[{"body":"The believer is kept alone in a cell. He does not have all the necessary medications that he took daily, which affects his general well-being.\nPetrov has already received one parcel and several letters. He does not have a Bible yet.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Sergey Petrov in Talmenka","date":"2026-02-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/talmenka.html#20260226","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["sizo","elderly","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Oleg Postnikov feels fine. He goes for a walk every other day, receives letters. The TV is constantly working in the cell, so it is difficult to respond to correspondence. The believer has the Bible.\n","caseTitle":"The Second Case of Postnikov in Birobidzhan","date":"2026-02-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan22.html#20260225","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["sizo","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In February, Boris had a long meeting with his wife Alexandra. A man is strengthened by talking about the future - what he and his wife will do, how to travel. This gives \"a feeling of freedom and joy.\"\nThe believer has not received correspondence since November 2025, but recently he was given 50 letters at once. Since mid-January, Andreev has been studying sewing, in March he plans to pass exams.\nFrom time to time, Boris is worried about low blood pressure, especially in the morning, as well as other diseases. From time to time, he feels weak and tired. In March, the believer must undergo an examination and receive the necessary treatment.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Andreyev and Others in Yaroslavskiy","date":"2026-02-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavskiy.html#20260225","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["life-in-prison","prison-treatment","disability","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"There are only about 75 prisoners in the colony where Aleksandr Starikov is held. The man receives a pension and can shop in the institution's store. He continues to follow his daily exercise habit. Aleksandr reads the Bible in the Synodal translation from the library.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Starikov and Others in Konakovo","date":"2026-02-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/konakovo.html#20260223","regions":["tver"],"tags":["life-in-prison","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Mikholap family find out that two days ago there was a fire in their house. Oksana's elderly parents were saved, they were taken to the burn center in Nizhny Novgorod in serious condition. The house and the car burned down completely.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Anufriev and Others in Kstovo","date":"2026-02-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kstovo.html#20260219","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court sends Sergey Petrov to a pretrial detention center.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Sergey Petrov in Talmenka","date":"2026-02-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/talmenka.html#20260213","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["sizo","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Ordzhonikidze District Court of Ufa imposes a ban of certain actions as a preventive measure on Bastaev, Gubeev, Gareeva and Dzhavadova.\nThe court sends the Tazyrovs to pretrial detention center No. 1 in the Republic of Bashkortostan.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Tazyrov and Others in Ufa","date":"2026-02-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ufa2.html#20260213","regions":["bashkortostan"],"tags":["sizo","prohibition-of-actions","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On February 13, 2026, Valeriy Popov, judge of the Moskovskiy District Court of Tver, announced the verdict against three Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses: Valeriy Tolmazov, Aleksandr Kostyuk, and Maksim Barbazyuk. All three received 6 years in a penal colony and were taken into custody in the courtroom.\nThe men insist that they only peacefully practiced their faith within the law. \u0026quot;I am being judged for what — not stealing; living with my wife for 49 years in peace and harmony, though she does not share my religious views; helping my 96-year-old mother; not swearing; living peacefully with everyone,\u0026quot; Valeriy Tolmazov, a 71-year-old pensioner, addressed the court.\nAleksandr Kostyuk, a 53-year-old father of three, echoed his fellow believer's words: \u0026quot;I was charged with extremism, but in fact they are only prosecuting me because I read the Bible and try to live accordingly.\u0026quot;\nThe criminal prosecution of the Tver residents has been ongoing since June 2023. This was preceded by operational-investigative measures, including covert recordings of meetings for worship, which were later viewed in court. \u0026quot;The recordings themselves show that the charges are groundless,\u0026quot; commented Maksim Barbazyuk, a 43-year-old electrician. \u0026quot;At them, we read the Bible, discuss how to become better husbands, wives, neighbors and citizens... we actively discuss what God requires of us — that we treat others with respect and obey the laws of the country we live in.\u0026quot;\nThe prosecution requested 7 years in a penal colony for all three defendants.\nTo date, eight Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in the Tver Region have been prosecuted for their faith; some of them are already serving sentences in penal colonies.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2026-02-13T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2026/02/161402/image_hu_fe51a7eacfd7068b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2026/02/161402/image_hu_64b8ea8e1f1789f.jpg","webp":"/news/2026/02/161402/image_hu_902d98e3a499f473.webp","webp2x":"/news/2026/02/161402/image_hu_e9981e684539b980.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2026/02/161402.html","regions":["tver"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","liberty-deprivation","elderly","282.2-1"],"title":"Jehovah's Witnesses from Tver Given 6 Years for Their Faith — Court Claimed Peaceful Meetings for Worship Were Extremism","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 13, 2026, in Nizhny Novgorod, law enforcement officers conducted searches at the homes of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses and interrogated four women. One of them is unable to walk on her own, and her daughter had to take her to the Investigative Committee in a wheelchair. During the interrogation, the elderly woman learned that she had been under surveillance since 2023.\nThe investigative actions were carried out as part of a criminal case initiated on February 9, 2026, against Lidiya Starostina, a 70‑year‑old believer. During the searches, electronic devices were seized, and in one instance even a Wi‑Fi router. The women were interrogated at the Investigative Committee office and then released.\nIn the Nizhny Novgorod Region, 25 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have already faced criminal prosecution, including 4 married couples.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2026-02-13T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"svg":"/img/news/police.svg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2026/02/231423.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"subtitle":"Criminal Case Initiated","tags":["search","interrogation","elderly","disability","hidden-surveillance"],"title":"Searches and Interrogations of Female Believers in Nizhny Novgorod.","type":"news"},{"body":"Judge Vasilina Bezotecheskikh of the Birobidzhan District Court announced the verdict against Oleg Postnikov on February 12, 2026 — 6 years and 2 months in a penal colony. Earlier, the same court had given Oleg and his wife, Agnessa, suspended sentences on similar charges.\nThe Postnikovs have lived in Birobidzhan since the late 1980s. Oleg has several trades and has worked as a plumber for more than 15 years. In his youth — before becoming one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses — he became involved with a gang and ended up in a penal colony. According to Oleg, it was studying the Bible that helped him abandon his destructive lifestyle for good.\nExactly 6 years ago, on February 12, 2020, criminal charges were brought against Oleg and his wife for their faith. Years of investigation and multiple rounds of court proceedings ended in a guilty verdict. Just a few months after the sentence entered into force, their home was searched. The following year it happened again, another criminal case against Oleg was initiated and he was placed in a detention center.\n\u0026quot;Since I remain one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, I understand that the court may well refuse to protect me,\u0026quot; Oleg said in his final statement. Anticipating a harsh sentence, he also shared his personal concerns: \u0026quot;It pains me that simply because I believe in God differently than others, my dear wife — my companion for 36 years — may be separated from me for many years.\u0026quot;\nThe prosecution\u0026#39;s main evidence consisted of video recordings of meetings for worship. \u0026quot;After almost a full year of covert filming, the FSB managed to select only a handful of meetings they considered the most \u0026#39;extremist,\u0026#39; which rather show that we are ordinary people who respect everyone without exception,\u0026quot; Oleg said. He paid special attention to one recording included in the case file: \u0026quot;A telling example is the closing prayer in which those present ask for strength to endure the hardships caused by persecution. There is no request for punishment or harm to our persecutors. Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses would never wish such a thing on anyone.\u0026quot;\nBoth criminal cases against Postnikov were initiated by investigator Dmitriy Yankin, known for his conveyor‑belt approach to prosecuting believers. He has already brought more than 20 cases against Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. Recalling the recent wave of repression in Birobidzhan, Oleg noted in court: \u0026quot;The case files contain orders to initiate criminal proceedings against six citizens. Who are they? Ordinary people: raising children, kept their families together, conscientious workers, they have no enemies, well‑regarded by everyone around them. Exactly the same, identical, as it was with me.\u0026quot;\nIn total, 32 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have already faced criminal prosecution for their faith in the Jewish Autonomous Region.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2026-02-12T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2026/02/121440/image_hu_5b136b00acebd563.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2026/02/121440/image_hu_91b004b763ff7573.jpg","webp":"/news/2026/02/121440/image_hu_536b96d0897daa29.webp","webp2x":"/news/2026/02/121440/image_hu_903a097354c6ee02.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2026/02/121440.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","families","elderly","liberty-deprivation","282.2-1"],"title":"“Ordinary People”: Oleg Postnikov — One of Jehovah’s Witnesses — Sent to Penal Colony in Second Case for His Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 11, 2026, at least eight searches were conducted at the homes of local Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in several areas of the Altai Territory — the city of Novoaltaysk, the villages of Talmenka and Sannikovo. Sergey Petrov, 63, was taken into custody.\nThe investigative actions were carried out by officers of the Investigative Committee and the FSB. They seized copies of the Bible, other books — such as The People Who Are Never Without Their Bibles by religious scholar Sergei Ivanenko — as well as electronic storage devices. After the searches, the believers were interrogated.\nProsecution of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in the southern regions of Siberia has been intensifying — in just the last 6 months, at least 15 people have become defendants in criminal cases, the overwhelming majority of whom are under arrest.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2026-02-11T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"svg":"/img/news/handcuffs.svg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2026/02/160903.html","regions":["altaisky"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["interrogation","search","elderly"],"title":"Raids Against Jehovah’s Witnesses in Southern Siberia: Elderly Believer Detained","type":"news"},{"body":"In the morning, 70-year-old Nikolay Voishchev died of a serious illness. In November last year, doctors confirmed that he had progressive cancer. Throughout this time, Irina, whom he married in the summer of 2025, was at his side.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Voishchev in Maykop","date":"2026-02-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/adygeya.html#20260208","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["died","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Novoaltaisk Interdistrict Investigative Department of the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Altai Territory initiates a criminal case against 63-year-old Sergey Petrov for participation in the activities of an extremist organization.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Sergey Petrov in Talmenka","date":"2026-02-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/talmenka.html#20260203","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vadim Kharasov, an investigator for particularly important cases of the Investigative Unit for the Investigation of Organized Criminal Activity of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Republic of Bashkortostan, initiates a case against Ruslan and Roza Tazyrov under the article on organizing the activities of an extremist organization.\nWithin the framework of the same case, Andrey Gubeev, Sergey Bastayev, Alfiya Javadova and Maria Gareeva are involved as defendants - they are charged with participation in the activities of an extremist organization.\nAccording to the investigation, the believers \"organized and held meetings in public places through video conferencing ... for the purpose of promoting the activities of a banned organization.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Tazyrov and Others in Ufa","date":"2026-02-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ufa2.html#20260203","regions":["bashkortostan"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","282.2-2","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A series of violent home searches took place on February 3, 2026, in Dimitrovgrad. Law enforcement officers used brutal force against members of at least three families; Igor Popov, 60, was hospitalized. He and Igor Balashov, 59, were placed under house arrest, while one couple, Aleksandr and Irina Yelizarov, under pretrial detention.\nOfficers broke into the house of the Popov family early in the morning. When Igor\u0026#39;s wife, Zhanna, opened the door, she was knocked to the ground by a masked officer. As a result, the 57-year-old believer injured her knee. \u0026quot;That day it was minus 25 degrees outside, so the porch was very cold. I was wearing only a nightgown. They pinned me to the floor. I was shaking from shock and the cold. I didn\u0026#39;t understand who these people were or what they wanted,\u0026quot; she said.