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Danish Jehovah’s witness walks out of prison in Russia

According to the lawyer, Dennis Christensen is returning to Denmark

KURSK, May 24. /TASS/. Denmark’s Dennis Christensen, who was sentenced to six years in prison for organizing a Jehovah's Witnesses (banned in Russia as extremist) religious group in the city of Oryol, has walked free and will be deported from Russia, his defense lawyer Anton Bogdanov told TASS on Tuesday.

"He has been freed today," the lawyer said. "His deportation is expected late at night today."

Christensen is returning to Denmark, the lawyer said.

The Dane walked free after serving his time and after repeated refusals by court to commute his sentence. He was convicted on February 6, 2019. He was found guilty of continuing to hold meetings of the religious group and disseminate brochures after the group was designated as extremist. Russia in 2017 listed Jehovah’s Witnesses and its 395 regional chapters as banned.

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