Jehovah’s Witnesses in Japan deplore the disinformation and mischaracterization spread by a few critics about their beliefs and practices. This disinformation is the same as that spread by Russia against Jehovah’s Witnesses and has been repeatedly condemned by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), the United Nations Human Rights Committee, and the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention.
Jehovah’s Witnesses have been present in Japan for nearly 100 years. They come from all walks of life and all professions. They are known worldwide for being law-abiding and peaceful citizens. It is therefore deeply offensive to the more than 214,000 Jehovah’s Witnesses in Japan and the more than 8.7 million worldwide to imply that their beliefs are in any way harmful or that individual Witnesses cannot make independent decisions. Jehovah’s Witnesses are an open and transparent organization—their publications are freely accessible on www.jw.org for anyone to consult, and in more than 1,000 languages.
Please see the full press release for more information on the following subjects:
- Jehovah’s Witnesses are a “child safe” organization
- Education of children and family life
- The religious publications of Jehovah’s Witnesses
- Medical treatment
- The need to avoid “negative and discriminatory stereotypes”