\nDuring the search, one masked officer, demanding the password for the computer, took Igor Popov into the freezing porch, threw him to the floor, and struck his back while forcefully twisting his neck. After the search the believer was taken to the FSB office in Dimitrovgrad. There, according to Igor, with hands cuffed behind his back, he was beaten again, then stripped and repeatedly subjected to electric shocks. All of this was done to try to force him to sign a self-incriminating testimony they had prepared earlier and to agree \u0026quot;to cooperate\u0026quot; with the investigation.\nDuring an examination, extensive bruising, swelling, and other injuries were documented on Popov\u0026#39;s body. On February 5, the court placed him under house arrest, but the next day he was hospitalized in the surgical ward because of his injuries. A criminal complaint has been filed with law enforcement agencies regarding the torture of the believer.\nDuring interrogation they also tried to pressure Igor Balashov to sign a pre-written \u0026quot;testimony.\u0026quot; The search of his home began at 6:00 a.m. Around noon, he was taken to the FSB office in Ulyanovsk for interrogation, which commenced around midnight. During all this time — about 20 hours — he was not allowed to drink, eat, or take prescribed medication for his chronic illnesses. As a result, when the interrogation began, his blood pressure had risen sharply, half his face was numb, and he was shaking.\nAnother search took place at one young couple\u0026#39;s home. Both of them were thrown to the floor and handcuffed. Only after 2 hours, they placed the wife on the bed, still handcuffed. Her seriously ill husband was taken to another room, where, according to his wife, force was used against him trying to make him unlock his phone. He was not allowed to get dressed for 1.5 hours although the balcony door was opened frequently during the search and it was freezing cold outside.\nPreviously six Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses from the Ulyanovsk Region have received suspended sentences for their faith.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2026-02-03T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2026/02/181458/image_hu_a2511a28e71889c7.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2026/02/181458/image_hu_8e7faac4986dbce8.jpg","webp":"/news/2026/02/181458/image_hu_d148542a4a233bc5.webp","webp2x":"/news/2026/02/181458/image_hu_6028c924cf533e61.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2026/02/181458.html","regions":["ulyanovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","siloviks-violence","elderly"],"title":"Searches and Torture in Dimitrovgrad — Elderly Believer Hospitalized","type":"news"},{"body":"Oleg Katamov suffers from the cold. The believer's daughter could not give him warm clothes, because the request for it, signed by the head of the penal colony, was lost. He has to go to the line-up dressed lightly and stand still in the cold for about 2 hours. Moreover, in the room where prisoners take a shower, the temperature drops to zero degrees.\nKatamov still has difficulty obtaining medication from the medical unit: for this, he needs to take time off from work and stand in a long line. Drugs are only dispensed 2 hours a day, so it is often not possible to receive them. Furthermore, medicines are given once a week, but only for a 5-day period.\nThe believer still does not have a Bible. Recently, to cope with his longing for his wife, he wrote a song that he dedicated to her.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Starikov and Others in Konakovo","date":"2026-01-30T15:57:40+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/konakovo.html#20260130","regions":["tver"],"tags":["life-in-prison","health-risk","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On January 30, 2026, at the Shakhunya Interdistrict Court of the Nizhny Novgorod Region, Nina Smirnova, Larisa Serdtseva, and Zhanna Zhavoronkova heard the verdict in their case. Judge Artemiy Lunegov handed the believers a 2.5-year suspended sentence \u0026quot;for participating in the activity of an extremist organization.\u0026quot;\nNina Smirnova, 75, is a retired accountant. Her husband does not share her religious beliefs. \u0026quot;He is severly disabled; he also has atherosclerosis in his legs, and it is very difficult for him to walk. Nevertheless, he attended every court hearing to support me,\u0026quot; the believer said about her family circumstances. Larisa Serdtseva, 50, is a seamstress who worked for a cleaning company before the prosecution began. She and her husband have three daughters, two of whom are still at school. Zhanna Zhavoronkova, 43, worked most of her life for the railway.\nThe local branch of the Ministry of Internal Affairs initiated the case against these residents of Shakhunya in February 2024. \u0026quot;We endured a search and, since then, have repeatedly faced emotional pressure from some law enforcement officers,\u0026quot; Zhanna recalled. \u0026quot;It affected my health — in November I suffered a stroke.\u0026quot; They read out her charges right in the hospital. Zhanna also lost her job due to media harassment during the criminal prosecution: \u0026quot;Although I was physically weak after the stroke, I was forced to take a new job. This drastically complicated life for me and my loved ones, since I could not care for my bedridden father properly.\u0026quot;\nThe case materials included testimony from two women, Yamorozova and Nepomnyashchikh. The investigation deemed conversations with them to be evidence of a crime. One of them died before the trial. The defense asked that her testimony be excluded, pointing to contradictions that could not be resolved without questioning the person, but the court refused. The believers emphasized that only the Bible was discussed in conversations with these women. \u0026quot;Is it my fault that [Yamorozova] urged me to talk with her on subjects that interested her? ... And feeling compassion for her difficult life I sometimes visited her. What's the crime? Kindness?\u0026quot; Larisa asked rhetorically in her final statement.\n\u0026quot;Who after all was recruited, and into what?\u0026quot; Serdtseva asked in disbelief at the charge. \u0026quot;The witnesses who testified against me had their own faith before meeting me, and they kept it afterward.\u0026quot;\nSince 2017, in Russia, 226 women — Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses — have faced criminal prosecution for their faith; 89 of them are over 60.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2026-01-30T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2026/02/021442/image_hu_f683664fd5ed4072.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2026/02/021442/image_hu_e6d7341da2303f47.jpg","webp":"/news/2026/02/021442/image_hu_a1a4ad4de1acf7aa.webp","webp2x":"/news/2026/02/021442/image_hu_5040704221ca69fd.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2026/02/021442.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"subtitle":"Verdict Against Three Women — Jehovah’s Witnesses from Shakhunya","tags":["sentence","282.2-2","elderly","work-restrictions"],"title":"“What's the Crime? Kindness?”","type":"news"},{"body":"Aleksandr Paysov maintains his sense of humor and tries to support those around him. The believer does not have a Bible yet. His main concern is the well-being of his sick, elderly mother, who is completely dependent on her son's care.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Paysov in Zvenigorod","date":"2026-01-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zvenigorod.html#20260124","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["sizo","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksey Lelikov is in penal colony No. 12 in the Volgograd Region (Volzhskiy). He was assigned to a unit in which pensioners and disabled people serve their sentences. The believer's sleeping place is on the second tier. He can regularly talk to his loved ones via video call through the Zonatelecom system.\nBefore being transferred to the penal colony, Aleksey fell ill and still has a cough. Because of this he did not need to go to the lineup for 2 weeks.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lelikov in Krasnodar","date":"2026-01-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnodar.html#20260123","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["life-in-prison","elderly","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Rasskazovskiy District Court of the Tambov Region is considering Anatoliy Marunov's motion for release from punishment for health reasons. Medical unit No. 68 submitted a conclusion that he did not have any illness that gives him the right to be released. However, the court did not receive the documents on which this conclusion was based. The hearing was postponed as the medical institution is obliged to provide the missing materials.\nDue to the believer recently being classified as severely disabled, they have started giving him additional food — milk, butter and boiled beef. He is pleased with such changes.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mareyev and Others in Moscow","date":"2026-01-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow4.html#20260116","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["life-in-prison","elderly","disability","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Sakhalin Regional Court upheld the sentence handed down earlier: Larisa Potapova — 4 years and 11 months suspended, Olga Kalinnikova — 5 years suspended. The decision enters into force.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kalinnikova and Potapova in Kurilsk","date":"2026-01-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurilsk.html#20260115","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["appeal","elderly","suspended","282.2-1.1","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"\u0026quot;They imprison less, but more severely\u0026quot; — that was the headline of a similar review a year ago, when statistics gave hope that the repression against Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Russia if not subsiding, was at least losing intensity. A year later, it is clear that this is not the case. In 2025, the number of raids, new criminal defendants, and incidents of unprovoked violence against believers has increased. In more than 8 years of persecution, the total prison terms handed down have exceeded 1,000 years. This article looks at the human stories which are masked by the dry reports of \u0026quot;crusaders against extremism\u0026quot; — extremism that has never been proven — and at what Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Russia have faced during the past year.\nMillennium of Incarceration Aleksey Lelikov has devoted nearly his entire life to music. For many years, he taught piano and, in 1994, even reached the finals of the \u0026quot;Teacher of the Year\u0026quot; competition in Krasnodar. Around the same time, Aleksey became one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. He had never had any trouble with the law. Yet in February 2025, on indiscriminate charges of extremism, a court sentenced the disabled 64-year-old believer to 6.5 years imprisonment.\nAleksey is just one among 906 individuals whose lives have been irrevocably changed by prosecution for their faith. During 8.5 years of persecution, more than 500 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses — men and women — have served time behind bars, and 179 remain imprisoned to this day. Verdicts have been issued against 665 believers. Of these, 215 people (32%) received prison sentences — 146 of them (68%) were sentenced to 5 years or more. The combined length of prison terms totals 1,128 years.\nIn 2025, 107 searches (5 more than the previous year) were conducted, bringing the total to 2,268 — on average 1 search every 30 hours. The number of new defendants also rose compared to 2024: 61 as opposed to 53. During the past year, 125 believers were convicted. Of these 38 were sentenced to prison, with the overwhelming majority — 30 (nearly 80%) — receiving more than 5 years. The harshest sentence that year — 7 years in a penal colony — was handed down to four believers: Yevgeniy Sokolov from Voronezh, Samvel Babayan from Samara, Ivan Neverov from Saransk, and Igor Lonchakov from Vladivostok. Yevgeniy and Samvel suffer from serious illnesses and Igor is disabled.\nSuspended sentences were given to 49 people (39%), and 37 were fined amounts ranging from 250,000 to 650,000 rubles.\nLast year 16 believers completed their prison terms and were released. Among them was Aleksandr Seredkin, 71. He was freed only after it was discovered he has advanced cancer. \u0026quot;I\u0026#39;m still young,\u0026quot; he joked, adding: \u0026quot;I want to recover and finish the Christian race to the end.\u0026quot;\nTorture, Violence, and Real Victims Search and arrest. Illustrative photo. In 2025, there were at least eight cases of unprovoked violence and cruel treatment against Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses — including incidents that meet the definition of torture under the UN Convention.\nDuring more than 8 years of persecution, already over 70 believers have suffered such abuse. None of these crimes have been properly investigated, and none of the perpetrators have faced the punishment prescribed by law.\nDuring the year, three elderly believers who were criminally prosecuted passed away: Liliya Dolinina, Lyudmila Shut, and Valeriy Baylo. Valeriy died in the actual detention center, never having received the medical care he needed. In total, the number of deaths in connection wtih the criminal prosecution has reached 16.\n\u0026quot;I Wish You Many Happy Years in Your Loving Family Home...\u0026quot; Disabled Anatoliy Yevtushenko says goodbye to his family after being sentenced to 2 years in a penal colony. Krasnodar, December 2025. At least 81 prosecuted individuals have documented serious health conditions, 34 are officially disabled. Today, 36 seriously ill believers are held in penal colonies and pretrial detention centers, where access to proper medical care is often impossible.\nThe disability of Boris Andreyev, 74, was recognized when he was already in the penal colony. The court sentenced him to 6 years, fully aware of his serious illness — already during the preliminary investigation a precancerous condition requiring regular medical monitoring was identified. Boris was unable to obtain a full medical examination for more than a year in detention and his condition worsened. Only in 2025 did a medical commission confirm the diagnosis — cancer. Boris underwent a course of treatment.\nCongratulatory Certificate from the Mayor of Moscow to the Marunov family on their anniversary Anatoliy Marunov, 72, is serving a 6.5-year sentence in a penal colony. Even before his imprisonment, he had suffered a stroke and was diagnosed with heart failure, hypertension, and a prostate tumor. When his wife visited him in the penal colony in the Tambov Region and saw his condition, she was alarmed. \u0026quot;I was terrified,\u0026quot; Alfia said. \u0026quot;He was covered in tubes, catheters, bags... It\u0026#39;s no longer a person, but a living corpse...