Photo: Dennis Christensen

Criminal Investigation and Trial

The appeal hearing in the case of a Jehovah's Witness from Denmark in Oryol will continue on September 28

Oryol Region

On September 20, 2017, after a 4-hour hearing, the Oryol Regional Court postponed the appeal hearing in the case of Dane citizen Dennis Christensen, one of Jehovah's Witnesses, who is being held in a pre-trial detention center in the city of Oryol. The reason is that the court of first instance did not submit to the appeal part of the evidence of the defense, which was examined when considering the issue of extending the detention.

The court of first instance chose the most severe measure of restraint, baselessly assuming that Dennis Christensen could hide from the investigation and the court, leaving for the borders of Russia. Lawyers point to the redundancy of such a severe measure of restraint. Investigators seized the believer's passport, so he cannot physically leave Russia. Attached to the case is a letter from the Danish Embassy, which states: "For humanitarian reasons, the Royal Embassy of Denmark in Moscow in support of the petition ... on the replacement of a measure of restraint in the form of detention with another measure of restraint gives assurances at the place of demand that the Royal Embassy of Denmark in Moscow will not provide a new passport to D.O. Christensen and will not assist D.O. Christensen to leave the territory of the Russian Federation.

The believer is suspected of continuing the activities of the Jehovah's Witnesses organization, which was liquidated by the court. Seeking his full acquittal, at this stage, the lawyers are asking the Court of Appeal to choose a measure of restraint against Dennis Christensen in the form of cash bail or house arrest. The appeal hearing will continue in the Oryol Regional Court on September 28, 2017 at 14:00.

Case of Christensen in Oryol

Case History
Dennis Christensen is the first Jehovah’s Witness in modern Russia to be imprisoned only because of his faith. He was arrested in May 2017. The FSB accused the believer of organizing the activities of a banned organization on the basis of the testimony of a secret witness, theologian Oleg Kurdyumov from a local university, who kept covert audio and video recordings of conversations with Christensen about faith. There are no extremist statements or victims in the case. In 2019, the court sentenced Christensen to 6 years in prison. The believer was serving time in the Lgov colony. He repeatedly asked for the replacement of part of the unserved term with a fine. For the first time, the court granted the request, but the prosecutor’s office appealed this decision, and the prison administration threw the believer into a punishment cell on trumped-up charges. Christensen developed illnesses that prevented him from working in prison. On May 24, 2022, the believer was released after serving his sentence and was immediately deported to his homeland, Denmark.
Timeline

Persons in case

Criminal case

Region:
Oryol Region
Locality:
Oryol
Suspected of:
according to the investigation, together with the others he conducted religious services, which is interpreted as “organising the activity of an extremist organisation” (with reference to the court’s decision on the liquidation of the local organisation of Jehovah’s Witnesses)
Court case number:
11707540001500164
Initiated:
May 23, 2017
Current case stage:
The verdict entered into force
Investigating:
UFSB of Russia in the Oryol region
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:
282.2 (1)
Court case number:
1-37/1
[i18n] Рассмотрено судом первой инстанции:
Железнодорожный районный суд г. Орла
Judge:
Алексей Николаевич Руднев
[i18n] Суд апелляционной инстанции:
Орловский областной суд
[i18n] Суд апелляционной инстанции:
Льговский райсуд Курской области
Case History