Resident of Porkhov, Aleksey Khabarov, will Remain Behind Bars. Court of Cassation Did Not Protect Religious Freedom

On October 8, 2024, a court of cassation was held in St. Petersburg in the case of 49-year-old Aleksey Khabarov, who professes the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. The panel of judges did not overturn the verdict and the appeal ruling, so the believer will remain in the colony at least until January 2026.

Aleksey participated in the meeting via video conferencing. The defense stated in its cassation appeal: "Law enforcement agencies have not established a single fact of unlawful activity by believers. Even during surveillance, nothing was recorded to claim that Jehovah's Witnesses were committing or calling for illegal acts. Also, not a single person has been identified who suffered from the activities of believers."

The reason for the criminal prosecution of Aleksey was his religion, which was expressed in the fact that he and his friends "peacefully gathered together at their home, read and discussed the Bible, prayed, sang religious songs." The defense has repeatedly emphasized that the believer was the victim of arbitrary criminal prosecution.