\u0026quot; In January 2025, Anatoliy needed surgery, but it could not be performed in that region. The court refused to reduce his sentence despite doctors\u0026#39; conclusions that his life was at risk. In October, he was hospitalized, and in December, a medical commission confirmed his disability. Meanwhile, the court of cassation upheld the verdict, refusing to attach documents about his condition to the case. Today, Anatoliy receives only limited medical care. In bitter irony, Moscow City Hall recently sent the separated Marunov family a congratulatory letter on their 50th wedding anniversary. Mayor Sergey Sobyanin praised the elderly couple as an example for young people and wished them \u0026quot;many happy years in their loving family home.\u0026quot;\nAlmost one-third of those prosecuted for their faith (266 people) are over 60. The same proportion applies to new defendants in 2025 (19 out of 60). Currently, 37 elderly believers remain behind bars. Samvel Babayan, 53, from Samara was sentenced to 7 years imprisonment. At the time of his arrest, he was preparing for major surgery, but treatment was canceled. Soon after, his chronical illnesses of his internal organs, including a tumor, worsened. He suffers constant spinal pain, has lost 15 kilograms and hearing in one ear. For more than a year, Samvel remained in pretrial detention without proper medical care. He now awaits transfer to a penal colony, where adequate treatment is impossible. Severe pain plagued him even during court hearings. The defense requested fewer sessions, but the court refused. At one hearing, Samvel lost consciousness and an ambulance was called — yet the trial was not postponed.\nSecret \u0026quot;Pastor\u0026quot; Across the country, law enforcement agencies spy on believers, including using agents who feign an interest in the Bible. For months — sometimes years — they secretly record conversations and later testify in court as anonymous witnesses.\nAt least 30 criminal cases have been built on false testimony from such informants. One agent, Yekaterina Petrova, spied on a group of 17 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, including elderly people. Her testimony led to prison sentences of up to 8 years. Another example: nearly all criminal cases in the village of Vyselki, Krasnodar Territory, were fabricated through the efforts of an agent known in court under the pseudonym \u0026quot;Pastor\u0026quot;.\nThe cases of Viktor Spirichev (left) and Sergey Dvurechenskiy (right) are based on testimony from \u0026quot;Pastor.\u0026quot; Both were sentenced on the same day: 2 years suspended. Vyselki, December 2025. All that the testimony of these spies managed to prove was that the believers discussed the Bible and prayed to Jehovah. During hearings, often the agents end up giving testimony in favor of the defense during hearings. \u0026quot;I, for example, never heard the defendant say that other religions are bad,\u0026quot; Pastor admitted at Spirichev\u0026#39;s trial, where Viktor was later given a suspended sentence. Sergey Dvurechenskiy said about this witness: \u0026quot;He\u0026#39;s doing this for some reason — resentment or something else. That\u0026#39;s his business. It's not for me to judge... There\u0026#39;s still some hope that he\u0026#39;ll come to his senses.\u0026quot;\n\u0026quot;The KGB used exactly the same tactics during the Soviet-era ban on Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. It\u0026#39;s all in the archives and repeatedly documented by historians,\u0026quot; says Yaroslav Sivulskiy, a representative of the European Association of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. \u0026quot;What did these spies uncover? The same as now: Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses are not enemies of society or the state. In 1991, a law was passed to rehabilitate victims of repression, and in 1996, a presidential decree explicitly instructed the Prosecutor General\u0026#39;s Office, FSB, and Interior Ministry to ensure rehabilitation of citizens harmed by terror. Today\u0026#39;s authorities cannot claim ignorance of this.\u0026quot;\nGold Mine Yevgeniy and Tatyana Dodolin. They have been in pretrial detention since spring 2025. \u0026quot;It seems that for law enforcement agnecies, the tactic of targeting entire families has become a gold mine: why go after real criminals? That\u0026#39;s dangerous. It\u0026#39;s much easier to go after the relatives of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses who are already under investigation. Most believers have strong family ties, so chances are — husband, wife, son, daughter — they also read and discuss the Bible. It really looks like that\u0026#39;s exactly what investigators are doing,\u0026quot; commented one lawyer who has helped defend the rights of believers in numerous criminal cases.\nIn 2025, criminal cases were initiated against four married couples: Nikolay and Larisa Kosov from Cherkessk (under travel restrictions), as well as Tomsk residents Yevgeniy and Tatyana Dodolin, Yevgeniy and Yana Abramov, Aysulu Tastaybekova and Vladimir Pushkov (all currently in pretrial detention). The numbers of believers prosecuted after their family members grew to include Yelena Shestopalova (mother of Vladlena Kukavitsa) and Mariya Pankova (wife of Sergey Tolokonnikov).\nAt least 172 Jehovah's Witnesses who have been prosecuted have one or more relatives who faced similar circumstances. Moscow resident Sergey Tolokonnikov hugs his wife after his release. The court found her guilty for her faith 5 months later. June 2025. \u0026quot;I was getting ready to attend the trial of my daughter Vladlena,\u0026quot; Yelena Shestopalova recalled the events in October. \u0026quot;An early ring at the door surprised me: \u0026#39;Could it really be a search on the very day of the trial?\u0026#39; I had already gone through one search. I understood they could come again and initiate a case — it was only a matter of time.\u0026quot; She added: \u0026quot;My life has changed a lot, but I never lost my joy and always believed that Jehovah would not abandon me during my troubles.\u0026quot;\nCases in an Endless Cycle Trials against many Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have become an endless cycle: cases are sent back to the prosecutor\u0026#39;s office, then the trial starts over; appeals overturn decisions, judges recuse themselves, the wait for a verdict drags on for years. This has happened in at least 33 criminal cases.\nAnother extreme: after securing a conviction, law enforcement agencies initiate yet another criminal case against the same believer. Some become defendants again while serving suspended sentences (such as Aleksandr Serebryakov or Oleg Postnikov). Others face new charges while already in a penal colony.\nDmitriy Terebilov at one of the hearings. January 2022. A telling example is Dmitriy Terebilov: he was prosecuted for answering a cellmate\u0026#39;s questions about faith. In addition to the 3 years he had already served in a penal colony, the prosecutor requested another 10. \u0026quot;What\u0026#39;s criminal about sharing your thoughts about God, discussing a passage from the Bible, or some scientific or historical fact?\u0026quot; he expressed his bewilderment during one of the hearings.\nCurrently, the maximum prison term handed down to one of Jehovah's Witnesses is 8 years — there are six such prisoners of conscience today. In reality, unjust punishment doesn\u0026#39;t end even after release from a penal colony — believers continue to face additional restrictions. As a result, the actual duration of repression can exceed 20 years. For example, the prosecution of Dmitriy Barmakin began in July 2018. After lengthy investigations and numerous court hearings, he was sent to a penal colony, from which he should be released in November 2029. After that, he will be under restriction of freedom for another year, followed by 10 years of administrative oversight. In total, if nothing changes, the persecution of Dmitriy and his family will stretch to 22 years.\nLife on Hold Losing their freedom is not the only hardship faced by Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses who are being persecuted. The state employs numerous methods to infringe upon their rights. For example, before a verdict is reached, defendants are almost always subjected to some form of preventive measure: they are often forbidden to leave their homes (even briefly) without official permission, to use communication devices, and sometimes even to speak with family members.\nRead more about repressive measures in criminal prosecution in the article: What Restrictions Are Faced by Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia? Suspended sentences are the most common form of punishment for Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses — since 2017, 331 believers have been given such sentences. This type of verdict always includes a probation period ranging from 6 months to 5 years, during which the individual must \u0026quot;prove his correction\u0026quot; by exemplary behavior. If law enforcement agencies deem that the believer has committed any serious violations, the court can easily replace the suspended sentence with actual imprisonment.\nAleksey and Yuliya Pasynkov Such restrictions inevitably affect the families of those being prosecuted. Aleksey and Yuliya Pasynkov were both given suspended sentences in 2025. They are raising a son with a severe disability. \u0026quot;Even before the prosecution began, we had planned trips to doctors in Moscow and St. Petersburg — all of this has now been delayed for several years. Now we are limited as to how we can move forward with his treatment,\u0026quot; Aleksey said before his wife\u0026#39;s verdict was announced.\nBoth parents have been added to the so-called list of terrorists and extremists by Rosfinmonitoring. At various times, this list has included the names of 741 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, and 570 remain on it today. For those on the list, even simple everyday tasks become significantly harder. People in poor health and the elderly are especially vulnerable — they may face difficulties paying for medical services or receiving social assistance.\n\u0026quot;To collect my salary, I have to go to the bank twice a month. Sometimes I have to endure humiliation, explaining to the staff that I\u0026#39;m not an extremist,\u0026quot; explained Maksim Beltikov, a father of three. He served 2 years in a penal colony but still feels the consequences of the unjust prosecution.\n\u0026quot;They Will Deport Him — What About His Family?\u0026quot; A new trend that has been gaining momentum over the past year is revoking the citizenship of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses under prosecution. The procedure is simple: if a convicted believer\u0026#39;s citizenship had been acquired, it is simply annulled shortly after the verdict takes effect. At least 12 people have faced this situation.\nWhat does this mean in practice for believers and their families? Some again risk religious discrimination now in their country of birth; others face indefinite separation from loved ones; some may even become stateless due to bureaucratic hurdles.\nRustam Diarov is one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses whose citizenship was revoked. Upon his release he faces deportation, to where — still unknown. Rustam\u0026#39;s wife and elderly mother are Russian citizens. His wife is disabled and depends on state-provided medication.\nMikhail Moysh with his wife and oldest son. A similar decision was made regarding Mikhail Moysh\u0026#39;s citizenship. He has been in custody since October 2021. Mikhail has two children; the younger was only a few months old when he was arrested. Since then, he has barely seen his sons. A deportation order could prolong this separation even further. Here\u0026#39;s how Moysh\u0026#39;s lawyer described the social dilemma:\n\u0026quot;One of his children was born here in Russia. And now, they will deport Moysh... What about his family? Do they have to leave too? And to where, if one child has almost finished school here and the other is still very young and an RF citizen by birth...\u0026quot;\n\u0026quot;These are just a few examples of the human drama hidden behind dry numbers,\u0026quot; says Yaroslav Sivulskiy. \u0026quot;History and today\u0026#39;s persecution prove only one thing: Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses are being targeted without cause. But repression has not crushed their faith. So, we can be sure that, as the Bible says, \u0026#39;it will turn out well for those who fear the true God.\u0026#39;\u0026quot;\nNikolay Saparov, who was tortured during his arrest in spring 2022, has been behind bars for nearly 4 years. March 2025. Anatoliy Yevtushenko watches his friends and family as bailiffs lead him away in handcuffs from the courtroom. December 2025. Oksana Chausova, with tears of joy, shared her first moments of freedom with friends. September 2025. Dance of a free man. Artur Putintsev. April 2025. ","category":"analytics","date":"2026-01-08T08:21:40+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2026/01/071621/image_hu_2901545e5f54f44f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2026/01/071621/image_hu_f244c0d3bc8173e3.jpg","webp":"/news/2026/01/071621/image_hu_95eec8e5b4ec02a1.webp","webp2x":"/news/2026/01/071621/image_hu_c3475e22fa27f7fe.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2026/01/071621.html","regions":[],"subtitle":null,"tags":["review","search","torture","elderly","disability","prison-treatment","life-in-prison","minors","families","secret-witness","strict-conditions","health-risk","died"],"title":"A Thousand Years for Their Faith: Repression Against Jehovah’s Witnesses — 2025 Review","type":"news"},{"body":"Aleksandr Paysov was born in 1962 in Tuapse (Krasnodar Territory). As a child, he moved with his parents to Zvenigorod (Moscow Region), where he finished school in 1980. His mother worked in the electricity supply sector. Aleksandr received additional education in a similar field — he graduated from the institute as an electromechanic.\nFrom a young age, Aleksandr was concerned about justice and kindness. He noticed that reading the Bible helps people become softer, more approachable, and he began to study it himself.\nBefore his criminal prosecution, Aleksandr worked at the post office in the pension department. Friends appreciate him for his willingness to help, courage and kindness. In his free time, he likes going to the sauna and walking in fresh air.\nAfter Aleksandr\u0026#39;s arrest in December 2025, his 86-year-old disabled mother lost his support. She suffers from several serious illnesses and is unable to move, cook, or take care of herself on her own. \u0026quot;There are no other relatives who could take care of me,\u0026quot; said Aleksandr\u0026#39;s mother. \u0026quot;My son dealt with all issues related to my home, health, food, and medications. Without his help, I can\u0026#39;t cope at all.\u0026quot;\n","date":"2026-01-08","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/paysov/photo_hu_8fb5ec48ca4f07fe.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/paysov/photo_hu_558814fcdf6d5c63.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/paysov/photo_hu_602ffa53bba47b84.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/paysov/photo_hu_7ece0ee1f3549a84.