him guilty of organizing an extremist group. Skvortsov's co-defendant, Valery Tibii, was handed a suspended six-year sentence on the same charge. Russia banned the Jehovah’s Witnesses in 2017 and designated the religion an extremist organization. Rights watchdogs and Western governments have condemned Russia's crackdown on religious minorities. To read the original story from Current Time, click here.
Jehovah's Witness Handed Seven-Year Prison Term In Russia Amid Crackdown
Aleksandr Skvortsov (left) and Valery Tibii