Aleksandr Serebryakov Has Not Yet Served Suspended Term for His Faith, But Received Second Sentence - Five Years in Prison

On December 13, 2024, Olga Karamysheva, judge of the Savyolovskiy District Court of Moscow, found Aleksandr Serebryakov guilty of financing the activities of an extremist organization. This is the second sentence received by believer because of religious activities.

Since August 2022, Serebryakov has been serving a six-year suspended term — the Golovinsky District Court of Moscow found him guilty of organizing the activities of an extremist organization for holding worship services. Prior to this verdict, the believer had been kept in a pre-trial detention center for more than a year and a half. He found himself behind bars again in September 2023 after a new series of searches in several districts of Moscow and in the Moscow region. In total, Serebryakov spent 3 years in the isolation ward.

The second case has been under the court's consideration since September 2024. Aleksandr was accused of violating Article 282.3 (1) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation for providing food to believers participating in a lengthy worship event. To this, Aleksandr replied: "[It was] specific assistance to specific people who... Moreover, if you divide the amount imputed to me by the number of fellow believers, you will get 250 rubles per person. It is impossible to buy a business lunch in Moscow with this money, what kind of financing can we talk about? This is absurd." The defendant continued: "The investigation has not established any facts indicating that I financed any legal entities."

In the family of Aleksandr Serebryakov, two more people faced persecution for their faith: his mother-in-law and father-in-law, the Krutyakovs, Zinaida and Yuriy. They were sentenced to two years and three months and six years suspended respectively. "All this resulted in stress, pain, tears and illness," Aleksandr said. During his first imprisonment in a pre-trial detention center, he survived covid with a critical stage of lung damage and a difficult period of rehabilitation. In his last speech, the believer addressed his elderly mother: "I have done nothing wrong or illegal. I am not guilty before the law, or before the state, or before God... You've raised me well. I am being judged for my friendship with God and my desire to please him."

In Moscow, out of 18 accused Jehovah's Witnesses, 10 received long prison sentences.