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/paysov.html","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Aleksandr Paysov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On December 30, 2025, Georgiy Nikulin, 62, left penal colony No. 3 for the Republic of Mari El, having served his sentence in full. The believer was met by his friends. His wife, Elena, could not be with him to share his joy of being released — she is still imprisoned.\nIn August 2022 the Nikulins, and four of their fellow believers, were convicted for their faith. Georgiy and Elena were sent to a pretrial detention center, and after the decision of the court of appeal, they were transferred to penal colonies in different regions. For a long time, they could not communicate: visits were impossible, and only after 1.5 years of being separated, the couple obtained permission to correspond.\nIn prison, Georgiy first worked in the sewing workshop, but due to problems with his sight, he was transferred to assembling electrical sockets. According to Georgiy, thanks to his faith, he endured difficult prison conditions, perhaps even easier than other prisoners. \u0026quot;I had high blood pressure. It reached 230, which shocked the medical team,\u0026quot; said the believer and added: \u0026quot;I constantly felt God\u0026#39;s support. Without his help, everything would have been completely different...\u0026quot;\nElena Nikulina is due to be released in August 2026. Three other defendants have already been released, and the sentence of Vladimir Atryakhin, father of two young children, ends in March 2028.\n","category":"sentence","date":"2025-12-30T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/12/310831/image_hu_63cbeccb4114b82e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/12/310831/image_hu_3abd1db71628a2bb.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/12/310831/image_hu_e0cc2edc350ce597.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/12/310831/image_hu_b589bdf71b6a1bbb.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/12/310831.html","regions":["mordovia","mari-el"],"subtitle":"His Wife Still Serving Term for Her Faith","tags":["release","elderly","families"],"title":"Another Jehovah's Witness From Saransk Released.","type":"news"},{"body":"Mariya Ogoreva makes her final statement.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mariya Ogoreva in Mednogorskiy","date":"2025-12-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy6.html#20251229","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["final-statement","sentence","suspended","families","elderly","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"\u0026quot;I am guilty not of committing a socially dangerous act but of remaining a believer,\u0026quot; said Mariya Ogoreva, 64. On December 29, 2025, Melek Bayramkulova, judge of the Karachayevskiy District Court of the Karachayevo-Circassian Republic gave her a 2-year suspended sentence.\nMariya is a widow. She and her husband were married for 38 years and raised three children. For many years she worked as a nanny in a kindergarten. In 2023-2024, 6 months apart, criminal cases were initiated against Mariya and her daughter Svetlana, based on the suspicion of participating in the activity of an extremist organization. Before that, several searches took place in their home — first as witnesses in the Pasynkov case, and then as suspects. During one of them, Mariya needed medical help.\nThe hearings for the believer\u0026#39;s case were held 80 kilometers from her home, as two judges from the local district court recused themselves. Friends supported Mariya: they came to the hearings, helped around the house, and called to encourage her. Mariya noted: \u0026quot;In this ordeal, we are not alone; they surrounded us with love.\u0026quot;\nOn October 1, 2025, the court gave Svetlana a 3-year suspended sentence. The basis for the criminal prosecution of the Ogorevs was their religious beliefs and participation in peaceful meetings for worship. In court, Mariya emphasized that in her case there is \u0026quot;not a single statement of an extremist nature, not a single call to hatred or enmity, not a single quote from literature that was declared extremist.\u0026quot;\nThe Ogorevs and Pasynkovs are prosecuted according to a similar pattern: first, one family member is made a suspect, and then his relatives.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-12-29T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/12/301627/image_hu_a346f6f7e74f8cbe.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/12/301627/image_hu_9d224255c2d88473.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/12/301627/image_hu_66a46f27b9bfdbad.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/12/301627/image_hu_74c8a538d1dcf90e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/12/301627.html","regions":["karachaevo"],"subtitle":"Earlier, Her Daughter, Also One of Jehovah's Witnesses, Was Convicted","tags":["final-statement","sentence","suspended","families","elderly","282.2-2"],"title":"Pensioner From Mednogorskiy Given Suspended Sentence.","type":"news"},{"body":"Sergey Chikichev was born in Nerchinsk (Zabaykal Territory). He has an older brother and two younger sisters. His parents were working class, but now they are no longer alive.\nAs a child, Sergey liked sports. After school, he graduated from a vocational college and served in the army. During his mandatory service he was based in Vladivostok, where he decided to stay after completion. He worked as a driver for most of his life and then 10 years before retirement as a carpenter. Now, due to his age and state of health, he does not work.\nSergey met Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in 1994. He found answers to his many questions in the Bible. He was baptized as one of Jehovah's Witnesses 3 years later.\nSergey married Olga in 2013. She shares her husband\u0026#39;s views. She is also retired.\nSergey recalls the beginning of the criminal prosecution: \u0026quot;At 6.45 a.m. the doorbell rang. Nothing could be seen through the peephole — it was dark. When we opened the door, a masked man burst in, followed by six others. I was lying on the couch; I was dragged roughly and my face was pressed to the floor. My wife fainted from the stress.\u0026quot; Subsequently, Sergey\u0026#39;s chronic illnesses worsened, and Olga also developed health problems.\nThe support of friends helps the couple cope with the difficult situation.\n","date":"2026-01-30","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/chikichev/photo_hu_2cb2039c4e8f2fa8.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/chikichev/photo_hu_9a16d3d764b6b35.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/chikichev/photo_hu_65abc9f4a36a9fd6.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/chikichev/photo_hu_bc1beb7429ce4521.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/chikichev.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Sergey Chikichev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"\u0026quot;My story isn\u0026#39;t exciting. I am a person with a great desire to do everything right, to learn, to understand the will of the Creator, and to serve him,\u0026quot; Sergey Isupov said about himself.\nSergey grew up in a large family and was the youngest of four children. Their parents were working class. They never talked about religion with their children.\nPrimorye is Sergey\u0026#39;s native home. He spent his childhood in the village of Trudovoye. Our house was near the forest and lakes — this closeness to nature determined the boy\u0026#39;s hobbies. The whole family went to the forest for mushrooms, cedar cones and wild garlic, and in summer they always went to the sea.\nAfter school, Sergey trained as a driver. However, he did not manage to work in this field for long: due to an accident he had to abandon this career. Later, he became a porcelain painter and worked for a long time at a porcelain factory. Later, he worked as a plumber in the housing and maintenance department (HMD) in Vladivostok and then as a welder for many years. Since early retirement being a welder, Sergey has been working as a janitor for the last 10 years.\nHe has retained his childhood love of nature. At any opportunity, he gets out into the forest for wild plants and tries to spend his vacation with his family by the sea. Sergey is married and the couple has adult children. Sergey\u0026#39;s parents are no longer alive.\n\u0026quot;I became one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses after I was fifty. Even as a teenager, I thought the Bible was a special book, full of mysteries and knowledge. I didn't lose sleep searching for God and didn't change religions. I lived like all people who are not well off — using the gifts of the Creator, not thanking him for them. During my work at the HMD, I spoke with Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses and then met them in other places. I had a lot of questions, and I got answers. I checked it out for 8 years. The time came, and I asked for a Bible study,\u0026quot; this is how Sergey described what led to his Christian baptism in 2013.\n","date":"2026-01-30","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/isupov/photo_hu_fcec1885b0ae3f37.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/isupov/photo_hu_a667aa0de969e2bd.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/isupov/photo_hu_969fa005545570a5.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/isupov/photo_hu_4107f4ce0bc32f8.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/isupov.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Sergey Isupov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"\u0026quot;The eight law enforcement officers barely fitted in our small one-room apartment, \u0026quot; said Vyacheslav Yudin. The life of the family of a peaceful resident of Vladivostok changed dramatically when their home was raided in September 2025.\nVyacheslav was born in Vladivostok. His father worked as a road safety engineer for the traffic police; his mother worked in the Department of Soil Science at the university. Both are no longer alive.\nAs a child, Vyacheslav liked sports: he went canoeing with his younger brother. He completed part of a university degree and served in the army.\nVyacheslav asked himself two questions: what is the purpose of life and what is truth? In 1991, he met Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses and, with their help, found the answers in the Bible. \u0026quot;I was overjoyed! I fondly remember these happy moments,\u0026quot; said Vyacheslav, expressing his feelings. His parents were very happy with the positive changes in the life of their son, who got rid of bad habits and made many friends. Inspired by his example, his father also started reading the Bible.\nIn 1992, Vyacheslav married Nina, who shares his religious views. They have children from their first marriages. One of Yudin\u0026#39;s daughters was widowed during Covid and left with two children. Vyacheslav helps them and loves to spend time with his grandchildren.\nVyacheslav\u0026#39;s family met the prosecution with courage. \u0026quot;Nina doesn't lose her joy or the hope that soon the prosecution will end and justice prevail,\u0026quot; the believer said.\n","date":"2026-02-03","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/yudin/photo_hu_15dddcd80ba98d3.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/yudin/photo_hu_a9a8262f3316e82c.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/yudin/photo_hu_c7e3d984d7548ce8.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/yudin/photo_hu_feca01515fe001be.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/yudin.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Vyacheslav Yudin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On December 25, 2025, the Rubtsovskiy District Court ruled to release Aleksandr Seredkin from the penal colony early but did not remove his additional punishment. He was released on the same day. He spent more than 3 years behind bars for his faith, including 2 years under strict conditions of detention.\nOver the past few months, the health of the 71-year-old Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witness from Novosibirsk deteriorated: he was tormented by pain, hypotension, and he practically could not digest food. In the fall, the believer was sent for several examinations, which revealed that he had stage II cancer, and he could not receive appropriate treatment behind bars. Further examination showed that his condition was even more serious — stage IV cancer. The medical team recommended he should undergo surgery promptly.\n\u0026quot;Aleksandr has lost a lot of weight. Being 1,70m tall, he only weighs 59 kilograms. But he is calm, says that he is not afraid and fully relies on God,\u0026quot; said the believer\u0026#39;s lawyer. \u0026quot;He understands that quick action is needed and treatment can\u0026#39;t be delayed.\u0026quot;\nIn November 2022, the court sentenced Aleksandr to 6 years in a penal colony with deprivation of the right to engage in organizational activity in public or religious associations or organizations for a period of 5 years and 1 year restriction of freedom.\n\u0026quot;It is commendable that the court has now shown mercy and released Aleksandr. But if he hadn\u0026#39;t been unfairly convicted, could he perhaps have received help much earlier? The circumstances are very difficult for dozens of believers with disabilities in penal colonies and pretrial detention centers. Their life and health are under serious threat,\u0026quot; Yaroslav Sivulskiy, a representative of the European Association of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, commented on the situation.\nFor example, Andrey Vlasov cannot take care of himself in places of detention; he needs constant help and medical care. Boris Andreyev and Yevgeniy Stefanidin suffer from cancer. In total, about 80 people with dangerously poor health have already been prosecuted, 34 of them have disabilities. Several people in this category died during the prosecution or shortly after the verdict was announced.\n","category":"prison","date":"2025-12-25T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/12/260920/image_hu_7e02648b406f2238.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/12/260920/image_hu_b6a76b40cc59603e.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/12/260920/image_hu_56557189fbf2d66e.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/12/260920/image_hu_eb858c017e4a100.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/12/260920.html","regions":["novosibirsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["elderly","health-risk"],"title":"Severely Ill Jehovah's Witness Aleksandr Seredkin Released From Penal Colony","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 22, 2025, Aslanbech Trakhov, chairman of the Teuchezhskiy District Court, announced the verdict in a case against two peaceful believers charged with participating in the activity of an extremist organization — Aleksey Dmitriyev 4 years in a penal colony, and elderly Yuriy Sergeechev, who has a disability, a 4-year suspended sentence.\nThe case against Sergeechev and Dmitriyev was initiated at the end of April 2025. The men were immediately arrested and spent about 8 months in pretrial detention. Yuriy Sergeechev, 74, has a disability, has diabetes mellitus, has had two heart attacks and has frequent severe hypertensive crises. He walks with a cane. On the eve of one of the court hearings, Yuriy had another hypertensive crisis, and yet he was taken to court. A week later, the same thing happened. His lawyer said: \u0026quot;We informed the court that the defendant had high blood pressure at night — more than 200/115 — but the court did not care.