In the photo: Elena Reyno-Chernyshova. Birobidzhan, February 17, 2021

In the photo: Elena Reyno-Chernyshova. Birobidzhan, February 17, 2021

In the photo: Elena Reyno-Chernyshova. Birobidzhan, February 17, 2021

Unjust Verdicts

Yelena Reyno-Chernyshova of Birobidzhan was ordered to pay a fine. This is an eighth conviction for practicing one's faith in the Jewish Autonomous Region

Jewish Autonomous Area

On February 17, 2021 Vladimir Mikhalyov, judge of the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region, found Yelena Reyno-Chernyshova guilty under part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code (participation in the activities of a banned organization). She was sentenced to a fine of 10,000 rubles. The prosecutor asked for 4 years of imprisonment.

The sentence has not come into force. The believer pleaded not guilty and asked for full acquittal. There were no victims in the case.

Yelena Reyno-Chernyshova is an accountant by profession. She had lost her job at the financial department of the Government of the Jewish Autonomous Region and her position as deputy head of the financial department of the district administration because of her criminal prosecution for her belief in God. Her husband recently suffered a third heart attack. Her elderly mother also has serious heart problems and needs her daughter's care.

Elena has been under house arrest since October 1, 2019. She was one of 21 victims of criminal prosecution for "extremism" who were initiated and investigated by FSB investigator D. S. Yankin. A total of 22 Jehovah's Witnesses were prosecuted in Birobidzhan. The persecution of civilians began after a large-scale operation codenamed "Judgment Day" with the participation of 150 security officials.

The Reyno-Chernyshova case was opened on September 25, 2019. It was separated from the case against Alam Aliyev (currently under house arrest). The investigation lasted 5 months and 7 days. On March 3, 2020, the case went to court.

There have already been 8 convictions of peaceful believers who exercised their constitutional right to freedom of religion in the Jewish Autonomous Region. Among them are Yevgeny Golik, Anastasia Sycheva, Arthur Lokhvitsky and others.

Yelena Reyno-Chernyshova personally sent a letter to President Vladimir Putin, and received an answer. In court, she referred to it, as well as to an annual press conference held in December 2020, where the president said that "there was no repression on religious grounds in Russia...there was no selective persecution for any particular religion."

Russian human rights activists, as well as the international community, consider the criminal prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia to be inappropriate.

For example, Vladimir Ryakhovsky, a member of the Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights, says that the persecution of Witnesses in Russia has far-reaching consequences: "It always started with Jehovah's Witnesses and then reflected on everyone."

Case of Reyno-Chernyshova in Birobidzhan

Case History
A civilian resident of Birobidzhan, Yelena Reyno-Chernyshova, was accused of a serious crime - extremism - on the basis of religion. In September 2019, the investigative department of the FSB of Russia for the Jewish Autonomous Region opened a criminal case against her for her faith under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. According to the investigation, Yelena “committed deliberate actions related to the resumption and continuation of the activities of the local religious organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses in the city of Birobidzhan.” The case was considered by the Deputy Chairman of the Birobidzhan District Court Vladimir Mikhalev. In February 2021, the believer was found guilty and fined. Two months later, the Court of Appeal toughened the sentence to 2.5 years of probation. On June 21, 2022, the believer’s suspended sentence was canceled ahead of schedule, and her criminal record was cleared.
Timeline

Persons in case

Criminal case

Region:
Jewish Autonomous Area
Locality:
Birobidzhan
Suspected of:
According to the investigation she “committed intentional acts related to the resumption and continuation of the activities of the local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses in Birobidzhan” (from a criminal case order)
Court case number:
11907990001000014
Initiated:
September 29, 2019
Current case stage:
the verdict entered into force
Investigating:
Investigative Department of the Directorate of the FSB of Russia for the Jewish Autonomous Region
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:
282.2 (2)
Court case number:
1-20/2021 (1-174/2020)
Court:
Биробиджанский районный суд ЕАО
Judge:
Владимир Михалёв
Case History
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