Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk

The Novosibirsk Regional Court upholds the verdict against Yuri Savelyev.

Yuriy Savelyev was transferred from SIZO-1 in the Altai Territory (Barnaul) to Correctional Colony No. 5 in the Altai Territory (Rubtsovsk) to serve his sentence.

It is not possible to write letters to this colony through the Federal Penitentiary Service, but it is possible to write letters to Yuri through the Zonatelecom service.

Deputy Prosecutor of the Novosibirsk Region M. I. Askerov submits a submission against the appeal decision of the Novosibirsk Regional Court dated 05.04.2021. He asks to return to the sentence an additional punishment, which was canceled by the appellate court.

The lawyer visits Yuriy Savelyev in the colony. The believer says that during his time in prison he has already received more than 15,000 letters of support.

Yuriy has no critical health problems, but he is worried about back pain.

Yuriy was allowed to borrow a Bible from the colony's library, but his glasses for permanent wear broke.

Early in the morning, Yuriy Savelyev is notified of his transfer to Barnaul, 295 km away, to medical correctional facility No. 1, specializing in "the treatment of convicts with alcoholism and drug addiction." He is informed that this is still for six months.

As it became known, in early August, Yuri was summoned several times by the acting head of colony No. 5, Pyotr Safonov, and offered to sign a blank consent form for treatment. Yuri refused, citing the fact that nothing bothered him. He also drew attention to the fact that the document did not contain the conclusion of the doctor of the medical unit on the need for treatment. Savelyev was asked to sign the form, indicating his disagreement in it, which he did.

During the conversation, the chief mentioned that the believer receives "too many letters, in connection with which the colony staff has much more work."

On August 24, at about noon, Yuri Savelyev was transferred to the Medical Correctional Institution No. 1 of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia in the Altai Territory. According to him, the reception was accompanied by rude statements. They took away from the believer a thick notebook with personal notes, a large stack of letters, which he was handed upon his departure from IK-5. Documents and things, including the Bible, were thrown into one bag after checking. He hopes that all this will be returned to him after the quarantine that he takes place in a cell with 12 other prisoners.

The lawyer visits Yuriy Savelyev at a new place, in LIU-1. The believer feels good. He tells how he manages to cope with all the difficulties and injustices: "Thanks to frequent sincere prayers to Jehovah God, I feel his support. In addition, reading the letters of fellow believers, in which there are many interesting encouraging thoughts and news, I seem to be immersed in another world. Then time flies much faster, and I have no time to think about sad things. During the years of imprisonment, Yuri has already received more than 16,000 letters from 80 countries of the world.

At the new place, Savelyev has a calm relationship with the prisoners. Yuri is glad that now, while walking, he can admire the beauty of the sky "not in a cell".

In a conversation with a lawyer, the head of LIU-1 and the doctor of the medical unit claim that they do not carry out compulsory treatment, and Savelyev's rights will not be violated. The lawyer draws attention to the fact that Yuriy is one of Jehovah's Witnesses, and therefore does not suffer from alcoholism or drug addiction and does not need treatment.

At the end of quarantine, Yuriy Savelyev is transferred to the narcological department. The conditions of detention there are good, Yuriy feels good physically and emotionally.

The head of the operational department, Dmitry Popov, summons Savelyev and returns to him the documents and the Bible previously seized from him. However, he is not given a notebook, where he entered important information for himself for three years.

Yuri receives a parcel with warm clothes, and he is also given new glasses and letters.

The doctor calls Yuri to discuss treatment and medical procedures. On the table, the believer notices a copy of the form "Consent to treatment", which he was given to sign in IK-5 of Rubtsovsk, and he expressed his disagreement in it. Savelyev is struck by two worn spots in front of the word "agree" and his signature. The doctor asks if Yuri is ready for treatment. He categorically refuses, explaining that he does not suffer from drug addiction or alcoholism. Regarding the situation, the doctor consults with the deputy head of the medical unit, Yevgeny Evdokimov, who orders nothing to do and send Yuri back to the department.

The head of the operational department, Popov, notifies Yuriy that compulsory treatment will not be prescribed to the believer.

The lawyer visits Savelyev. He says that above the believer's bed were hung photos of him with the caption "prone to extremism."

The lawyer reports that Yuri has a cold, but has not yet sought medical help.

About his mood and emotional state, Yuri says that it is "on top". He has good relations with convicts and employees of the institution.

