CCPR/C/139/D/2925/2017 United Nations International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights Distr.: General 1 February 2024 Original: English Human Rights Committee Views adopted by the Committee under article 5 (4) of the Optional Protocol, concerning communication No. 2925/2017*, **, *** Communication submitted by: Vladimir Yurlov, Naran Beklyaev and Ilya Nesterov (represented by counsel, Shane H. Brady and Anton Omelchenko) Alleged victims: The authors State party: Russian Federation Date of communication: 30 December 2016 (initial submission) Document references: Decision taken pursuant to rule 92 of the Committee’s rules of procedure, transmitted to the State party on 6 January 2017 (not issued in document form) Date of adoption of Views: 24 October 2023 Subject matter: Dissolution of a local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses for distribution of publications banned as extremist Procedural issues: Exhaustion of domestic remedies; substantiation of claims; admissibility ratione personae Substantive issues: Cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment; freedom of thought, conscience and religion; freedom of association; discrimination on the ground of religion; minority rights Articles of the Covenant: 7, 18 (1) and (3), 22 (1) and (2), 26 and 27 Articles of the Optional Protocol: 1, 2 and 5 (2) (b) 1.1 The authors of the communication are Vladimir Yurlov, Naran Beklyaev and Ilya Nesterov, nationals of the Russian Federation born in 1965, 1988 and 1992, respectively. They claim that the State party has violated their rights under articles 7, 18 (1) and (3), 22 (1) * Adopted by the Committee at its 139th session (9 October–3 November 2023). ** The following members of the Committee participated in the examination of the communication: Tania María Abdo Rocholl, Farid Ahmadov, Wafaa Ashraf Moharram Bassim, Rodrigo A. Carazo, Yvonne Donders, Carlos Gómez Martínez, Laurence R. Helfer, Bacre Waly Ndiaye, Hernán Quezada Cabrera, José Manuel Santos Pais, Soh Changrok, Tijana Šurlan, Kobauyah Tchamdja Kpatcha, Teraya Koji and Imeru Tamerat Yigezu. *** A joint opinion by Committee members Yvonne Donders and Laurence R. Helfer (partially dissenting) and an individual opinion by Committee member Carlos Gómez Martínez (partially dissenting) are annexed to the present Views. GE.24-00304 (E) 010224 010224