In Kodinsk, Krasnoyarsk Territory, Ildar Urazbakhtin, 59, Was Given a Six-Year Suspended Sentence for Talking About the Bible

On October 10, 2022, the judge of the Kezhemskiy District Court of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, Grigoriy Garbuz, sentenced Ildar Urazbakhtin to 6 years suspended sentence, equating the study of the Bible with extremist activity. The verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed. The believer insists on his complete innocence.

In July 2021, the Urazbakhtins were searched. They had three minor granddaughters visiting them, the youngest of whom at that time was five. A day earlier a criminal case was initiated against Ildar on suspicion of “committing a grave crime” under Part 1 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation for discussing Bible teachings with friends.

After the search, Ildar Urazbakhtin was detained, placed in a temporary detention center for a day, and then spent two months under house arrest. The believer recalls: “My life abruptly ‘gave up on the brakes.’ I couldn’t leave the apartment, I couldn’t communicate with anyone except my wife.” Later, Ildar was under a recognizance agreement, which prevented him from freely leaving his district.

Ildar is the only breadwinner in the family, his wife is a disabled person of group III. The believer says: "Rosfinmonitoring has blacklisted me, and all my accounts have been blocked. Therefore, the budget built in our family collapsed. Ildar and his wife were able to pay for the services of a lawyer, as well as a trip to Krasnoyarsk for a medical examination, only thanks to the financial assistance of friends. The Urazbakhtins received emotional help from letters of support.

The investigation lasted six months. The trial began in January 2022 and lasted over 8 months. Although there is not a single victim in the case, prosecutor Dmitriy Vladimirov asked the court to sentence the believer to 7 years in a penal colony.

In the Krasnoyarsk Territory, 27 Jehovah's Witnesses are being prosecuted for their faith. Five were sentenced to various types of punishment—a fine, suspended sentences, real imprisonment. Among them is Andrey Stupnikov, who is serving a 6-year sentence in a penal colony.

The Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, whose rulings are binding on all courts, clarified that worship services of Jehovah's Witnesses do not fall under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Nevertheless, criminal persecution of believers in Russia continues.