Yelena and Sergey Chechulin

Yelena and Sergey Chechulin

Yelena and Sergey Chechulin

Criminal trial

Reconsideration — Court of Cassation Overturns Verdict Against Chechulin Couple from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky for Their Faith

Kamchatka Territory

On October 30, 2024, the Ninth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction took the side of the prosecutor regarding the verdict against Sergey and Yelena Chechulin and sent the case to the court of first instance for a new trial.

Yevgeniy Paul, Deputy Prosecutor of the Kamchatka Territory, considered that the court inappropriately mitigated the charge, reclassifying it from organizing the activity of an extremist organization (Article 282.2(1) of the RF CrC) to participating in it (Article 282.2(2) of the RF CrC).

The Chechulins do not agree with the guilty verdict and maintain their innocence. Sergey, referring to the article of the RF Constitution on freedom of conscience, stated: "In fact, my wife and I were found guilty of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses."

The Case of the Chechulins in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy

Case History
Sergey Chechulin and his wife Yelena became defendants in yet another criminal case against Jehovah’s Witnesses in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy. In September 2022, the Investigative Committee initiated a case against them on suspicion of organizing the activity of an extremist organization. A month later, their home was searched, and the couple was placed under a recognizance agreement. In November 2023, the case went to court, where the charge was reclassified as participating in the activity of an extremist organization. The prosecutor requested 6 years in a penal colony for the Chechulins. In April 2024, the couple was given a 2-year suspended sentence. The court of appeal upheld this decision, yet in October of the same year, court of cassation sent the case for retrial.
Timeline

Persons in case

Chechulin
Sergey
Chechulina
Yelena

Criminal case

Region:
Kamchatka Territory
Locality:
Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky
Suspected of:
in "convening meetings, organizing religious talks and meetings for worship, in accordance with the ideology of the religious association of Jehovah's Witnesses at these meetings ... Conducted routine training with other persons on the teachings of the religious association "Jehovah's Witnesses"" (from the decision to initiate a criminal case)
Court case number:
12202300011000019
Initiated:
September 25, 2022
Current case stage:
trial in court of first instance
Investigating:
Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Kamchatka Territory
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:
282.2 (1)
Court case number:
1-70/2024 (1-997/2023)
Court of First Instance:
Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy City Court
Judge of the Court of First Instance:
Ivan Pantyashin
Case History
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