Missionaries Masquerading as Volunteers

[kirtland r.m.]

SALT LAKE CITY — Local Russian police arrested two young Latter-day Saint volunteers during a meeting at a church meetinghouse on Friday and continue to detain them in Novorossiysk, a city on the Black Sea, according to a church spokesman.https://www.ksl.com/article/46505119/ru ... rs-in-novo

[eddie]

Two volunteers for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were detained in Novorossiyk, Russia, church officials said. (Google)

Russian officials have detained two volunteers for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, church officials said Tuesday.

The missionaries were serving in Novorossiyk, Russia, which is about 930 miles south of Moscow.

It was unclear why the missionaries were being detained.

“While we are grateful these young men are reportedly in good condition and are being treated well, we are troubled by the circumstances surrounding their detention,” church spokesman Eric Hawkins said, as Salt Lake City's Fox 13 reported.

They reportedly were detained Friday at a local meetinghouse.

NAVY PLANS 'BLUE FORCE' OPEN WATER WEAPONS STRATEGY FOR NEW FRIGATE

Russia enacted anti-terrorism laws in July 2016 that included a provision banning missionary work, the Deseret News noted.

The church complied with Russian law and redesignated the missionaries as volunteers, warning them to comply with local laws and customs.


According to the Salt Lake Tribune, which cited a 2017 report by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, the Russian law forbids "preaching, praying, disseminating religious materials, and even answering questions about religion outside of officially designated sites."

Missionaries from other religious groups such as Jehovah's Witnesses, Baptists, Buddhists, Muslims, Mennonites, Seventh-day Adventists and Scientologists all have been affected by the law.

[Elizabeth]

[Fiannan]

To be fair, put yourselves in Russia's position. They look at Mormons like Evan McMullin, Jeff Flake, Mitt Romney and Harry Reid and must think this is what our faith is all about.

[Robin Hood]

This happens quite a lot in Greece.

[Dusty52]

News of the arrest of 2 missionaries in Russia signifies the church's strategy of calling them volunteers hasn't worked! and why should it, honesty is supposed to be the best policy!

[nightlight]

To be fair, put yourselves in Russia's position. They look at Mormons like Evan McMullin, Jeff Flake, Mitt Romney and Harry Reid and must think this is what our faith is all about.

Lol what's with you and Russia?
I understand libs use them as a cover...but....don't let that blind you to the bear

[nightlight]

To be fair, put yourselves in Russia's position. They look at Mormons like Evan McMullin, Jeff Flake, Mitt Romney and Harry Reid and must think this is what our faith is all about.

Lol they know everything about Mormons...they knew this before you were born........you are tripping, bro.

[nightlight]

Nothing to see here folks, move along. All is well

[David13]

And about as honest as one can get, they are ... volunteers. Optional to go, and they don't get paid. A volunteer.
dc

[The Airbender]

I like Russia. Ever read War and Peace?

[EmmaLee]

"The church complied with Russian law and redesignated the missionaries as volunteers, warning them to comply with local laws and customs."

Maybe it's as simple as, the missionaries didn't and so they are being detained. Could be a myriad of things though. Honestly, after the change Russia made in 2016 ("anti-terrorism" laws), I'm surprised the Church sends any missionaries there anymore. Probably not the best of ideas.

[Sunain]

I can't see the church actually building that temple in Russia any time soon. Heck, the Paris France Temple just got dedicated 20 years after being announced.

[mtm411]

"The church complied with Russian law and redesignated the missionaries as volunteers, warning them to comply with local laws and customs."

Maybe it's as simple as, the missionaries didn't and so they are being detained. Could be a myriad of things though. Honestly, after the change Russia made in 2016 ("anti-terrorism" laws), I'm surprised the Church sends any missionaries there anymore. Probably not the best of ideas.

I agree. I am sure they aren't super happy that our church is getting by on a technicality. They wanted us gone. A lot of former missionaries go work for the CIA, and I am sure they are well aware of that.

My guess is that they are interested in giving the church and others like it a big scare, but will send the missionaries home unharmed-eventually.

[tdj]

"The church complied with Russian law and redesignated the missionaries as volunteers, warning them to comply with local laws and customs."

Maybe it's as simple as, the missionaries didn't and so they are being detained. Could be a myriad of things though. Honestly, after the change Russia made in 2016 ("anti-terrorism" laws), I'm surprised the Church sends any missionaries there anymore. Probably not the best of ideas.

I'm just wondering now if the missionaries are no longer allowed to do all that stuff, then what CAN they do?