\u0026quot;\nDespite his serious condition and advanced age, during the hearings Sergeechev was kept in a cage. Human rights activists consider this treatment as degrading and highlight, that he could have been under a more lenient preventive measure. Only the day before the verdict, Yuriy was released from the detention center under a recognizance agreement.\nShortly before the announcement of the verdict, Yuriy was released under a recognizance agreement. With his wife Antonina, they were photographed outside the courthouse. December 2025 The charge was based on audio recordings of conversations made by a man who feigned an interest in the Bible. According to the believers, he himself asked for advice on how to help his relatives and repeatedly asked them to discuss the Holy Scriptures with him. The defense noted that the case materials did not contain calls for violence or hostility, nevertheless the prosecutor requested 5 years in a penal colony for Yuriy Sergeechev, and 6 years for Aleksey Dmitriyev.\nIn his statement, Yuriy Sergeechev said, that the prosecution did not provide any real evidence of the crime and that none of the witnesses said anything negative about him. He asked the court: what exactly does the state consider illegal — prayer, discussion of the Scriptures or peaceful conversation?\nIn his final statement, Aleksey Dmitriyev asked the court to take into account that his 90-year-old mother needs care. He stressed that extremism is incompatible with his beliefs, since Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses do not participate in political struggle, do not take up arms and maintain peace.\nIn its decision of October 16, 2025, the European Court of Human Rights states that court decisions against Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Russia, including the elderly, lack due humanity and are illegal. \u0026quot;Since the authorities failed to demonstrate that the applicants were involved in any socially dangerous activities of an extremist nature, their prosecution and conviction for peacefully practicing the religion of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in community with others... did not pursue any legitimate aim or \u0026#39;pressing social need\u0026#39;,\u0026quot; the judgment reads (paragraph 11). Already 89 men and women over the age of 70 are being prosecuted for their faith in Jehovah God; 6 of them are behind bars.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-12-22T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/12/230915/image_hu_8d9b2828ceea5a9b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/12/230915/image_hu_5887e20e82e8aeab.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/12/230915/image_hu_994d958a67199134.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/12/230915/image_hu_a8f4d2be11f24c30.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/12/230915.html","regions":["adygea"],"subtitle":"Aleksey Dmitriyev Sent to Penal Colony and Yuriy Sergeechev, 74, Given Suspended Sentence","tags":["sentence","282.2-1.1","liberty-deprivation","suspended","elderly","disability","health-risk"],"title":"Court in Adygea Convicted Two Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"The Syktyvkar City Court found the believers guilty of extremism and fined Lidiya Nekrasova — 300,000 rubles, Aleksandr Kruglyakov — 470,000 rubles, Aleksandr Ketov and Andrey Kharlamov — 500,000 rubles each. About 50 attended the announcement of the verdict on December 22, 2025.\n\u0026quot;I am proud that I suffered not as a villain, but as a Christian,\u0026quot; Aleksandr Kruglyakov, 46, expressed his opinion on what was happening. \u0026quot;In the 1990s, I was a villain, I was even tried. Many of my former friends are already dead.\u0026quot; He believes that studying the Bible with Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses helped him to change drastically: \u0026quot;I stopped abusing alcohol, taking drugs, quit smoking, stopped stealing and getting into fights... Such changes helped me stay alive.\u0026quot;\nAleksandr spent almost 2 months in the pretrial detention center. His bank account, like the accounts of the other defendants in the case, was blocked. Aleksandr lost his job and could not find a new one. His wife, who needed expensive medical treatment, was forced to provide for the family alone. Property was seized from the other believers.\nPensioner Aleksandr Ketov, 57, who spent 2 months under house arrest, described how he felt: \u0026quot;It's an unpleasant feeling — though you didn't violate anything, you're forced to sit at home waiting for a verdict that won't be fair.\u0026quot;\nIn his final statement, Andrey Kharlamov, 54, said: \u0026quot;I felt like a person without rights. They called me a criminal and an extremist, placed me under house arrest, threatened me, saying: \u0026quot;You will go to jail\u0026quot;, blocked my accounts, and seized my apartment. All motions that were filed were rejected by the investigator. I had always lived quietly, peacefully, didn't have any conflicts or quarrels with anyone, so it was the first time I had encountered such treatment just because I'm a believer.\u0026quot;\nIn January 2026, Lidiya Nekrasova will turn 73. During the prosecution, she experienced not only the hardships of the investigation and trial, but also a personal tragedy — her husband died last year. She said that caring people helped her cope with the difficulties. \u0026quot;Fellow believers, whom I didn't even know, called from different places. They brought me flowers, invited me over to their place, we ate treats and sang songs together,\u0026quot; she said.\n\u0026quot;In total, I received about 1500 letters from 42 countries,\u0026quot; says Aleksandr Kruglyakov in appreciation of the support. \u0026quot;It was a breath of fresh air, filled with love. Sometimes I received up to 125 letters a day.\u0026quot;\nSergey Ushakhin did not live to see the end of the trial. He had a disability due to a heart condition. The commission of the Ministry of Health recognized that the believer needed special treatment. Sergey died in August 2023 — a month after receiving the commission\u0026#39;s conclusion. Shortly before his death, the believer shared: \u0026quot;I received a very warm message from my friends. They write that they always remember me, how my voice comforted them in difficult times, and it encourages and warms them even now.\u0026quot;\nThe prosecution of the five Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses began with searches in 2021. A year later, the criminal case against them went to court, and the trial dragged on for almost 4 years. The believers do not agree with the decision of Judge Yevgeniy Sazhin. In total, 11 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have already been prosecuted in the Komi Republic.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-12-22T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/12/240905/image_hu_2046ad8b27da2213.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/12/240905/image_hu_95d2e7103d2e3c15.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/12/240905/image_hu_dac18a5dabeb8034.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/12/240905/image_hu_de11598bb4962598.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/12/240905.html","regions":["komi"],"subtitle":"Woman, 72, and Three Men Must Pay from 300,000 to 500,000 Rubles","tags":["sentence","282.2-1","282.2-2","fine","elderly","disability"],"title":"Jehovah's Witnesses From Komi Fined for Their Faith.","type":"news"},{"body":"It becomes known that Anatoliy Marunov was assigned the II group of disability.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mareyev and Others in Moscow","date":"2025-12-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow4.html#20251220","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["life-in-prison","disability","elderly","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksey Dmitriev and Yuriy Sergeechev deliver the final statement.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dmitriyev and Sergeechev in Adygeysk","date":"2025-12-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/adygeysk.html#20251218","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Valeriy Knyazev and Indus Talipov are in SIZO No. 1 in Izhevsk. Valeriy is being held in a cell designed for four people, along with three convicts. Prisoners smoke, but out of respect for the elderly person, they do it near the window. Upon arrival, he was given a lower bunk. The Indian is also the oldest in the cell, and he is treated with respect. The premises are warm, there is hot water. Believers try to go for walks.\nValeriy suffers from diabetes. He takes the necessary medications and receives special nutrition. The Indian's eyesight deteriorates greatly, one eye almost does not see. He also has hearing problems. Both men can see a doctor, and an examination at the hospital is scheduled for early next year.\nBelievers are trying to get used to the new realities of life. Valeriy was especially pleased with 67 letters from different countries. He tries to answer everything. He especially liked letters about Lake Baikal, Kamchatka, historical places and interesting biographies of people.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Knyazev and Talipov in Izhevsk","date":"2025-12-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk3.html#20251218","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["sizo","elderly","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Sergey Mukhortov lifts some of the restrictions from 72-year-old Galina Inkina - to leave the house after 22:00 and attend public events. She is still prohibited from communicating with witnesses and suspects in the case, as well as using communications and the Internet.\nSince wearing a tracking bracelet is not required to comply with the current restrictions, it is expected that the Federal Penitentiary Service will remove it in the near future.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mladov and Inkina in Dubna","date":"2025-12-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dubna.html#20251217","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["ankle-tag","prohibition-of-actions","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The verdict announced by Yelena Marina on December 17, 2025, brought an end to the trial against Anton Bashabaev, Aleksey Vasiliyev, and Aleksey Yefremov. Each of them was fined 600,000 rubles for talking about the Bible.\nThe criminal case was initiated 2 years earlier, followed shortly by a raid. \u0026quot;While the search was underway, paramedics were giving me IV drips and injections,\u0026quot; Yefremov recalls. \u0026quot;Then interrogation, detention center, and trial. I have many health issues: heart attacks, blood pressure problems, diabetes... The investigators were told about this. But I was given neither food nor medication. Only thanks to God was my wife able to bring insulin to the detention center.\u0026quot; Just like Vasiliyev and Bashabaev, he spent a day in a temporary detention facility before being placed under house arrest for nearly a year.\nThe convicted believers are middle-aged family men (41 to 61), each married for many years. After their arrests, the burden of solving numerous problems fell on their wives. \u0026quot;The hardest thing for me back then was watching my daughter and wife leave for school and errands, then seeing them from the window carrying heavy bags of groceries, and feeling helpless because I couldn\u0026#39;t help them,\u0026quot; said Aleksey Vasiliyev. Anton Bashabaev said: \u0026quot;I\u0026#39;m grateful to my wife for her resilience and for always supporting me. When you have strong backing, it gives you confidence.\u0026quot;\nFor Vasiliyev, the criminal prosecution also meant losing his job — he was a commercial director in the oil industry: \u0026quot;I held an excellent position, had a good salary, and was valued and respected at work. In an instant, it all disappeared, and all my accounts were frozen.\u0026quot; Being labelled an extremist brought other consequences for Aleksey as well. \u0026quot;Under threat of dismissal, my colleagues were forbidden to talk to me. Those who supposedly respected me vanished,\u0026quot; he added.\n\u0026quot;Despite all the pressure and problems, we serve God, we are alive, happy, and have a wonderful future ahead of us,\u0026quot; concluded Aleksey Yefremov.\nHearings at the Frunzenskiy District Court of Saratov were held behind closed doors and lasted just over 2 months. \u0026quot;When you interact with authorities and participate in court proceedings, you realize they\u0026#39;re all ordinary people, most of whom have nothing against you personally,\u0026quot; commented Anton Bashabaev on his impressions of the process.\nIn the Saratov Region, 20 of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have faced criminal prosecution on religious grounds. Already 10 of them have served their main sentences.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-12-17T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/12/181119/image_hu_4f68c77c28dd0d53.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/12/181119/image_hu_682e533acf6cc745.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/12/181119/image_hu_932471e2e99a4aa6.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/12/181119/image_hu_25e934d008457947.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/12/181119.html","regions":["saratov"],"subtitle":"Court Fined Three of Jehovah's Witnesses from Saratov","tags":["sentence","fine","282.2-1","elderly"],"title":"\"Despite All Problems, We Serve God, We Are Alive and Happy.\"","type":"news"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests 3 years of suspended sentence for Maria Ogoreva with a probationary period of 2 years and 6 months of restrictions.\nDuring the debate, the defense states: \"We believe that Mariya's rights have been grossly violated,\" after which it adds: \"But despite all the moral damage and searches, which still have a detrimental effect on the health of my client (for which there is evidence), she, on the contrary, shows the opposite qualities of extremism - a respectful attitude, kindness and patience towards her accusers. She does not hold a grudge, because the Bible teaches her so.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mariya Ogoreva in Mednogorskiy","date":"2025-12-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy6.html#20251216","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["punishment-request","defense-arguments","282.2-2","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A fine of 500,000 rubles — that was the sentence announced to Nadezhda Lebed by the Savelovskiy District Court of Moscow on December 12, 2025, just a few weeks after a similar ruling against Mariya Pankova. The trial of Nadezhda lasted about 6 months.\n\u0026quot;I have been worshipping Jehovah for almost 30 years. He is the main support for me and my family,\u0026quot; the believer told the court at the final hearing. \u0026quot;From the very beginning, since 1995, and to this day, nothing has changed in my service to God. I still read His Word, the Bible, pray to God, and sing songs of praise.