The case of Penskaya in Vyselki

Case History

In February 2022, Vasilina Penskaya’s house in the village of Berezanskaya, Krasnodar Territory, was searched. A year and 4 months later, the Investigative Committee opened a criminal case against her for participating in the activities of an extremist organization. The believer, as well as her husband Dmitriy, were interrogated, after which they were released on recognizance agreement. The woman’s bank accounts were blocked. In December 2023, Vasilina’s case went to court. The case includes the testimony of a secret witness who collaborated with the FSB by making covert audio and video recordings of worship services.
Timeline

  • #
    February 13, 2022 Search

    The house of Vasilina Penskaya and her husband Dmitry is being searched on the basis of the decision of the investigator A. A. Garmash. Bank cards, laptops and phones are confiscated from the believer. Law enforcement officers are interested in the religion of the young woman, and also ask if she is familiar with the names they voiced.

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    May 23, 2023 Case initiated Art. 282.2 (2) Rosfinmonitoring

    A criminal case is being initiated against Penskaya under the article on participation in the activities of an extremist organization. The believer's bank accounts are blocked.

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    July 11, 2023 Interrogation

    Senior investigator of the Korenovsky MRSO of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Krasnodar Territory, Senior Lieutenant of Justice Roman Latysh interrogates Vasilina and her husband.

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    July 18, 2023 Art. 282.2 (2) Recognizance agreement

    Vasilina Penskaya was charged under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, and she was charged with a written undertaking not to leave the place.

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    December 29, 2023 Case went to court

    The case goes to the Vyselkovsky District Court. It will be considered by judge Roman Teplukhin.

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    January 30, 2024 Hearing in a court of the first instance

    Hearings on the merits of the case begin.

    Seven believers, including Vasilina, whose cases are being heard in the Vyselkovsky District Court, file a petition to merge their cases into one.

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    February 13, 2024 Hearing in a court of the first instance Secret witness

    The judge rejects the motion to join the cases.

    The court reads out the indictment, which states that Penskaya "took a direct part in religious teaching and sermons," "conducted and listened to lectures based on the religious literature of Jehovah's Witnesses," and "entered into conversations and religious discussions with other participants."

    The indictment was based, among other things, on the testimony of a man under the pseudonym Shepherd, who since June 2022 had been collaborating with the FSB and making covert audio and video recordings of Jehovah's Witnesses worship services.

    "I do not plead guilty and I believe that the charge against me is illegal," says Vasilina Penskaya.

  • #
    February 29, 2024 Hearing in a court of the first instance

    The court reads out written evidence, including transcripts of worship services. The prosecutor begins to read out the protocols of interrogations of the defendants from the Ushakov case. Lawyers object, because they are not witnesses in the case of Penskaya. The court will announce the decision to exclude these protocols from the case file at the next hearing.