Case of Verhoturova in Nizhny Novgorod

Deputy Chief of Police of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for the Nizhny Novgorod Region Yaremchuk V.G. petitions for operational search measures against Victoria Verkhoturova's husband, Sergey. The judge of the Nizhny Novgorod Regional Court, Alexander Vedernikov, authorizes the conduct of operational-search measures: "wiretapping of telephone conversations" using audio recordings, "removal of information from technical communication channels."

The judge of the Nizhny Novgorod Regional Court, Oleg Kolesnikov, makes a decision to conduct operational-search measures "in order to document the criminal activities of Victoria Verkhoturova": "observation", "inspection of premises, buildings and structures, terrain and vehicles".

The judge of the Nizhny Novgorod Regional Court, Alexander Vedernikov, issues a new decree on the conduct of operational-search measures "in order to document the criminal activities of Victoria Verkhoturova": "observation", "inspection of premises, buildings and structures, terrain and vehicles".

The judge of the Nizhny Novgorod Regional Court, Oleg Kolesnikov, issues another decision on the conduct of operational-search measures "in order to document the criminal activities of Victoria Verkhoturova": "observation", "inspection of premises, buildings and structures, terrain and vehicles".

The investigation considers Victoria Verkhoturova to be involved in the commission of a crime under Part 2 of Article 282. 2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.

Oleg Kornilov, Acting Head of the Department of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for the Nizhny Novgorod Region, transfers the materials of the ORM in relation to the Verkhoturov spouses to the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for the Nizhny Novgorod Region to Alena Prigoda.

A criminal case is being initiated against Viktoria Verkhoturova's husband, Sergey, on the grounds of a crime under Part 1 of Article 282. 2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The case is based on the materials of the ORM, including video recordings of a hidden camera installed in the Verkhoturovs' apartment.

Judge of the Prioksky District Court Olga Vorotnikova satisfies the petition of Oleg Makerov, senior investigator for internal affairs of the Main Directorate of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for the Nizhny Novgorod Region, to search the home of Sergey Verkhoturov. Senior Assistant to the Prosecutor of the Nizhny Novgorod Region S. M. Yakovlev supports the petition.

At 6:30 a.m., A. N. Chestneva, an investigator of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for the Nizhny Novgorod Region, accompanied by 10 law enforcement officers, searches the apartment of Sergey Verkhoturov in order to "detect instruments of crime, objects, documents and valuables prohibited in civil circulation, which are important for the criminal case." During the 5-hour search, family photos, postcards, a notebook with personal notes, an information booklet of the Pension Fund of the Russian Federation and electronic devices were seized from believers.

During the search, the spouses are kept in different rooms. Law enforcement officers intimidate Victoria with "terrible conditions in prison, where her psyche will suffer" if she refuses to cooperate and does not provide logins and passwords for personal accounts.

Investigator Oleg Makerov initiates a criminal case against Viktoriya Verkhoturova under Part 2 of Article 282. 2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.

Senior investigator Oleg Makerov makes a decision on the election of Victoria Verkhoturova as a preventive measure in the form of a written undertaking not to leave and proper behavior.

Investigator Makerov interrogates Victoria Verkhoturova. He asks questions about her religion, fellow believers, and participation in worship services after 2017. The believer refuses to answer, using Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.

The case is submitted to the Prioksky District Court of Nizhny Novgorod for consideration by Judge Viktor Yakovlev.

The court begins hearings in the case of Victoria.

20 people come to support Victoria Verkhoturova.

The court is interrogating prosecution witness Glazkova, an operative who participated in the search of the Verkhoturovs' apartment in July 2019. She cannot say what extremist statements were uttered by Victoria.

When asked what extremist literature was found during the search, Glazkova replied that only a notebook and notebooks with personal notes that were not included in the FSEM were seized.

According to the detective, Sergey Verhoturov "is the organizer of the extremist activities of Jehovah's Witnesses," and his wife "was engaged in involvement." At the same time, Glazkova finds it difficult to give facts, how, whom and when Victoria involved somewhere.

When asked by her lawyer what exactly was Victoria's participation in extremist activities, Glazkova answers: "She sang songs. [...] She did certain rituals: she got up, sat down.

At the court hearing, the prosecutor questioned witnesses Konshin and Meshcheryakov about their religion, the activities and structure of the religious movement of Jehovah's Witnesses, as well as their relationship with the Verkhoturovs, Victoria and Sergey.

The state prosecutor reads out Meshcheryakov's testimony, where he reports how he met Jehovah's Witnesses in Tatarstan and asked them to bring him literature. After some time, he stopped smoking, abusing alcohol and began to pay taxes to the state. Meshcheryakov also explains: "I met with Victoria and Sergey Verkhoturov to discuss biblical principles on marriage. Since I had recently married, I needed the advice of an experienced couple." Meshcheryakov states that he has never heard that Victoria Verkhoturova involved anyone in a banned organization. He also reports that, although he met Victoria in the worship building until 2017, he never saw her on stage with any appeals.

Prosecution witness Konshin explains that he never met Viktoria in person. When asked by the prosecutor where he reads the Bible after the ban on the organization, he replies that he does it at home with his family, because he does not need any governing body to read the Holy Scriptures and pray.

The court reviews the video files of the worship service. Among other things, it discusses the question of how to help those who wish to apply the advice from the Bible to fight bad habits, such as smoking. We are also talking about joint religious meetings of the first Christians.

The court rejects the request to include the decisions of the ECHR and the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation regarding the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.

Sergey Ivanenko, a religious scholar, doctor of philosophy and state counselor of the Russian Federation, speaks in court. He describes the history of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia since the late nineteenth century, beginning with Simeon Kozlitsky, a graduate of an Orthodox theological seminary who became the first Bible student (as Jehovah's Witnesses were then called) in the Russian Empire in 1870. Ivanenko also mentions Stalin's repressions, in particular, Operation North, and also talks about the state of affairs among believers today in modern Russia.

Judge of the Prioksky District Court of Nizhny Novgorod Viktor Yakovlev sentences Victoria Verkhoturova to 4 years of suspended sentence.

The Nizhny Novgorod Regional Court, chaired by Judge Nikolai Kozlov, upholds the verdict of Viktoriya Verkhoturova.