\u0026quot; Nadezhda is convinced that her prosecution is groundless and considers her views to be the exact opposite of extremism. \u0026quot;I am an honest person; I had no criminal intent. I am a Christian and fear God and I do not want to spoil my good relationship with him,\u0026quot; she added.\nThe criminal prosecution began with a search in April 2025 — the second for Nadezhda\u0026#39;s family (law enforcement officers had searched her home in 2021 as part of the Mareyev case). On the same day, officers also raided the home of Pankova. Both women were charged with participating in the activity of an extremist organization because of their faith.\n\u0026quot;The hearings robbed me of a lot of my energy, health, and resources,\u0026quot; Nadezhda recalls. \u0026quot;During this period, I was taken to hospital, to the cardiology department. And I am still undergoing treatment.\u0026quot; The criminal prosecution also brought financial difficulties into her life. \u0026quot;I had been saving part of my pension for a \u0026#39;rainy day\u0026#39;,\u0026quot; she said. \u0026quot;The \u0026#39;rainy day\u0026#39; came, but I cannot use the funds.\u0026quot;\nIn October 2025, the European Court of Human Rights considered complaints from several Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses who faced prosecution because of their faith. The court ruled that searches, arrests, restrictions on freedom, confiscation of property, and charges of extremism for peaceful religious activity were unlawful.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-12-12T17:53:50+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/12/121753/image_hu_f77898aadb66e3f4.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/12/121753/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/12/121753/image_hu_8495a6c9b49555f5.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/12/121753/image_hu_ed7b8e819a6eee7d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/12/121753.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","elderly","rosfinmonitoring","echr","282.2-2"],"title":"Another Guilty Verdict Against One of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Moscow — This Time Court Fines 75-Year-Old Believer","type":"news"},{"body":"Nikolay Martynov is supported by letters that arrive regularly. In November, there was a short meeting with his wife and daughter. The believer's relatives had to travel more than 500 kilometers to visit him and talk a little.\nIn November, Martynov spent 5 days in a punishment cell.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2025-12-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk.html#20251211","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison","shizo","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Odintsovo City Court Mikhail Ponimatkin chooses detention as a restriction measure for Aleksandr Paisova.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Paysov in Zvenigorod","date":"2025-12-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zvenigorod.html#20251211","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["sizo","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aflatun is in a cell with four prisoners, sleeping on the top bunk. The room has water, a refrigerator, a kettle and a TV. Every day there is an hour-long walk in the yard. Relations with neighbors are respectful, he is the eldest among them. A believer has a New Testament. Aflatun needs treatment.\nViktor Kononov is in quarantine. There are six people in the cell where he is being held. Although the room has not been renovated for a long time, it is warm and has cold and hot water. Victor can walk for an hour every day. His blood pressure periodically rises. In addition, due to previous tuberculosis and a severe form of covid, Viktor developed pulmonary fibrosis, and he needs constant medical supervision and treatment.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kononov and Others in Uyar","date":"2025-12-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uyar.html#20251208","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["sizo","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Ivan Tchaikovsky works hard in the penal colony. He trained as a boilder room operator and electrician and now he is training to become a welder. Since it started getting cold, he was given warm clothes.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chaykovskiy and others in Moscow","date":"2025-11-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow.html#20251130","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["life-in-prison","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"After the examination, the Main Bureau of Medical and Social Expertise for the Amur Region acknowledges Boris Andreev's disability.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Andreyev and Others in Yaroslavskiy","date":"2025-11-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavskiy.html#20251129","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["disability","elderly","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The panel of judges of the Krasnodar Territory Court upholds the verdict against Aleksey Lelikov — 6 years and 5 months in a penal colony.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lelikov in Krasnodar","date":"2025-11-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnodar.html#20251128","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["appeal","elderly","282.2-1","liberty-deprivation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"After a medical examination at the Adygea Republic Hospital, Yuriy Sergeechev was advised to have heart stent surgery. Previously, Yuriy had suffered two heart attacks.\nThe believer is supported by letters — he has already received about 300 from different countries.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dmitriyev and Sergeechev in Adygeysk","date":"2025-11-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/adygeysk.html#20251126","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["sizo","elderly","health-risk","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On November 21, 2025, the Levoberezhnyy District Court of Voronezh issued the region\u0026#39;s first verdict against Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses on charges of extremism — one of the harshest sentences this year. Yevgeniy Sokolov was given 7 years in a penal colony; Sergey Baev and Igor Popov were given a 6-year suspended sentence and the others — 6 years in a penal colony.\nJudge Yevgeniya Laskavaya\u0026#39;s decision concluded an almost 4-year trial. The convicted men are aged 29 to 61. Many have higher or vocational education: engineers, electromechanics, philologists, welders, and blacksmiths.\nThe investigation against the believers lasted more than 5 years. Its first landmark event was a raid by law enforcement officers on July 13, 2020. That day, more than 110 searches took place in the region — a record number in the recent history of the prosecution of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Russia. The believers ended up in pretrial detention for nearly 5 months. Several were subjected to cruel treatment — including Anatoliy Yagupov and Yuriy Galka. The latter had his arms twisted behind his back and a bag placed over his head until he suffocated; he was also beaten, resulting in a broken rib.\n\u0026quot;It feels like no one hears us when we say we are simply practicing our religion as we always have,\u0026quot; Yevgeniy Sokolov commented shortly before the verdict. \u0026quot;We are just believers and are living according to the Bible. The persecutors clearly have their own agenda and keep pushing it.\u0026quot; Valeriy Gurskiy expressed a similar thought in his final statement: \u0026quot;The case contains a huge amount of material, dozens of volumes. The volumes could have been doubled... but the result would be the same: there is nothing we should be charged with.\u0026quot; Yuriy Galka spoke about the investigation period: \u0026quot;I was fully aware of the surveillance. Then and now, I am confident I was not breaking any laws of the Russian Federation, so I never ran away. I prefer to be with my fellow believers in difficult times.\u0026quot;\nDespite the criminal prosecution, the defendants noticed empathy and goodwill from those around them. Anatoliy Yagupov thanked the judge for paying attention to the defendants\u0026#39; health: \u0026quot;You were understanding when one of us couldn\u0026#39;t attend court due to illness and even arranged a chair in the courtroom for my fellow believer so he could be more comfortable after leaving the hospital.\u0026quot; Mikhail Veselov spoke about the support from his neighbors: \u0026quot;They sincerely worried about me when I was in pretrial detention. And when I returned home, they greeted me joyfully and said, \u0026#39;Don\u0026#39;t leave us again.\u0026#39;\u0026quot; Yevgeniy Sokolov noted the investigator\u0026#39;s respectful attitude: \u0026quot;He emphasized that we have a good reputation... said he had spoken with other investigators, and all of them noted that we are people from whom one would never expect any malice. And he admitted quite openly: \u0026#39;I see that it is true.\u0026#39;\u0026quot;\nLarge-scale trials against Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses are not isolated incidents. In various regions of Russia, law enforcement agencies have initiated cases against entire groups of believers — from 8 to 18 people at a time.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-11-21T16:57:03+02:00","duration":"0:46","image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/11/211657/image_hu_71ec64068b7adfb8.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/11/211657/image_hu_17a251d7782d51db.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/11/211657/image_hu_b47af05f25feb76e.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/11/211657/image_hu_b3a29cef0565b740.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/11/211657.html","regions":["voronezh"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","siloviks-violence","elderly","liberty-deprivation","suspended","282.2-1"],"title":"Up to 7 Years in Penal Colony — 10 of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Voronezh Convicted for Their Faith in God","type":"news"},{"body":"It is now known, that the trial of Nikolai Prokhorov, 61, will be conducted by a different judge, Yuriy Makashov, since Yelena Shubakina, who sentenced Kuzhelkov, recused herself.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuzhelkov and Prokhorov in Kirsanov","date":"2025-11-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirsanov.html#20251120","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["retrial","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that the trial in the case of 61-year-old Nikolai Prokhorov will now be conducted by Judge Yuri Makashov, since Elena Shubakina, who sentenced Kuzhelkov, recused herself.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Prokhorov in Kirsanov","date":"2025-11-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirsanov2.html#20251120","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["retrial","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"After quarantine, Oleg Katamov was assigned to a unit for 100 people. The believer established friendly relations with the other prisoners. As a sign of respect, they gave him a place on the lower bunk of the bed, and later a bed near the radiator and next to the window. There is no hot water in the barracks, the convicted persons go to the bathhouse once a week.\nOleg's daughter took him the necessary medications to control his blood pressure. He needs an operation due to a skin condition, which developed in pretrial detention.\nOleg takes the death of his wife hard and worries about his daughter, who now is on her own. It is even harder for him as there is almost complete lack of communication with his loved ones. For about a month, the believer was not given letters, and only after his daughter appealed to the regional department of the Federal Penitentiary Service, Oleg was given several of her letters. The believer has not yet received permission to make phone calls.\nA source of comfort for Oleg is reading the Bible, which he took from a local church. The believer works packing textiles. In his spare time, he writes poems and attends a chess club.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Starikov and Others in Konakovo","date":"2025-11-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/konakovo.html#20251120","regions":["tver"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yelena Gadrshina makes her final statement. At the same session, the judge announces his decision.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gadrshina in Vyselki","date":"2025-11-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki8.html#20251119","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["punishment-request","final-statement","sentence","elderly","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Natalya Kocheva was born in December 1961 in the village of Boguchan, Amur Region. Her mother raised her and her younger sister on her own.\nNatalya spent her childhood in Birobidzhan, where her mother worked in a sewing factory. She was an active and creative child: she sang in the school choir, loved knitting, sewing, and cross-country skiing and started every day with exercises.\nWhen Natalya was about 15, the family moved to Blagoveshchensk. After school, she got a job at the Central Telegraph. \u0026quot;I gave all the money I earned to my mother, and together we bought food and clothes for the family,\u0026quot; she recalls.\nIn 1981, Natalya got married and settled in the village of Khingansk (Jewish Autonomous Region). She had a son and a daughter. She worked as a telegraph operator, then as a delivery person for a local newspaper, and later as security at a factory. Before the start of criminal prosecution, Natalya worked as security at a polytechnical college, where she was considered a friendly and reliable employee.\nAfter the death of her husband, Natalya was looking for answers to questions important to her and visited different churches. A friend invited her to meetings for worship of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. \u0026quot;There I received Bible-based answers and became more and more convinced that this was exactly what I was looking for — genuine faith,\u0026quot; Natalya said. \u0026quot;Gradually, I freed myself from foul language and a hot temper; I became wiser and calmer.\u0026quot; In 2009, she was baptized as one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. Natalya says: \u0026quot;Thanks to the truth, I have found a real Father, hope for eternal life and many friends. And what else does a person need to be happy?\nKocheva moved to Birobidzhan in 2013 with her second husband. The couple love to spend time outdoors, especially fishing. Natalya is a grandmother of five. \u0026quot;They know me as the one gathering them outdoors at the campfire,\u0026quot; Natalya said. \u0026quot;I like to take pictures with them and have fun and pick mushrooms.\u0026quot; The grandchildren appreciate their grandmother for her help and support in any situation.\nShe developed heart problems because of the criminal prosecution. \u0026quot;Unfortunately, my mother and sister are no longer alive,\u0026quot; Natalya said. \u0026quot;My husband, children and grandchildren, who do not share my beliefs, do not understand how I can be charged with extremism.