Yuriy Savelyev is transferred from LIU-1 back to Correctional Colony No. 5 in Rubtsovsk.

An FSB officer comes to the believer in the colony and asks about his views on life and plans for the future.

Employees of IK-5 again offer Yuri to sign a document on consent to treatment in LIU-1 in Barnaul. Of the number of requests and appeals submitted by the lawyer in connection with the transfer of Savelyev to LIU-1, at the moment the answer has been received only from the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia for the Altai Territory. It says that according to the results of the examination on August 18, 2021, Savelyev was allegedly diagnosed with a preliminary diagnosis: "harmful use of alcohol." This "diagnosis" is not true and is not based on anything.

The lawyer visits Yuriy in the colony. Savelyev talks about how he was transported from the medical correctional facility: "We were loaded into a paddy wagon. On the way, we stopped at a tuberculosis hospital, from where other prisoners were taken. We drove, got acquainted: who is who and for what is imprisoned. When I told him why I was in prison, one of my fellow travelers literally jumped up from his seat and began to shake my hand. He said that he was glad to meet Jehovah's Witness in person, that he had read a lot about the Witnesses and dreamed of talking to them. The man said that, despite a lot of negative information, he is always on our side. All the way, 8 hours, from Barnaul to Rubtsovsk, he asked me questions about faith.

The lawyer says that Yuriy feels good both physically and emotionally. And although the conditions of detention in LIU-1 were much better than in the colony, the believer refused to undergo any treatment, as well as psychological and psychiatric training.

It also becomes known that for more than 4 months Savelyev could not call his relatives due to the lack of a payphone card "Zonatelecom". This problem has now been resolved.

So far, the believer has already received 16,252 letters of support from 83 countries. He is sensitive to each letter and tries to answer many of them.

Because of his age, strong faith and decency, Yuriy won the respect of prisoners and colony staff. In the detachment, which has at least 50 people, Savelyev was put first in the ranks, and in the dining room they do not begin to distribute food without him.

On November 24, it is planned to consider the case of Savelyev's early release in the Eighth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Kemerovo. The believer does not lose hope for early release. His prison term ends in August 2023.

The Eighth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction (located in Kemerovo), composed of E. V. Starchikova, E. V. Volkova and O. V. Plastinina, considers the complaint of the prosecutor and returns the criminal case for a new appeal hearing. Thus, the sentence is now considered not to have entered into force.

Yuriy Savelyev's case is being submitted to the Novosibirsk Regional Court for a new appeal.

The lawyer visits Savelyev in Correctional Colony No. 5 in the town of Rubtsovsk. The prisoners treat him with respect and call him by his first name and patronymic: Yuri Prokopievich. Some are interested in his religious views.

During his imprisonment, the believer has already received more than 17,000 letters. Some cellmates ask them to read them. The prisoners are impressed by the warmth and love with which they are written. Yuriy writes from 3 to 10 response letters per day.

Living conditions in the colony have deteriorated: the water in the shower flows in a thin stream. In such conditions, prisoners do not have time to wash themselves in the allotted time. Yuriy also says that the food in the dining room does not correspond to the stated menu. Because of the conversations and noise, it is impossible to get enough sleep at night, so during the day he feels tired and overwhelmed. Yuriy rarely goes for walks, as many people smoke there. Like other prisoners, Yuriy had a respiratory illness.

Despite the difficulties, Yuriy Savelyev maintains a positive attitude.

The appellate hearing scheduled for January 10, 2022 in the Savelyev case is presumably postponed to early February. Yuriy is planned to be transferred from the Rubtsovsk correctional colony No. 5 to pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the city of Barnaul, and then transferred to pre-trial detention center No. 1 in Novosibirsk.

The lawyer visits Yuriy Savelyev in Barnaul Detention Center No. 1, where the believer is awaiting transfer to Novosibirsk. Unlike the last trip, when he was transported in a crowded car, this time there were only two people in the compartment: Yuri and another prisoner, and no one smoked in the car. The fact that Yuri was being taken to Barnaul, he learned only on the train.

Upon arrival at the pre-trial detention center, the reception of prisoners was delayed until 5 o'clock in the morning. All this time, Savelyev stayed in a cold, damp and dirty basement, where there was no opportunity to rest.

Yuri and several other prisoners are placed in a warm, bright cell intended for transit convicts.

