Spain Branch Loses Lawsuit Against the Spanish Association of JW Victims

SusanB said:
@Ana I just heard about the tornado in Valencia, Spain and I saw this photo. I hope you are not near this area.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1851670071011348948
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Cómo he recordado estar hablando con vosotros sobre las inundaciones es EEUU hace unas semanas. Gracias a Dios en mi zona la cosa no ha sido muy grave, pero vivo muy cerca y esto es una devastación absoluta. Imposible ningún acceso a la ciudad. Con amigos buscando familiares desaparecidos. 500 litros por metro cuadrado. En una hora todo el perímetro de la ciudad se ha convertido en una ratonera. 2 tornados han arrasado zonas diversas, 92muertes y subiendo. No podemos ni acercarnos a ayudar y todo sin previo aviso, algo sobrecogedor. Ha sido una noche horrible. Media comarca incomunicada. Estás son las primeras imágenes que llegan del acceso a la ciudad desde mi zona. 🥹https://www.facebook.com/share/v/15BYACZejv/
 
Ana said:
Cómo he recordado estar hablando con vosotros sobre las inundaciones es EEUU hace unas semanas. Gracias a Dios en mi zona la cosa no ha sido muy grave, pero vivo muy cerca y esto es una devastación absoluta. Imposible ningún acceso a la ciudad. Con amigos buscando familiares desaparecidos. 500 litros por metro cuadrado. En una hora todo el perímetro de la ciudad se ha convertido en una ratonera. 2 tornados han arrasado zonas diversas, 92muertes y subiendo. No podemos ni acercarnos a ayudar y todo sin previo aviso, algo sobrecogedor. Ha sido una noche horrible. Media comarca incomunicada. Estás son las primeras imágenes que llegan del acceso a la ciudad desde mi zona. 🥹https://www.facebook.com/share/v/15BYACZejv/
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I am thankful you are okay. Stay safe.
 
kenmuldoon55 said:
Does anyone know what the lawsuit was about?
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Basis for Lawsuit
The lawsuits are based on Jehovah’s Witnesses accusing the AEVTJ (The Spanish Association of Victims of Jehovah’s Witnesses) of “A series of offensive manifestations” along with the alleged interference in the “right to honor”.

The religious group (WT) find the terms “cult” and “victims” being used against them as offensive and want them to disappear, demanded compensation of €25k and for AEVTJ to display headlines of their loss on their website as an “unlawful interference” with the Organization’s “right to honor”. They also demanded that once they complete the above, that AEVTJ’s site, name, and everything involved become “non-existent, cancelled, eliminated”.

Honor can be understood in many different ways, but reporting, exposing, and acknowledging abuse is not one of them. Instead of any sort of remorse or apology on how these victims were treated, victims are being sued and blamed for how they are reacting.

Below are the two (2) main reasons the Jehovah’s Witnesses initiated these lawsuits in the first place. They claim that identifying them as a “A Cult” and the Spanish Association identifying itself as “The victims” is bringing dishonor to the religious group’s “good name”.

The December 14th 2023 trial, is being reviewed here, along with the press conference on December 18th, 2023.

A cult:
Court Magistrate Raquel Chacon concluded that Jehovah’s Witnesses were a cult in a trial that had 12 Jehovah’s Witnesses on one side, and 12 former Jehovah’s Witnesses survivors with the AEVTJ on the other side.
Despite Jehovah’s Witnesses testifying that the Spanish association “foster hatred, discrimination and unjustified prejudice against the religious minority of Jehovah’s Witnesses” calling the entire idea “scandalous”, the Judge did not agree.
Judge Chacon said that the organization is “a destructive cult” and a “closed community of spiritual nature, guided by a leader who exercises charismatic power over his followers.”
She acquitted the AEVTJ of all charges.
The Judge said the cult is “to be considered in our days as exhibiting excessive control over the lives of the faithful” that it has been revealed as “a strict hierarchical system”.

The Ruling:
The case included some fifteen former Jehovah’s Witnesses being heard in person, and more than seventy more being heard via recordings.

The victims of Jehovah’s Witnesses spoke about the separate unofficial system of Justice operating under the seams of the cult. The victims described the psychological and emotional damage that this parallel legal system has deeply and adversely affected their lives.