\u0026quot;\n","date":"2025-12-23","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kocheva/photo_hu_257a8ac7b51f0426.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kocheva/photo_hu_7dea58025e50bd21.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kocheva/photo_hu_fb89bc291cb18dd5.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kocheva/photo_hu_20f1af410ca0577e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kocheva.html","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Natalya Kocheva","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Viktor Kononov, a pensioner from Uyar, ended up in a pretrial detention center in October 2025 because of his faith in God. This greatly affected his life: his health deteriorated, and because his accounts have been blocked, he cannot receive his pension.\nViktor was born in February 1965 in the village of Karlyk, Krasnoyarsk Territory. There were five children in the family: three boys and two girls. His parents have long passed away. In his youth, Viktor loved football and hockey. After finishing school, he received vocational training.\nIn 1989, Viktor married Tatyana. She was the first in the family to become interested in spiritual matters. Later, Viktor also began a deep study of the Bible. Thinking about proof of the existence of a creator moved him to do so. In 2002, he was baptized as one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. \u0026quot;Faith brought our family together,\u0026quot; the believer recalls, \u0026quot;helped us raise our two daughters and taught us to value marriage ties. The Bible helped me understand the importance of being a compassionate and friendly person; taught me to be an honest and respectable citizen.\u0026quot;\nViktor\u0026#39;s working life was varied: he served under a contract in the army, later worked as a compressor equipment and ammonia refrigeration technician, an ironworker, as well as a boiler room operator, a position he held until his arrest. Viktor\u0026#39;s wife is a medical worker.\nViktor and his family love to spend time together: relaxing outdoors, walking the dogs in the forest, picking berries and mushrooms, ice skating and skiing. They moved to the Krasnoyarsk Territory to be closer to Tatyana\u0026#39;s relatives.\nHis wife and children are worried about Viktor\u0026#39;s prosecution, which they consider unfair.\n","date":"2025-12-16","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kononov/photo_hu_4597b2f694343739.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kononov/photo_hu_4597b2f694343739.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kononov/photo_hu_dcb983ec6bfe6611.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kononov/photo_hu_dcb983ec6bfe6611.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kononov.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Viktor Kononov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In 1994, following Bible teachings, Aflatun Safarov was able to overcome his addiction to gambling and smoking. He ended up behind bars 31 years later because of the same beliefs: he was charged with extremism as one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\nAflatun was born in February 1963 in the village of Ortagishlag (Azerbaijan) in a large family — he has four brothers and two sisters. The young man served his military service in the Krasnoyarsk Territory and remained there. He qualified as gas-electric welder and worked in his profession until his retirement.\nIn 1988, Aflatun married Lyubov, and 3 years later the couple began to study the Bible. He was especially moved by the hope of living forever, as he could not accept that death is the end.\nIn 2001, the family moved from Krasnoyarsk to live in Uyar, where more than 20 years later they faced criminal prosecution for their faith. Lyubov\u0026#39;s chronic illnesses worsened after her husband was arrested. Relatives are worried about the Safarovs and wonder why these honest and kind people are called extremists.\n","date":"2025-12-16","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/safarov/photo_hu_c6b8a5514a45e7d1.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/safarov/photo_hu_1e6ba385935ca3d7.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/safarov/photo_hu_83c2eb27fec164e2.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/safarov/photo_hu_6e51fc5ba6806e1f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/safarov.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Aflatun Safarov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On November 19, 2025, in the Krasnodar Territory, the trial of Yelena Gadrshina concluded. The court found her guilty of participating in the activity of an extremist organization. Judge Ruslan Teplukhin gave the elderly woman a 2-year suspended sentence for peacefully practicing her faith.\nYelena Gadrshina has been married for 45 years and they have an adult daughter. She worked as an accountant for many years. She was among the believers whose homes were searched in February 2022 because of her beliefs. A criminal case was initiated against her, and her bank accounts were frozen. For nearly 2 years, she had to defend her good name in court.\nDuring the hearings, lawyers repeatedly pointed out serious violations committed by the investigation. For example, the interrogation protocol of a secret witness, prepared by the investigator, turned out to be identical (down to the mistakes) to a document from another case. The investigator somehow managed to review 63 hours of video footage and produce 300 pages of transcripts in just three hours. One expert, a psychologist, admitted she was unsure whether her signature on the conclusion was genuine; the defense found 155 citation errors in that conclusion. Another expert, a linguist, referred to non-existent transcripts. The contracts with these experts for their work were lost.\nYelena is grateful for the support of friends and others who care: \u0026quot;Fellow believers come from different cities to support me during the hearings. Those who cannot attend send messages with words of encouragement and assurances that they are fervently praying for me.\u0026quot;\nYelena Gadrshina became one of seven women sentenced as a result of the mass prosecution of believers in Vyselki.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-11-19T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/11/211023/image_hu_19c56bcbb82789ff.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/11/211023/image_hu_d70a9ab7fc8e2e70.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/11/211023/image_hu_9f9e1e0547b5fb5c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/11/211023/image_hu_dee263c2ffce775b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/11/211023.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":"She Was Given a 2-year Suspended Sentence","tags":["sentence","282.2-2","elderly"],"title":"In Vyselki, Woman, 67, Convicted for Her Faith.","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 17, 2025, searches and interrogations were carried out in the homes of at least four believers from Bataysk. One was placed in a temporary detention facility and he was released 48 hours later. Update. According to clarified information, searches in the homes of believers began early in the morning on November 18. At least two families had elderly relatives at home, and in one case, there was also a minor child. After the searches, four men (two of them aged 60 and 64) were taken to the police station for questioning. Copies of documents were not given to the believers. The searches were authorized by the Leninsky District Court of Rostov-on-Don on November 13, 2025. \"Although the officers behaved correctly, my family and I are still anxious, have no appetite, and suffer from disturbed sleep,\" one of the believers said. \"After the search, my granddaughter cried for two more days — she was very frightened.\" Bataysk became the fifth city in the Rostov Region (along with Rostov, Taganrog, Novocherkassk and Gukovo) where Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses are being prosecuted for practicing their religion. This began in the region in 2011 in Taganrog, when the Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against 16 of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses for reading the Bible, singing and praying together.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2025-11-19T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"svg":"/img/news/search.svg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/11/241328.html","regions":["rostov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation","ivs","elderly","minors"],"title":"Jehovah's Witnesses in Yet Another City in the Rostov Region Are Facing Prosecution","type":"news"},{"body":"The Fourth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Krasnodar dismisses the lawyer's appeal in the case of Valeriy Baylo who asked for the verdict to be overturned and the grounds for terminating the case be changed. Instead of terminating the criminal prosecution as a formality due to his death, the defense insisted on absence of corpus delicti.\nThe lawyer pointed to serious violations committed by the courts of first instance and appeal. For example, the verdict was based on audio recordings of meetings for worship, and yet the court did not establish whether any of the voices belonged to Valeriy Baylo, and whether there were calls for extremism on the recordings. Also in the verdict, the court referred to an expert conclusion that was not examined in the court session, and used the testimony of a witness who was not summoned and whose interrogation protocol was not made public. Moreover, the defense states: \"The indication in the verdict of the court of first instance that the ideology of Jehovah's Witnesses is extremist is not based on the law and judicial practice.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Baylo in Kholmskaya","date":"2025-11-14T10:41:07+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya7.html#20251114","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["cassation","282.2-2","elderly","died"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yuriy Sergeechev often experiences attacks of hypertension — his blood pressure rises above 200 at night. Medication helps only partially. The believer needs to undergo a medical examination, but so far he has not succeeded. There is still no heating in the cells, so prisoners are forced to wear warm clothes at all times. The court denies Yuriy visits from his wife.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dmitriyev and Sergeechev in Adygeysk","date":"2025-11-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/adygeysk.html#20251113","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["sizo","elderly","health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The believers make their final statements. The judge pronounces the verdict.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Knyazev and Talipov in Izhevsk","date":"2025-11-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk3.html#20251112","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","sentence","282.2-1","liberty-deprivation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Valeriy Knyazev and Indus Talipov became the oldest of those imprisoned for their faith in Jehovah God — on November 12, 2025, Judge Rustam Tagirov found them guilty of organizing the activity of an extremist organization and sentenced them to 3 years in a penal colony. The pensioners were taken into custody in the courtroom.\nValeriy Knyazev is a veteran of labor with 29 years experience in the fire brigade. In the late 1990s, he served as deputy chief, and was awarded three medals, including \u0026quot;For Impeccable Service\u0026quot;. The criminal prosecution — surveillance, three searches, 24 hours in a temporary detention facility, summons to the Investigative Committee and participating in court hearings — affected Valeriy Knyazev\u0026#39;s health. He was admitted to the hospital for 1 week in the cardiology department. Recalling his pretrial detention, Valeriy noted: \u0026quot;I was grateful to my fellow believers for their help, as I felt depressed at the time and had high blood pressure.\u0026quot;\nThe Knyazevs have been married for 52 years. Valeriy\u0026#39;s wife Galina, who is disabled, said in court: \u0026quot;My husband has necrosis of the knee, but he helps me, supports me constantly, goes to the store, does all the physical work.\u0026quot;\nIndus Talipov worked as a blacksmith for almost 20 years. The court interrogated his ex-wife as a witness. She described him as a caring and sympathetic person: \u0026quot;The neighbors really love Indus. And when I was [recently] in hospital, he was always there, brought food, and took care of me.\u0026quot; Before the verdict was passed, the believer was waiting for an operation to replace his knee joint but missed out due to detention. He would be able to walk without pain only with the aid of an expensive orthopedic brace, but it is not yet clear how he could get it while being in prison.\nA criminal case against the believers was initiated in June 2024. The trial in the Pervomayskiy District Court of Izhevsk lasted 11 months. The charge was based the testimony of a secret witness. The materials against Aleksandr Stefanidin, the third defendant in the case, has been suspended.\nIn Udmurtia, 10 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have already been prosecuted. Law enforcement officers initiate criminal cases against believers despite their advanced age, serious illnesses and contributions to society. Among them Yevgeniy Stefanidin, a disabled person with cancer, and Aleksandr Kutin, a highly qualified gas and arc welder, who serviced oxygen systems in hospitals during the pandemic.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-11-12T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/11/140952/image_hu_4c22c58c293c6b8.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/11/140952/image_hu_61fe213e7cb2b5e7.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/11/140952/image_hu_ba6b9b65f69126f4.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/11/140952/image_hu_62bfd6e27ef210b0.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/11/140952.html","regions":["udmurtia"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","282.2-1","elderly"],"title":"Court in Izhevsk Sentenced Two Jehovah's Witnesses, Both 74, to Penal Colony for 3 Years","type":"news"},{"body":"Seredkin's health has deteriorated sharply since August. In the last few months, the believer has lost about 10 kilograms. He is in great pain and it is virtual impossible for him to digest his food. As a result of this Aleksandr was sent for a medical examination.\nThe believer is in touch with his family and friends. At the end of September he had an extended visit from his wife and children and recently another one took place — this time in Regional Tuberculosis Hospital No. 12 in Barnaul, where he was admitted for examination. Aleksandr is waiting for the results of the tests and follows a diet. For 2 years now (since October 2023), Seredkin has been under strict conditions of detention.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Seredkin in Novosibirsk","date":"2025-11-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk7.html#20251111","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison","health-risk","strict-conditions","elderly","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Oleg Katamov and Aleksey Kuznetsov were transferred from quarantine to detachments. Believers are waiting for the visit of relatives.