Jehovah’s Witnesses are escalating their use of legal strategies to silence critics and advocates. This case is far from an isolated incident, and it will not be the last time we hear of legal battles involving the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society.

Jari-Pekka Peltoniemi is a former Jehovah’s Witness who was one for 35 years, leaving the Organization in 2006. He became a long-time activist and now faces financial repercussions for exposing the organization’s controversial practices. The stakes? Over €20,000 in legal fees.

The legal battle for Jari-Pekka started in 2020 and stems from his decision to share audio recordings and screenshots from an online Jehovah’s Witnesses meeting. The material, which included discussions about enforcing shunning, was posted to his website. Although Jari-Pekka later blurred the faces of two elders featured in the screenshots, the Jehovah’s Witnesses claimed their privacy had been violated and launched a lawsuit against him. They stated, “The identity, image and religious beliefs of the defendants in such a way that it was capable of causing damage or suffering to [those concerned] or contempt towards [them].” Peltoniemi responded that it was not about the private life of the defendants because they are the congregation’s elders, they have a far-reaching position of power and they have applied for a public position.

Initially, a Finnish lower court, the District Court of Länsi-Uusimaa, ruled in Jari-Pekka’s favor, affirming his right to expose these practices. However, the Supreme Administrative Court of Finland (Korkein hallinto-oikeus) overturned this decision, siding with the Jehovah’s Witnesses and leaving Jari-Pekka responsible for steep legal costs. This would be the fourth time the organization has asked police to investigate his actions, showing the troubling example of how powerful organizations can use the legal system to stifle criticism and deter whistleblowers.