In the photo: Dmitriy Terebilov before his arrest (2021)

In the photo: Dmitriy Terebilov before his arrest (2021)

In the photo: Dmitriy Terebilov before his arrest (2021)

Unjust Verdicts

Dmitriy Terebilov From Kostroma Will Remain in a Penal Colony. The Court of Cassation Affirmed the Verdict of the Believer

Kostroma Region

On September 22, 2022, the Second Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Moscow, chaired by Sergey Krylov, upheld the conviction of Jehovah's Witness Dmitriy Terebilov from Kostroma. For faith in God, he will spend 3 years in a penal colony.

The criminal prosecution of Dmitry Terebilov began in 2018 - the first search was carried out in his apartment. A year later, the search was repeated, and the believer learned about the criminal case initiated against him. Soon he was included in the list of extremists of Rosfinmonitoring. The court sentenced Terebilov to 3 years in prison, the appellate instance upheld the sentence. The criminal prosecution of Dmitriy Terebilov began in 2018—the first search was carried out in his apartment. A year later, the search was repeated, and the believer learned about the criminal case initiated against him. Soon he was included in the list of extremists of Rosfinmonitoring. The court sentenced Terebilov to 3 years in a penal colony, the appeal court upheld the sentence.

The believer attended the trial via video conference call from the penal colony. In the appeal, Terebilov emphasized that the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of April 20, 2017 did not impose a ban on the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, which was reaffirmed in the decision of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of October 28, 2021. Despite this, mass repressions against Jehovah's Witnesses do not subside.

The Case of Terebilov in Kostroma

Case History
In July 2018, police officers with riot police searched Dmitry Terebilov’s apartment in his absence. A year later, the Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against the believer for participating in the activity of an extremist organization. Soon the home of Terebilov was searched again. The believer was placed under a recognizance agreement and was added to the Rosfinmonitoring list. In September 2020, Dmitriy’s case went to court, which a year later sentenced him to 3 years in a strict regime penal colony. The court of appeal and then the court of cassation left the verdict unchanged. Terebilov served his sentence in penal colony No.1 in the Kostroma Region. In April 2023, Dmitriy became a defendant in a new criminal case for having conversations about the Bible with another prisoner. After his prison term ended, the believer was left in a pretrial detention center, where he awaits a new sentence.
Timeline

Persons in case

Terebilov
Dmitriy

Criminal case

Region:
Kostroma Region
Locality:
Kostroma
Suspected of:
According to the investigation he ”distributed ... items of literature, included in the Federal List of Extremist Materials, which contained information intended to excite religious strife, propounded exclusivity, superiority of Jehovah’s Witnesses teachings and inferiority of those citizens who do not confess this teaching … took part in meetings”
Court case number:
11902340011000049
Initiated:
June 13, 2019
Current case stage:
the verdict entered into force
Investigating:
Investigative Unit for the Tsentralny District of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Kostroma Region
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:
282.2 (2)
Court case number:
1-18/2021 (1-375/2020)
Court:
Sverdlovskiy District Court of the City of Kostroma
Judge:
Yekaterina Molodova
Case History
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