The victims at the trial, bursting into tears, remembering the abuse they went through, described the strict degrees of shunning they experienced:
  • The breaking up of families
  • isolation from society
  • prohibition of celebrating any holidays
  • the consequences for allowing the cult to control their decisions on blood transfusions.
Prohibiting the term “Victims”, as these former members describe themselves, would be an unjustified censorship for these people who freely express their opinion based on first person experience.

The ruling in this case now protects the freedom of expression of former members of Jehovah’s Witnesses whose freedom of expression allows them to be identified as “victims.”
 
Ana said:
Cómo he recordado estar hablando con vosotros sobre las inundaciones es EEUU hace unas semanas. Gracias a Dios en mi zona la cosa no ha sido muy grave, pero vivo muy cerca y esto es una devastación absoluta. Imposible ningún acceso a la ciudad. Con amigos buscando familiares desaparecidos. 500 litros por metro cuadrado. En una hora todo el perímetro de la ciudad se ha convertido en una ratonera. 2 tornados han arrasado zonas diversas, 92muertes y subiendo. No podemos ni acercarnos a ayudar y todo sin previo aviso, algo sobrecogedor. Ha sido una noche horrible. Media comarca incomunicada. Estás son las primeras imágenes que llegan del acceso a la ciudad desde mi zona. 🥹https
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Translation: As I remembered talking to you about the floods is the United States a few weeks ago. Thank God in my area the thing has not been very serious, but I live very close and this is an absolute devastation. No access to the city is impossible. With friends looking for missing relatives. 500 litres per square metre. In an hour the entire perimeter of the city has become a mousetrap. 2 tornadoes have devastated various areas, 92 deaths and rising. We can't even go to help and everything without prior notice, something overwhelming. It's been a horrible night. Half of the incommunicate region. These are the first images that arrive from the access to the city from my area. https
 
Jerry&Phyllis said:
Basis for Lawsuit
The lawsuits are based on Jehovah’s Witnesses accusing the AEVTJ (The Spanish Association of Victims of Jehovah’s Witnesses) of “A series of offensive manifestations” along with the alleged interference in the “right to honor”.

The religious group (WT) find the terms “cult” and “victims” being used against them as offensive and want them to disappear, demanded compensation of €25k and for AEVTJ to display headlines of their loss on their website as an “unlawful interference” with the Organization’s “right to honor”. They also demanded that once they complete the above, that AEVTJ’s site, name, and everything involved become “non-existent, cancelled, eliminated”.

Honor can be understood in many different ways, but reporting, exposing, and acknowledging abuse is not one of them. Instead of any sort of remorse or apology on how these victims were treated, victims are being sued and blamed for how they are reacting.

Below are the two (2) main reasons the Jehovah’s Witnesses initiated these lawsuits in the first place. They claim that identifying them as a “A Cult” and the Spanish Association identifying itself as “The victims” is bringing dishonor to the religious group’s “good name”.

The December 14th 2023 trial, is being reviewed here, along with the press conference on December 18th, 2023.

A cult:
Court Magistrate Raquel Chacon concluded that Jehovah’s Witnesses were a cult in a trial that had 12 Jehovah’s Witnesses on one side, and 12 former Jehovah’s Witnesses survivors with the AEVTJ on the other side.
Despite Jehovah’s Witnesses testifying that the Spanish association “foster hatred, discrimination and unjustified prejudice against the religious minority of Jehovah’s Witnesses” calling the entire idea “scandalous”, the Judge did not agree.
Judge Chacon said that the organization is “a destructive cult” and a “closed community of spiritual nature, guided by a leader who exercises charismatic power over his followers.”
She acquitted the AEVTJ of all charges.
The Judge said the cult is “to be considered in our days as exhibiting excessive control over the lives of the faithful” that it has been revealed as “a strict hierarchical system”.

The Ruling:
The case included some fifteen former Jehovah’s Witnesses being heard in person, and more than seventy more being heard via recordings.

The victims of Jehovah’s Witnesses spoke about the separate unofficial system of Justice operating under the seams of the cult. The victims described the psychological and emotional damage that this parallel legal system has deeply and adversely affected their lives.

