Sergey Parfenovich and Yuriy Gerashchenko in the courtroom, October 4, 2023
Six Years in Prison Instead of a Suspended Sentence: Appeal in Crimea Changes the 'Too Lenient' Sentence for Two Jehovah's Witnesses
CrimeaThe real term and arrest in the courtroom were the result of an appeal hearing in the Supreme Court of Crimea on October 3, 2024, in the case of Yuriy Gerashchenko and Sergey Parfenovich, father of many children. The panel of judges, chaired by Natalia Grebennikova, supported the position of the prosecutor's office, which considered the punishment imposed on the believers insufficient.
The believers themselves consider themselves innocent of organizing the activities of an extremist organization; In their appeals, they asked for acquittal. Commenting on the decision of the district court, Yuriy Gerashchenko's lawyer noted: "From ... The evidence in the case can only be concluded that Gerashchenko belongs to the religious doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, which is not prohibited in the Russian Federation, as well as that he was periodically present at meetings of a religious group of followers of this creed, among many of his other followers, and nothing else." Parfenovich's lawyer stated that his client also acted within the framework of the freedom of religion outlined by law.
Another nine of Jehovah's Witnesses from Crimea were sentenced to six or more years in prison for their beliefs. The European Court of Human Rights has repeatedly called for an end to the persecution of believers.