In the photo from left to right from top to bottom: Olga Panyuta, Dmitry Malevaniy, Alexey Trofimov, Olga Opaleva

In the photo from left to right from top to bottom: Olga Panyuta, Dmitry Malevaniy, Alexey Trofimov, Olga Opaleva

In the photo from left to right from top to bottom: Olga Panyuta, Dmitry Malevaniy, Alexey Trofimov, Olga Opaleva

Criminal trial

A court in Primorye released four believers from house arrest

Primorye Territory

On November 19, 2019, the Primorye Regional Court found no reason to extend house arrest Alexei TrofimovAnd, Olga PanyutS and Olga Opaleva. The next day, the court also released Dmitriy Malevaniy. The counter-arguments of the investigator that the suspects could escape, the court recognized as unfounded.

Criminal cases against believers in Primorye were opened back in November 2018 after searches in their homes . In total, they were under house arrest for almost a year. In October 2019, Olga Opaleva suffered a stroke right in the convoy car. However, she still could not leave her home and was forced to wear an electronic bracelet on her paralyzed leg.

Update. It became known that the prosecutor appealed against the decision made in November 2019 to refuse to extend the term of house arrest for Alexei Trofimov, Dmitry Malevaniy and Olga Panyuta. On December 18, 2019, however, the Spassky District Court, chaired by Judge P. V. Bobrovich, decided to replace the measure of restraint for believers in the form of house arrest with a recognizance not to leave and proper behavior.

Case of Malevaniy and Others in Spassk-Dalny

Case History
In the fall of 2018, searches were carried out in Spassk-Dalny at the homes of Dmitry Malevany, Alexei Trofimov, Olga Panyuta, Olga Opaleva and their fellow believers. The reason for the persecution of civilians was their faith in Jehovah God. The believers were accused of organizing the activities of an extremist organization and involving others in it. The case is based on the testimony of secret witnesses “Sidorova” and “Ivanova”, who monitored the believers on instructions from the FSB. On the eve of the search, Olga Opaleva suffered a heart attack, and later, on the way to court, a stroke. The four believers spent a year under house arrest, and since November 2019 they have been under a recognizance agreement. In December 2019, the case went to court. In February 2023, the believers were sentenced: Dmitry Malevanoy was given 7 years in a penal colony, Alexey Trofimov  6.5 years in prison, Olga Panyuta - 4.5 years in prison, and Olga Opaleva - 5 years suspended. The appeal reduced each of these terms by two months, the cassation supported this decision.
Timeline

Persons in case

Trofimov
Aleksey
Malevaniy
Dmitriy
Opaleva
Olga
Panyuta
Olga

Criminal case

Region:
Primorye Territory
Locality:
Spassk-Dalny
Suspected of:
according to the investigation, together with others he conducted religious services, which is interpreted as organising the activity of an extremist organisation (with reference to the decision of the Russian Supreme Court on the liquidation of all 396 registered organisations of Jehovah’s Witnesses)
Court case number:
11802050020000065
Initiated:
November 12, 2018
Current case stage:
The verdict entered into force
Investigating:
Investigative Department of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Primorskiy Region
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:
282.2 (1), 282.2 (1.1)
Court case number:
1-4/2023 (1-4/2022; 1-7/2021; 1-70/2020; 1-570/2019)
Court of First Instance:
Спасский районный суд Приморского края
Judge of the Court of First Instance:
Павел Бобрович
Case History