"Behind the case materials is a person's life and the lives of those close to him." Kurgan Court Fines Jehovah's Witness Roman Kuchin

On October 9, 2026, Judge Denis Cherkasov of the Kurgan City Court announced the verdict against Roman Kuchin, 32. The believer was convicted of participating in the activity of an extremist organization and was fined 300,000 rubles. Kuchin did not admit guilt and insists: prayer, reading the Bible, and associating with fellow believers do not constitute the elements of a crime.

About 7 weeks passed from the first court hearing to the verdict. On October 8, in a single hearing, the court examined the defense's evidence, heard the closing arguments, and listened to Roman's final statement. The state prosecutor requested 4 years in a penal colony for the believer.

"I do not dispute the specific facts: the voice on the recordings [of meetings for worship from the case materials] is mine; I participated in three meetings on Zoom; and some of the electronic messages are mine. But I do not agree with the prosecution's conclusion about a criminal intent to these actions," Roman explained. "I did not think and do not think that prayer, reading the Bible, and associating with fellow believers mean continuing the activity of a banned organization. For me, this was an expression of faith."

One of the key episodes of the trial was the interrogation of a secret witness under the pseudonym Korablyov. In response to Roman's direct question about whether the witness had personally observed a single unlawful act by him, the witness did not answer.

The criminal case against Roman was initiated by the Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Kurgan Region in late May 2026. At that time, the Kuchins were living in a rented apartment in Tyumen. "The morning search was a severe shock for my wife and me. Then we had to return to Kurgan. Now I take construction jobs and am looking for steady work... I just ask you to remember that behind the case materials is the life of a specific person and his loved ones," Roman mentioned in his final statement. Throughout the investigation, the believer remained under a recognizance agreement.

In the Kurgan Region, 12 Jehovah's Witnesses have already faced criminal prosecution for their faith.