Photo: Yuriy Zalipaev

Criminal trial

A criminal trial for faith against a local resident continued in Mayskoye

Kabardino-Balkaria

On August 27, the Maysky District Court of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic continued hearings in the criminal case against Yuriy Zalipayev, who faces up to 5 years in prison for his faith.

Five witnesses were questioned at the trial: three members of the operational-investigative team who in August 2016 participated in the seizure of literature at the place of worship in Maysky, an assistant prosecutor and one local resident.

Senior Assistant Prosecutor Denis Shapovalov testified that he was not aware of any cases of distribution of extremist literature by Jehovah's Witnesses in Mayskoye. This is what the investigation accuses Yuriy Zalipaev. According to Denis Alekseevich, believers are well aware of what literature is included in the Federal List of Extremist Materials and do not use it. He also confirmed the arguments of the defense that almost all witnesses in the case received calls from the phone, the number of which belongs to the FSB officer Svetikov Sergey Alexandrovich.

Two members of the investigative team said that although they seized "extremist" literature, it was discovered before their arrival and they did not know by whom.

Finally, an interrogated local resident, an education worker, told the court that in August 2016, an unknown woman gave him the magazine "Awaken!", which he immediately threw away. It remains unclear how investigators found the man, who received the literature a full year before the first interrogation in the case.

According to the prosecution, Yuriy Zalipayev distributed banned literature and also called on other Jehovah's Witnesses to beat Orthodox Christians and Muslims. The believer rejects these accusations. He faces up to 5 years in prison under Part 1 of Article 282 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (incitement to hatred or enmity) and under Part 1 of Article 280 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (public calls for extremist activities).

The next meeting is scheduled for September 7, 14:00. The dates of subsequent meetings are tentatively known: 17, 21, 24 and 28 September; October 19.

Case of Zalipayev in Mayskiy

Case History
It took a Jehovah’s Witness from Kabardino-Balkaria almost 5 years to prove that he was not an extremist. The criminal prosecution began in 2016, when the security forces “found” planted banned literature in the church building. The believer was charged with “inciting hatred and enmity” (later the article was decriminalized) and “public calls for extremist activities.” At the hearings in the Maisky District Court, it turned out that the special services were recruiting false witnesses in educational institutions where Zalipaev worked. The state prosecutor asked to appoint the believer to 2 years in prison, but the court acquitted him. In January 2021, the Supreme Court of Kabardino-Balkaria approved this decision, and in February 2021, the prosecutor’s office made an official apology to Zalipaev. In July 2021, the Maisky City Court ruled to pay the believer one million rubles in compensation for moral damage, but the court of appeal reduced this amount to 500,000 rubles.
Timeline

Persons in case

Criminal case

Region:
Kabardino-Balkaria
Locality:
Mayskiy
Suspected of:
according to the investigation he advocates the exclusivity of his religion (which is interpreted as extremism), and publicly urges others to carry out extremist activity
Court case number:
11702830005000056
Initiated:
August 10, 2017
Current case stage:
The verdict entered into force
Investigating:
Mayskiy Inter-district Investigative Department of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Republic of Kabardino-Balkaria
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:
280 (1)
Court case number:
1-1/2020 (1-4/2019; 1-89/2018;)
Court case number:
1-89/2018
[i18n] Рассматривает по существу:
Майский районный суд Кабардино-Балкарской Республики
Judge:
Елена Валерьевна Кудрявцева
Case History