Resolution of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe of
October 1, 2020 on the results of supervision of the execution of the European Court’s judgments on
applications Jehovah’s Witnesses of Moscow and Others and
Krupko
and Others v. Russian Federation
Source
CM/Del/
Dec(
2020)1383/H46-17
1 October 2020
1383rd meeting, 29 September – 1 October 2020 (DH)
H46-17 Jehovah’s Witnesses of Moscow and Others (Application No.
302/02) and
Krupko
and Others (Application No. 26587/07) v. Russian Federation
Supervision of the execution of the European Court’s judgments
Reference document
CM/Notes/1383/H46-17
Decisions
The Deputies
1. recalled that the case of Jehovah’s Witnesses of Moscow and Others
concerns the dissolution of the applicant religious community entailing a
ban on its activities, as well as the unreasoned refusal to allow its
re-registration and the excessive length of the dissolution proceedings,
and that the case of Krupko and Others concerns the dispersal of a peaceful
religious ceremony by law-enforcement agents and the subsequent deprivation
of liberty of some of its participants at a police station for some three
hours;
2. further recalled their previous decisions adopted in respect of these
two cases noting the progress achieved in 2004-2015 but also the serious
concerns at the effects of the new blanket ban imposed in 2017 and stressed
that freedom of religion constitutes one of the foundations of a democratic
society;
3. deeply regretted the continuing objection by the authorities to the
Committee’s examination of the 2017 ban and its consequences, and
reiterated yet …