Court in Spain allows Jehovah's Witnesses to be called a destructive sect

A Madrid court has issued a precedent-setting ruling upholding the right of citizens to call Jehovah’s Witnesses a destructive sect and themselves its victims. The court ruled that such designations are protected by the right to freedom of expression, even if they are perceived as offensive by a religious movement.

According to Orthodox Times, the Madrid appeals court upheld a lower court’s ruling in favor of the Spanish Association of Jehovah’s Witnesses Victims (AEAVTJ) on April 16. The judges concluded that the association’s name and its critical activities did not unlawfully harm the organization’s honor. The ruling emphasizes that the right to criticize the movement’s internal controls is legitimate, even if it is alleged that membership in the organization «harms health or endangers life.»

The legal dispute began after six members of Jehovah’s Witnesses filed a lawsuit against the AEAVTJ, demanding its dissolution and a ban on the use of the word «victims.» However, the court, based on testimony from former members and an analysis of the organization’s internal confidential documents, sided with the association. Lawyer Carlos Bardavio said this is the first time in the country that an officially registered religion has been allowed to be called a «destructive sect» without the risk of prosecution.

AEAVTJ president Samuel Ferrando expressed satisfaction with the decision, saying the justice validated the victims’ right to self-identify. He said that until then, any media outlets that called the organization a cult risked a lawsuit. It is expected that the ruling could have international repercussions, especially if the case reaches the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). At this point, the decision can still be appealed to the Spanish Supreme Court.