The Case of Spirichev in Vyselki

Senior investigator of the Korenovsky MRSO of the Investigative Committee of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Krasnodar Territory, Senior Lieutenant of Justice R. Latysh initiates a criminal case against Viktor Spirichev under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.

Spirichev is interrogated as a suspect.

The believer is charged. He is interrogated in his new status, after which he is released on recognizance not to leave.

The case is submitted to the Vyselkovsky District Court of the Krasnodar Territory. It will be considered by judge Ruslan Teplukhin.

20 people are allowed into the meeting room, including the wife of Viktor Spirichev.

The court asks the opinion of the parties on the merger of seven criminal cases of believers into one on the previously filed petition of the defendant Spirichev. The prosecution and the defense file a motion to adjourn the trial for familiarization with the case materials.

The court rejects the previously filed petition to merge seven criminal cases of believers into one.

The lawyer requests that the case be returned to the prosecutor on the grounds that Spirichev is charged with participating in the activities of four religious organizations, none of which was liquidated by a court decision. The defense also notes that the actions of the defendant, who, in the opinion of the prosecution, participated in the activities of the liquidated religious association, were not specified.

The court rejects the motion of the defense to return the case to the prosecutor.

The state prosecutor reads out the charge, and the defendant Viktor Spirichev expresses his attitude towards him. He explains: "The indictment says that I committed a crime against the foundations of the constitutional order and the security of the state. This is contrary to my beliefs based on the Bible. I believe that my God Jehovah expects me to obey the state, its laws, respect those who are endowed with power... I regularly pay taxes, I do not participate in rallies or protests."

About 15 people come to the hearing to support the believer. The state prosecutor reads out the written materials of the case, including the protocol of the search and the examination of religious scholar Pavel Boyko.

The judge grants the motion of the state prosecutor to postpone the hearing due to the large volume of case materials and the need for preparation.

Interrogation of a secret witness under the pseudonym "Pastor" who attended meetings for worship of Jehovah's Witnesses from the 1990s to the 2010s. To one of the questions, he answers: "For him [the defendant] to say that other religions are bad, I, for example, did not hear these phrases from him."

The court is looking through CDs with video recordings of meetings for worship. The defense repeatedly emphasizes that these recordings do not show manifestations of hatred or calls for violence.

Religious expert Pavel Boyko is summoned to court. He claims that Jehovah's Witnesses are conducting an illegal activity. The judge suppresses the expert's attempts to give a legal assessment of the believers' actions. The lawyer reminds: "The decision of the RF Supreme Court concerned only a legal entity, not practicing religion."

The prosecutor requests a 2-year suspended sentence for Viktor with a 2-year probation period and 6 months restriction of freedom.

Viktor Spirichev makes his final statement.