Dmitriy Barmakin on the day of the appeal hearing

Dmitriy Barmakin on the day of the appeal hearing

Dmitriy Barmakin on the day of the appeal hearing

Unjust Verdicts

The Third Appeal Hearing in the Case of Dmitriy Barmakin Approved 8 Years in a Penal Colony for Peaceful Religious Beliefs

Primorye Territory

On February 6, 2024, another appeal hearing upheld the verdict against Dmitriy Barmakin: 8 years in a penal colony for his faith in God. He was taken into custody in the courtroom.

The peaceful believer's legal battle has been going on for more than 4.5 years — since June 2019. During this time, they managed to acquit him and then convict him again; he spent 550 days in detention, separated from his wife, who is also on trial for her faith. This was the first incident when law enforcement officers started to criminally prosecute members of the same family.

Although the 2017 Supreme Court decision to liquidate legal entities does not prohibit Jehovah's Witnesses from practicing their religion, almost 800 believers have already been prosecuted, and the number of searches has exceeded 2,000.

The Case of Barmakin in Vladivostok

Case History
Dmitriy Barmakin moved to Vladivostok from Crimea to take care of his sick mother-in-law and her elderly mother. In July 2018, law enforcement officers in masks and with weapons broke into their house to search it. Dmitriy was arrested, and he spent 1.5 years in a pretrial detention center. The judge returned the criminal case to the prosecutor due to the ambiguity of the charges, stating in the ruling that freedom of religion is the constitutional right of Barmakin as any citizen of the Russian Federation. In April 2021, the case went to court again, and 7 months later, judge Stanislav Salnikov fully acquitted the believer. In April 2022, the regional court overturned this verdict and sent the case for a new trial. Barmakin was sentenced to 8 years in a penal colony. In August 2023, a court of appeal overturned this verdict also, released him and sent the case for a third trial to the court of first instance. This decision was appealed by the prosecutor, and the court of cassation sent the case to the court of appeal comprising a different panel of judges, which in February 2024 upheld the verdict — 8 years in a penal colony.
Timeline

Persons in case

Barmakin
Dmitriy

Criminal case

Region:
Primorye Territory
Locality:
Vladivostok
Suspected of:
According to the investigation, together with others, he conducted worship services, which is interpreted as "organizing the activities of an extremist organization" (with reference to the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to liquidate all 396 registered organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses)
Court case number:
11802050005000051
Initiated:
July 27, 2018
Current case stage:
the verdict entered into force
Investigating:
Investigative Directorate for the Pervorechensky District of Vladivostok of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Primorsky Territory
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:
282.2 (1)
Court case number:
1-43/2023 (1-391/2022; 1-305/2021; 1-21/2020; 1-388/2019)
Court of First Instance:
Первореченский районный суд г. Владивостока
Judge of the Court of First Instance:
Лариса Смоленкова
Case History
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