Savelyev feels good, chronic diseases do not bother him.

Yuriy Savelyev is taken to SIZO-1 in Novosibirsk. He can receive letters again

The Novosibirsk Regional Court upholds the verdict of the Leninsky District Court of Novosibirsk - 6 years in a general regime colony, 1 year of restriction of freedom, a ban on engaging in activities related to leadership and participation in public and religious organizations for a period of 3 years.

It becomes known that Yuri Savelyev left the pre-trial detention center in Novosibirsk. He is transferred to a colony to serve the remainder of his sentence for his faith.

Yuri Savelyev from the Novosibirsk pre-trial detention center is transferred back to correctional colony No. 5 in the city of Rubtsovsk to serve the rest of his sentence.

The lawyer visits Yuriy Savelyev in IK-5 in Rubtsovsk (Altai Territory). It turns out that in the process of being transferred to the colony, the believer was sent to the punishment cell for six days without explanation as a "violator". Yuriy manages to maintain a positive attitude, despite the difficulties that arise.

Savelyev consistently receives letters of support. As he reports, their number reached 18215. Yuriy is especially encouraged by letters from those who have also been prosecuted for their faith, visited a pre-trial detention center or served their sentences. So, Valentina Baranovskaya supports the believer with her letters.

The believer also informs the lawyer that a new plaque has been attached to the headboard of his bed, on which, in addition to his full name and the article for which he is convicted, it is written in rather large letters: "Inclined to study and spread extremist ideology." He explains that he is still on the preventive register as "prone to extremism." But, according to him, everyone in the detachment is already well aware that his peace-loving views have nothing to do with extremism.

A new trial of the case of Yuri Savelyev in the Eighth Court of Cassation in Kemerovo is scheduled for August 10.

Yuriy Savelyev is summoned to the disciplinary commission, where he is informed that he is recognized as a "malicious violator of the regime." The reason is violations of internal regulations (he did not keep his hands behind his back when, in the opinion of the commission, he should have done so; he did not introduce himself in the form established in the colony; he did not sew a badge that was not issued to him; before going to bed, he took off his jacket 10 minutes ahead of schedule; violated the uniform in the daytime). The Commission extends Savelyev's detention in a punishment cell for 14 days, after which he must be transferred to strict conditions of serving his sentence (SUS).

Yuriy is transferred to the SUS, where 50 prisoners are kept. According to him, order and discipline reign here, living conditions are good, and the premises have recently been renovated. The prisoners treat Yuri with respect.

By the decision of the commission, Yuriy Savelyev was transferred from strict conditions of detention for 2 months to even stricter ones - to the PKT (chamber-type room). "This is a gloomy cell with a small window under the ceiling, the prisoners call it a punishment cell," says the believer. The cell is cold, but when a neighbor is moved to Savelyev, they close up all the cracks and it becomes warmer. Yuri is now allowed to walk only 1 hour a day in a small courtyard.

Savelyev reports that he received a response from the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation, Tatyana Moskalkova, to his appeal in connection with the violation of his rights and the imposition of illegal penalties: according to the results of the inspection of the Rubtsovsk prosecutor's office, it was revealed that "there were no violations on the part of the administration of the colony in relation to Yuri."

The lawyer visits Yuriy in the colony. The believer reports that he submitted an application to the administration to be allowed telephone conversations with his relatives, but was refused.

Optimism helps Savelyev cope with numerous difficulties. He says: "I try to focus on the positive, I pray a lot to Jehovah, I sing songs, I read letters, I answer them." To date, the believer has already received 19,221 letters from all over the world (an average of 392 letters per month).

Seeing that Yuriy communicates with everyone in the colony tactfully and politely, some employees and prisoners are imbued with great respect for him and are perplexed: "Yuri Prokopievich, in general, why are you sitting here?"

Yuriy is still in strict conditions of detention. Despite this, his emotional state is good, he is looking forward to his imminent release. The believer has the opportunity to walk for two hours a day in the courtyard with a length of about 100 meters.

In the spring, Yuri had a severe form of pneumonia. He was placed in a hospital isolated from the rest of the prisoners because of the article under which he was convicted. Now the believer feels good, he has no complications.

Yuriy receives letters regularly, every day he writes answers. During the entire period of detention, he received 19781 letters.

Penal colony No. 5 in the Altai Territory (23 Traktornaya Street, Rubtsovsk, Altai Territory).