The Case of Zinchenko in Sevastopol

Lieutenant of Justice Nikolay Pogorelov, senior investigator of the Nakhimovsky district of Sevastopol, initiates a criminal case against Maxim Zinchenko. He is charged with participation in the activities of an extremist organization.

The apartment of Maksym and Karina Zinchenko is being searched with the participation of the armed forces. The spouses are interrogated separately. Maksim is asked questions about video recordings of worship services that were made in Sevastopol by secret FSB agents in 2019 and used in the case of Zhukov and others.

The believer is taken to the Investigative Committee of Sevastopol for interrogation. Here, Zinchenko is threatened that he will be placed under house arrest, and his wife will be sent to a pre-trial detention center.

The Nakhimovsky District Court of the city of Sevastopol sends Zinchenko under house arrest.

The prosecutor of the Nakhimovsky district of Sevastopol, senior adviser of justice A. N. Gogolev approves the indictment. Maksym Zinchenko is accused of "taking part in meetings where he gave religious speeches", "instructing the parishioners of the Jehovah's Witnesses community to read certain verses from the Bible ... or read them personally, and then analyzed their meaning. The conclusion also notes that the believer "conducted conversations, read the religious material of Jehovah's Witnesses, in this way he expressed his faith in God and continued the activity of his faith."

The case goes to the Nakhimovsky District Court of the city of Sevastopol. It will be considered by judge Valery Kuznetsov.

More than 50 friends of the defendant come to the courthouse. Only parents, grandparents and another listener are allowed into the hall.

Maksym Zinchenko recuses the lawyer because he cannot pay for his services. The court agrees and appoints another defense counsel, whose services, according to the judge, will be paid for at the expense of the state.

About 70 fellow believers who came from all over Crimea come to support Zinchenko and his wife.

The believer declares to the court that he does not agree with the charge. However, judge Valery Kuznetsov does not allow him to express his attitude. Instead, the court determines the order of the judicial investigation and begins the interrogation of the prosecution witness - Maksim's wife. She enjoys the right not to testify against herself and her loved ones.

A prosecution witness is being questioned at the court hearing. He describes the Jehovah's Witnesses whom he saw at worship meetings as "pleasant and hospitable people." When asked by the prosecutor whether Maksym Zinchenko invited the prosecution witness to the liturgical meetings via instant messengers, he clearly explains that "Zinchenko never offered him anything or invited him via the Internet."

The prosecutor is interrogating three prosecution witnesses: FSB investigator Dmitry Shevchenko, specialist Arkady Boyarkin and secret witness Larisa Ivanenko.

Witnesses inform the court that until 2017 Maksym Zinchenko participated in worship services, but they cannot explain anything about his activities after the ban on legal entities.

About 70 people come to the hearing, and for the first time the spouse of a believer is allowed into the courtroom.

Maksym Zinchenko speaks with the last word: "Love for God and for my neighbors is the main motive of all my actions. And it has nothing to do with extremism."