Three Years of Forced Labor for Reading the Bible. Yuriy Chernykh, Father of a Minor Child, Was Found Guilty of Extremism

On September 28, 2023, the Central District Court of Prokopyevsk found Yuriy Chernykh guilty of participating in the activities of an extremist organization. Judge, Alyona Novosyolova, sentenced him to three years of forced labor, along with15% of his salary going to the State.

The case was initiated on November 5, 2021. Previously, Yuriy was a witness in the case of Andrey Vlasov. In July 2020, the Chernykhs' house was searched, after which he and his wife were interrogated by the FSB. When the Chernykhs were searched again in November 2021,their electronic media and a television, as well as postcards and personal records, were seized. The believer was uder an obligation to report and after five months he was placed under a recognizance agreement. In June 2022, the case went to court. Chernykh expressed his opinion about the accusation as follows: "I want to state that I do not plead guilty and that I believe that the charge against me is illegal. I'm not a criminal!” The prosecutor requested two and a half years of forced labor for the believer, along with 15% of his salary going to the State.

Yuriy, a former miner with twenty years of experience, now works as a track fitter in the transport department. He and his wife are happily married and have three sons, the youngest is still in school. Yuriy and Yelena love their grandchildren very much.

In the Kemerovo Region, 19 people have already been prosecuted for their faith. Five of them have received substantial terms of punishment in a penal colony.