Spanish court rules Jehovah’s Witnesses may be called a “destructive sect”

Madrid. Photo: Canva

On April 16, 2026, the Provincial Court of Madrid ruled in favor of the Spanish Association of Victims of Jehovah’s Witnesses. The judges held that public criticism of the religious group does not violate its right to honor or reputation, Inquirer reports.

According to the ruling, the use of the term “destructive sect” falls fully within the legally protected right to freedom of expression.

The case began after six members of the organization filed suit seeking the dissolution of the victims’ association. They argued that even the word “victims” in the name of the public organization was defamatory. The court, however, rejected those claims as unfounded.

The ruling states that assertions that membership in the group “harms health, endangers people’s lives, or creates victims” are protected by law, even if such statements are “unpleasant or hurtful” for the organization itself.

Carlos Bardavío, the association’s lawyer, described the decision as unprecedented in global legal practice. According to him, this is the first time a court in a European country has formally allowed a registered religious body to be called a destructive sect.

AEVTJ president Samuel Ferrando said the ruling “validates our voice and our right to define ourselves as victims.”

“It also confirms that many of their practices allow them to be described as a dangerous sect. Until now, any media outlet that dared to use that term risked being sued by Jehovah’s Witnesses,” he added.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that in Chernihiv, a Jehovah’s Witness was sentenced to five years in prison for leaving his military unit without authorization.

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