[Fiannan]

To be fair, put yourselves in Russia's position. They look at Mormons like Evan McMullin, Jeff Flake, Mitt Romney and Harry Reid and must think this is what our faith is all about.

Lol what's with you and Russia?
I understand libs use them as a cover...but....don't let that blind you to the bear

Russians get a lot of flak they do not deserve because the US military-industrial-entertainment complex needs an enemy.

[Sarah]

To be fair, put yourselves in Russia's position. They look at Mormons like Evan McMullin, Jeff Flake, Mitt Romney and Harry Reid and must think this is what our faith is all about.

Lol what's with you and Russia?
I understand libs use them as a cover...but....don't let that blind you to the bear

Russians get a lot of flak they do not deserve because the US military-industrial-entertainment complex needs an enemy.

And their main goal is to make you think they are not involved in that network. Here at minute 2:20 and also 15:00, Steve with Israeli News Live says he has uncovered evidence of Russia, along with U.S. and Turkey all working together and being interlinked with these private military contractors https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKafCEfygsU And he has been pro-Putin up until just recently after discovering all this stuff.

And I just read this today: https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-03- ... ng-scandal

More European Banks Ensnared In Widening Russian Money Laundering Scandal
Profile picture for user Tyler Durden
by Tyler Durden
Tue, 03/05/2019 - 10:42

Are there any banks in Europe that haven't been tainted by the burgeoning Russian money laundering scandal?

To wit, European banking shares tumbled on Tuesday as reports suggested several banks from Austria to the Netherlands to - of course - the Baltics - had been accused of turning a blind eye (or at least failing to detect) money laundering by a group nicknamed "the Troika Laundromat".

The scandal first began to take shape roughly a year ago when the Treasury forced ABLV, the third-largest bank in Latvia, into liquidation over allegations that it laundered money for North Korea's ballistics missile program. A few months later, reports started circulating in Estonian media that the local branch of Dutch lending giant Danske Bank had turned a blind eye to hundreds of billions of euros in suspicious transactions involving customers from the former Soviet Union. The bank eventually acknowledged that it had cleared some $234 billion in suspicious funds, including for companies that purportedly had ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, prompting a slew of investigations by Estonian, Dutch, European and US authorities. The bank's chairman and CEO were soon forced out, and regulators in Estonia have shuttered the offending branch.

Shortly after, Deutsche Bank was exposed for its role in clearing nearly all of these transactions through its correspondent banking unit. And in recent weeks, several Scandinavian banks, including Nordea, Swedbank and DNB ASA have been linked to the Danske scandal as well.

On Tuesday, the scandal expanded to Central Europe, as Raiffeisen Bank International shares fell s much as 11% after Bill Browder’s Hermitage Fund told Austrian prosecutors that the bank had helped launder money from Russian criminal activity, including the Troika Laundromat, a group that had also moved money through the three largest Dutch banks. Raiffeisen responded to the allegations by vowing to launch an internal investigation.

Accounts at the three largest Dutch banks were used by the Troika Laundromat to move cash from Russia, according to Dutch magazine De Groene Amsterdammer, which is part of the OCCRP journalist group. About 43 million euros were paid to the Rabobank account of Dutch yacht builder Heesen for construction of two boats, the newspaper said, while approximately 190 million euros went through bank accounts at an ABN Amro unit that later became part of Royal Bank of Scotland. The banks declined to comment.

ABN Amro fell as much as 5 percent before paring losses. ING Groep NV declined as much as 2.8 percent.

But they weren't the only European banks to launder money for the Troika.

Raiffeisen Bank International’s predecessor RZB helped launder money linked to Russian tax fraud, according to a report Hermitage Fund filed to Austrian white-collar prosecutors. Browder, an investor who has spent the past decade building cases against banks for laundering following the death in a Russian jail of Magnitsky, said more allegations will unfold.

More than $889 million went from accounts at Deutsche Bank to accounts of the “Troika Laundromat” between 2003 and 2017, German daily Süddeutsche Zeitung - also part of the OCCRP group - also reported. Deutsche Bank, in written comments, said it always cooperates with authorities and regulators worldwide and said that as a correspondent bank it only has limited access to information about the customers of the respondent bank.

BBG noted with alacrity that new revelations about the extent of what appears to have been a systemic failure in AML controls have surfaced.

Almost daily revelations are exposing the breadth of suspicious activity that has enmeshed banks across the continent. With investigations under way in Baltic members of the European Union that once were Soviet states, the Nordic countries, the U.S., the U.K. and elsewhere, it may be months before the full extent is uncovered.

