Six accused and new articles. Court hearings in the second case against Jehovah's Witnesses begin in Karpinsk

On April 29, 2021, the Karpinsky City Court received the second case against Aleksandr Pryanikov, Daria and Venera Dulov. This time, there are three more defendants in the case: Anastasia Pryanikova, Svetlana Zalyaeva and her husband Ruslan, who is not one of Jehovah's Witnesses. The case will be considered by judge Vera Dranitsyna.

The investigation accuses the believers of violating other articles of the Criminal Code, for which a more severe punishment is provided - up to 10 years in prison. All six are suspected of involving third parties in the activities of an extremist organization (Part 1.1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). In addition, investigator A. S. Spirin saw a crime in the fact that the Zalyaevs raise their children in accordance with the Gospel commandments. For this, they and Aleksandr Pryanikov face from 5 to 8 years in prison under Part 4 of Article 150 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation - involvement of a minor in a crime. Also, the spouses Zalyaeva and Anastasia Pryanikova are accused of participating in the activities of a banned association, and Alexander Pryanikov is accused of organizing this activity under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, for which he faces from 6 to 10 years in prison.

Alexander Pryanikov, Daria and Venera Dulov have been defending their faith in court for more than two and a half years. The criminal prosecution began on July 30, 2018, when the first case was initiated against them under Article 282.2 (2) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation – participation in the activities of a banned organization. A verdict had already been passed in this case - the believers were given suspended sentences, but the court of appeal overturned this decision and sent the case back to a lower court for consideration by another judge.