Photo: Snezhana and Konstantin Bazhenov

Photo: Snezhana and Konstantin Bazhenov

Photo: Snezhana and Konstantin Bazhenov

Criminal trial

In Yelizovo in Kamchatka, another trial of peaceful believers has begun. An accountant and two teachers are on trial for extremism

Kamchatka Territory

On November 14, 2019, the Yelizovsky District Court will hold the third hearing in the criminal case against civilians Konstantin Bazhenov, his wife Snezhana, and Vera Zolotova. In August 2018, all three were sent to a temporary detention center.

In 2018, mass searches were carried out in the homes of believers in the city of Yelizovo, after which Konstantin and Snezhana Bazhenov and Vera Zolotova were detained. The women spent 3 days behind bars, and Konstantin spent more than a week. A criminal case was opened against the believers, and a written undertaking not to leave was taken from them.

On October 24 and November 7, 2019, court hearings on this criminal case were held in the Yelizovsky District Court. The prosecution announced the indictment, which has 111 pages. All three are charged under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code. No one was recognized as "victims" in this case. The defense filed a motion to return the case to the prosecutor. The next court hearing will be held on November 14, 2019.

A chronicle of this process has been published

The Case of the Bazhenovs and Others in Yelizovo

Case History
In 2018, in Yelizovo, Snezhana and Konstantin Bazhenov, both teachers, as well as widowed pensioner Vera Zolotova, were detained; their houses were searched, and a few days later they had to sign a recognizance agreement. The Investigative Committee equated the holding of joint meetings for worship to illegal activity. In September 2020, the court gave each of them a 2-year suspended sentence. The court of appeal upheld this decision, but the court of cassation returned the case for retrial to the territory court. In January 2022, it acquitted the believers, but the prosecutor’s office succeeded in having the verdict overturned in the RF Supreme Court, and the case was returned to the appeal stage, and later the courts of cassation supported the verdict of a 2-year suspended sentence.
Timeline

Persons in case

Bazhenov
Konstantin
Bazhenova
Snezhana
Zolotova
Vera

Criminal case

Region:
Kamchatka Territory
Locality:
Yelizovo
Suspected of:
according to the investigation, together with others conducted meetings for worship, which is interpreted as “organising the activity of an extremist organisation” (with reference to the RF Supreme Court decision on the liquidation of all 396 registered organisations of Jehovah’s Witnesses).
Court case number:
11802300004000052
Initiated:
August 17, 2018
Current case stage:
the verdict entered into force
Investigating:
Investigative Department of the City of Yelizovo of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Kamchatka Territory
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:
282.2 (2)
Court case number:
1-78/2020
Court:
Yelizovskiy District Court of the Kamchatka Territory
Judge:
Yuliya Piskun
Case History
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