With European bank shares already underperforming in 2019, as growths lows, interest rates are mired in near-zero territory, and new regulations hamper their ability to compete with their American peers, this is the last thing the sector needed.

And with each new report, the anxiety of Russian tax evaders and money launderers grows, as a wide ranging AML crackdown becomes more of a priority for EU regulators.

[mtm411]

They prop up the branches and wards there. The teach English as community service. They are allowed to teach people who ask, just not seek out converts.

"The church complied with Russian law and redesignated the missionaries as volunteers, warning them to comply with local laws and customs."

Maybe it's as simple as, the missionaries didn't and so they are being detained. Could be a myriad of things though. Honestly, after the change Russia made in 2016 ("anti-terrorism" laws), I'm surprised the Church sends any missionaries there anymore. Probably not the best of ideas.

I'm just wondering now if the missionaries are no longer allowed to do all that stuff, then what CAN they do?

[nightlight]

They prop up the branches and wards there. The teach English as community service. They are allowed to teach people who ask, just not seek out converts.

"The church complied with Russian law and redesignated the missionaries as volunteers, warning them to comply with local laws and customs."

Maybe it's as simple as, the missionaries didn't and so they are being detained. Could be a myriad of things though. Honestly, after the change Russia made in 2016 ("anti-terrorism" laws), I'm surprised the Church sends any missionaries there anymore. Probably not the best of ideas.

I'm just wondering now if the missionaries are no longer allowed to do all that stuff, then what CAN they do?

IMO, those tgings are coming to an end.

I doubt they broke the law....

[JohnnyL]

News of the arrest of 2 missionaries in Russia signifies the church's strategy of calling them volunteers hasn't worked! and why should it, honesty is supposed to be the best policy!

Perhaps you should read articles/ listen to news more carefully about restrictions.

[mtm411]

They prop up the branches and wards there. The teach English as community service. They are allowed to teach people who ask, just not seek out converts.

"The church complied with Russian law and redesignated the missionaries as volunteers, warning them to comply with local laws and customs."

Maybe it's as simple as, the missionaries didn't and so they are being detained. Could be a myriad of things though. Honestly, after the change Russia made in 2016 ("anti-terrorism" laws), I'm surprised the Church sends any missionaries there anymore. Probably not the best of ideas.

I'm just wondering now if the missionaries are no longer allowed to do all that stuff, then what CAN they do?

IMO, those tgings are coming to an end.

I doubt they broke the law....

I don't think they broke the law, either. Russia isn't like the USA where we have due process. They didn't want foreign missionaries in Russia anymore, so passed a law against missionaries. The church kept missionaries, but called them volunteers. Russia is annoyed, they can arrest anyone they want, no matter how innocent. They think of proselyting as cultural imperialism.

[Lexew1899]

Off to the Gulag.

[Michelle]

Moderator Note: Merged this topic with 2 others on the same story.

[Dusty52]

They prop up the branches and wards there. The teach English as community service. They are allowed to teach people who ask, just not seek out converts.

I'm just wondering now if the missionaries are no longer allowed to do all that stuff, then what CAN they do?

IMO, those tgings are coming to an end.

I doubt they broke the law....

I don't think they broke the law, either. Russia isn't like the USA where we have due process. They didn't want foreign missionaries in Russia anymore, so passed a law against missionaries. The church kept missionaries, but called them volunteers. Russia is annoyed, they can arrest anyone they want, no matter how innocent. They think of proselyting as cultural imperialism.

We should respect and uphold the laws of the land in which are missionaries are sent, the church should not of sent them into Russia, if I was a parent of one of the 2 the church could expect a lawsuit

[Michelle]

They prop up the branches and wards there. The teach English as community service. They are allowed to teach people who ask, just not seek out converts.

IMO, those tgings are coming to an end.

I doubt they broke the law....

I don't think they broke the law, either. Russia isn't like the USA where we have due process. They didn't want foreign missionaries in Russia anymore, so passed a law against missionaries. The church kept missionaries, but called them volunteers. Russia is annoyed, they can arrest anyone they want, no matter how innocent. They think of proselyting as cultural imperialism.

We should respect and uphold the laws of the land in which are missionaries are sent, the church should not of sent them into Russia, if I was a parent of one of the 2 the church could expect a lawsuit

Yeah, they were respecting and upholding the laws of the land as they understood them.

Remember the Church told them to follow all the laws.

The other reports said they were holding a game night in English and were arrested for "teaching English without a license."