The victims at the trial, bursting into tears, remembering the abuse they went through, described the strict degrees of shunning they experienced:
  • The breaking up of families
  • isolation from society
  • prohibition of celebrating any holidays
  • the consequences for allowing the cult to control their decisions on blood transfusions.
Prohibiting the term “Victims”, as these former members describe themselves, would be an unjustified censorship for these people who freely express their opinion based on first person experience.

The ruling in this case now protects the freedom of expression of former members of Jehovah’s Witnesses whose freedom of expression allows them to be identified as “victims.”
Click to expand...
Si, la verdad que que no entendí porqué inició la sociedad este juicio para buscar justicia en un tribunal humano. Muchos de los denunciados sí se han posicionado en contra de Jehová y se han convertido en apostatas. Los que han ido de cara con la Sociedad, como vosotros ,Jerry y Phyllis, habéis sido expulsados sin considerar siquiera vuestros argumentos. Material apóstata, dicen. Veremos que pasa también con Susan y Brooks. Lo de el juicio en España ha sido un descaro y un sin sentido. Han puesto a la palestra sus políticas anti biblicas y han traído oprobio al nombre de Jehová. Nunca quise denunciar mi experiencia porque no quería que su nombre se viese implicado. No por no denunciar a otra persona que era Testigo de Jehová, sino porque su protocolo y funcionamiento con los ancianos era vergonzoso. No quiero que un juzgado humano juzgue sus actos. Quiero que sea Jehová. Ningún tribunal humano podría darles el juicio que se merecen. Que Jehová los perdone.
 
kenmuldoon55 said:
Thanks for that.
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The WT in Spain has a history of disrespecting the brothers and sisters there. A while back the leadership determined it was better to sell off the printing facilities in Madrid and move operations to Germany rather than comply with a government mandate to provide social security to aged bethel workers.
In the eighties the leadership encouraged the rank and file to donate to this much needed facility to which they responded overwhelmingly with their “valuable things”.
After deceiving the friends there as to the real reason for moving operations (they said it was a “simplification” decision, the facilities were sold off and monies from the sale forwarded to the crime bosses at world headquarters in New York.
200 Bethel workers were left twisting in the wind after this move.
This left a real bad taste in the mouths of many who had sacrificed greatly to get these facilities built and are in the process of seeking recourse.

www.jehovahs-witness.com

Spanish JW's Upset Over Bethel Move

on april 1, 2009 a letter was sent from the governing body of jehovahs witnesses to congregations in spain informing them that the printing, shipping, and storage of watchtower publications would be discontinued at the madrid branch office. the letter expressed confidence that the spanish...
www.jehovahs-witness.com www.jehovahs-witness.com

​

 
Ana said:
Si, la verdad que que no entendí porqué inició la sociedad este juicio para buscar justicia en un tribunal humano. Muchos de los denunciados sí se han posicionado en contra de Jehová y se han convertido en apostatas. Los que han ido de cara con la Sociedad, como vosotros ,Jerry y Phyllis, habéis sido expulsados sin considerar siquiera vuestros argumentos. Material apóstata, dicen. Veremos que pasa también con Susan y Brooks. Lo de el juicio en España ha sido un descaro y un sin sentido. Han puesto a la palestra sus políticas anti biblicas y han traído oprobio al nombre de Jehová. Nunca quise denunciar mi experiencia porque no quería que su nombre se viese implicado. No por no denunciar a otra persona que era Testigo de Jehová, sino porque su protocolo y funcionamiento con los ancianos era vergonzoso. No quiero que un juzgado humano juzgue sus actos. Quiero que sea Jehová. Ningún tribunal humano podría darles el juicio que se merecen. Que Jehová los perdone.
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Translation: Yes, the truth is that I did not understand why society initiated this trial to seek justice in a human court. Many of the denounced have positioned themselves against Jehovah and have become apostates. Those who have gone face to face with Society, like you, Jerry and Phyllis, have been expelled without even considering your arguments. Material apostate, they say. We'll see what happens with Susan and Brooks as well. The judgement in Spain has been a brazen and nonsense. They have put their anti-biblical policies to the fore and have brought reproachment to the name of Jehovah. I never wanted to report my experience because I didn't want his name to be involved. Not for not denouncing another person who was a Jehovah's Witness, but because his protocol and operation with the elders was shameful. I don't want a human court to judge their actions. I want it to be Jehovah. No human court could give them the judgement they deserve. May Jehovah forgive them.
 
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