\nA Bible was seized from Oleg, letters from his family are not handed over to him. Representatives of the Federal Penitentiary Service for the Tula Region said that they would check the situation and take action.\nAleksey plans to find a job in the colony. His wife has already received two letters from him.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Starikov and Others in Konakovo","date":"2025-11-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/konakovo.html#20251110","regions":["tver"],"tags":["life-in-prison","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Prokhorov case is separated into a separate proceeding.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuzhelkov and Prokhorov in Kirsanov","date":"2025-10-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirsanov.html#20251030","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["retrial","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Six months ago, the Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk City Court gave Larisa Potapova and Olga Kalinnikova a 2.5-year suspended sentence for discussing the Bible. On October 29, 2025, Judge Galina Masterkova changed the suspended sentences to: 4 years and 11 months for Potapova, and 5 years for Kalinnikova.\nThe retrial required the women to fly again to Sakhalin to defend their right to freedom of religion. Olga admits: \u0026quot;There\u0026#39;s little we can control while under criminal prosecution. The only thing we can and must do is be a Christian.\u0026quot;\nFor both women, the long-running criminal prosecution has brought additional hardships. Larisa Potapova, 61, lives with and cares for her elderly mother. \u0026quot;The first search was in 2019. I found it hard — my blood pressure spiked and my head ached. During the second search, my mother became ill,\u0026quot; she recalls. In court, Larisa pleaded not guilty to extremism and stated: \u0026quot;I\u0026#39;m a believer. I love God and I love people, and there\u0026#39;s not a single victim in this case.\u0026quot; Olga Kalinnikova, 48, has worked at a seismic station in Kurilsk for over 25 years. She is raising a minor daughter alone and also cares for her elderly parents.\nKurilsk has a population of about 2,000, and everyone knows each other. \u0026quot;When our criminal case was published in the local newspaper, some people stopped greeting us, while on the other hand, others started to,\u0026quot; Olga noticed. She admits the worst part isn\u0026#39;t the court hearings: \u0026quot;It\u0026#39;s painful to see how my parents worry and age because of it. Not being allowed to travel is also tough. You have to ask permission for everything. And there\u0026#39;s the stress about work.\u0026quot;\nAccording to Potapova and Kalinnikova, their loved ones and friends helped them endure the second trial with resilience. \u0026quot;I felt like I was being carried in someone\u0026#39;s arms,\u0026quot; said Olga. \u0026quot;I\u0026#39;m grateful that every day has also reasons for joy, and there\u0026#39;s so much good. I\u0026#39;m not afraid of the future and I feel at peace.\u0026quot;\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-10-29T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/10/300902/image_hu_809e980ea7f52f85.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/10/300902/image_hu_53e17274afce52e.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/10/300902/image_hu_c8cc52807cfe38b9.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/10/300902/image_hu_25c49b6457b9ea41.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/10/300902.html","regions":["sakhalin"],"subtitle":"Sentences Doubled After Retrial","tags":["sentence","elderly","suspended","282.2-2","282.2-1.1"],"title":"Believers from Iturup Island Found Guilty Again.","type":"news"},{"body":"Boris Andreyev finds the conditions of his detention satisfactory. He is kept in a barrack for about 100 people.\nFrom May to September 2025, Boris underwent cancer treatment. Granting him a status of disability is under review. He continues to receive treatment prescribed by a team of doctors.\nBoris is a pensioner, so he does not work. He has signed up for sewing courses, but a group has not yet been formed. The believer has a Bible. To date, Andreyev has served two-thirds of his sentence.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Andreyev and Others in Yaroslavskiy","date":"2025-10-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavskiy.html#20251028","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["life-in-prison","elderly","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Uyar District Court chooses a restriction measure for 60-year-old Kononov and 62-year-old Safarov in the form of detention.\nInvestigator Tkachenko charges Viktor Kononov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kononov and Others in Uyar","date":"2025-10-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uyar.html#20251025","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["sizo","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yelena Shestopalova is a loving grandmother, mother and wife. Throughout her life she has tried to help others. In the fall of 2025, following her daughter Vladlena, she was prosecuted for her faith in Jehovah God. \u0026quot;I have to learn to trust people again,\u0026quot; she said.\nYelena was born in the summer of 1965 in the city of Aleksandrovsk-Sakhalinskiy, located on the west coast of Sakhalin Island. She is the second of three sisters. Even though their parents adhered to different beliefs, the family was close-knit. Her father worked as a driver all his life, and her mother worked at a local fish factory. According to Yelena\u0026#39;s recollections, her father was respected for his willingness to help, and when he died, his obituary was published in the local newspaper.\nHer parents taught the girls to help people. \u0026quot;Mom sent me with gifts to elderly neighbors,\u0026quot; Yelena recalls. \u0026quot;We treated them to homebred meat and bacon. We washed dishes and floors, when they needed help. My mother would always say never take money for help. We could only accept a candy or cookie.\u0026quot;\nYelena was a sporty child. In summer, she loved swimming and cycling, and in winter skiing, regularly taking part in competitions. She also liked knitting. After school, she enrolled as an external student at the agronomy faculty of the Ussuri Agricultural Institute (now the Perm State Agricultural Academy). She was actively involved in student life: she supported classmates who struggled academically and served as the group leader.\nAt the institute, Yelena met her future husband Nikolay, who was studying at the zoological faculty. They got married in 1987 and moved to Nikolay\u0026#39;s hometown — Birobidzhan. The couple raised two daughters who already have their own families. Yelena and Nikolay love hiking and boating. She enjoys admiring the beauty of nature, bird watching, taking pictures and videos. She still likes to visit her hometown on Sakhalin and walk along the seashore.\nYelena has retired. During her life, she worked as an assistant in a biology laboratory, a social worker, as well as an agronomist in the Birobidzhan Youth Detention Center. Yelena helped her husband in his business, and for the last few years before retirement she worked as a cleaner for the Jewish Autonomous Region Authority.\nShe remembers when she first thought about God: \u0026quot;Around 1985, during a class on the basics of scientific atheism, the teacher gave us advice: \u0026#39;If believers come up to you and talk about God, don\u0026#39;t listen to them because they will definitely convince you that God exists.\u0026#39; From that time on, I wanted to find out: Does God really exist?\u0026quot; Thanks to a former colleague, she met Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, began to study the Bible, and was baptized in the summer of 1995.\n\u0026quot;Studying the Bible has become like a second higher education for me,\u0026quot; Yelena said. \u0026quot;The knowledge from this book helped me overcome negative character traits. I remember my husband saying to his sister: \u0026#39;Study the Bible with Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. Yelena has become wiser and calmer.\u0026#39; Applying Bible knowledge has helped me preserve and strengthen our marriage. I was also able to raise wise and kind children.\u0026quot;\nThe criminal prosecution has changed the usual way of life of Yelena and her loved ones. \u0026quot;My husband, who does not share my religious views, experienced severe stress... and so did my children, as well as relatives and friends. They are very worried about me,\u0026quot; she said. Yelena developed problems with blood pressure; she had to seek medical help due to anxiety and insomnia.\n","date":"2025-10-30","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/shestopalova/photo_hu_b22008956b120347.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/shestopalova/photo_hu_3472247c3f82e823.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/shestopalova/photo_hu_f8200f1cbbdd57f3.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/shestopalova/photo_hu_d3f602850109ae9d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/shestopalova.html","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["families","elderly"],"title":"Yelena Shestopalova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Investigator of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, Lieutenant of Justice A. A. Tkachenko initiates a criminal case for organizing the activities of an extremist organization against Aflatun Safarov and for participating in it against Viktor Kononov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kononov and Others in Uyar","date":"2025-10-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uyar.html#20251023","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["new-case","elderly","282.2-1","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On October 23, 2025, a search was conducted at the home of a couple in the town of Abaza (Republic of Khakassia). Since their house had been damaged by fire earlier, they were temporarily staying with relatives. The search was carried out at their place as well.\nAccording to preliminary information, the investigative actions were conducted by the same agency that previously organized the searches in the villages of Mayna and Sizaya. Electronic devices, several copies of the Bible, and personal notes were seized from the family.\nUpdate. The investigative measures have affected five believers. Three of them are currently in pretrial detention, including Aflatun Safarov, 62, and Viktor Kononov, 60. In addition, two women aged 77 and 69 — Amaliya Malchugova and Tatyana Barakhtenko — have also been subjected to prosecution. They have been placed under a recognizance agreement.\nA criminal case against the believers has been initiated under three parts of Article 282.2 of the RF CrC. The case is being handled by A. A. Tkachenko, an investigator of the Uyar Interdistrict Investigative Department of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for Krasnoyarsk Territory and the Republic of Khakassia.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2025-10-23T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"svg":"/img/news/search.svg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/10/281458.html","regions":["khakassia"],"subtitle":"Recent Raid in Khakassia Affected Elderly Jehovah’s Witnesses","tags":["search","sizo","elderly","new-case","282.2-1.1","282.2-1","282.2-2"],"title":"Five Suspects — Three in Pretrial Detention.","type":"news"},{"body":"Anatoliy Marunov is in the hospital at penal colony No. 1 in Tambov. The conditions in the institution are good: clean, good food, attentive staff.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mareyev and Others in Moscow","date":"2025-10-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow4.html#20251017","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["life-in-prison","elderly","prison-treatment","health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On October 17, 2025, the Rozdolnenskiy Court announced its decision: Judge Mariya Bedritskaya gave Tamara Brattseva a suspended sentence of 6 years and 3 months. The investigation claimed that the believer was an organizer of the activity of an extremist organization.\nA few months earlier, the prosecutor had requested that Brattseva be sent to a penal colony for 6 years and 4 months. Tamara\u0026#39;s lawyer commented on this during her closing arguments: \u0026quot;The fact that the prosecution is asking for such a cruel punishment — imprisonment for a person whose only \u0026#39;guilt\u0026#39; is that she prayed, read the Bible and sought to live according to her conscience — is not just a legal error. This is a moral failure.\u0026quot; After the closing arguments, the court continued its consideration, however, the prosecutor did not change his position — he requested the same punishment for a second time.\nTamara Brattseva has been living in Rozdolne, a village with a population of about 7,000 people, for more than 40 years, almost 35 of which she worked as an health and safety officer in a local cooperative. \u0026quot;If I were engaged in extremism, I could not remain one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, since I would no longer meet the requirements of the Bible,\u0026quot; Tamara said in court. She stressed that she was a believer long before the legal entity of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses appeared in the village, and continues to practice her faith regardless of its existence.\nDuring one of the court hearings, Tamara\u0026#39;s husband of 50 years, had an accident while going to get some medication. In the hospital, he was diagnosed with a brain tumor and a hematoma. The news shocked the defendant; her blood pressure rose significantly during the hearings and she had to take medication right in the court room. Eyewitnesses thought, that she was about to lose consciousness.\nTamara considers herself innocent. \u0026quot;Real freedom is not where you are, but the truth you have within,\u0026quot; Tamara Brattseva said at one of the hearings, commenting on the threat of imprisonment.\nThe prosecution of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Crimea continues. In this territory, criminal cases have been initiated against 33 believers.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-10-17T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/10/200935/image_hu_57bb8ec9f4fc3e1e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/10/200935/image_hu_996d74b1d4b4b0b5.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/10/200935/image_hu_c84dd7c0f4f60719.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/10/200935/image_hu_8e05f00222fe59f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/10/200935.html","regions":["crimea"],"subtitle":"Court in Crimea Imposed Suspended Sentence on 70-Year-Old Believer","tags":["sentence","282.2-1","elderly"],"title":"\"Freedom is not Where You Are, But Truth Within.\"","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 16, 2025, the European Court of Human Rights considered the applications of 5 women and 23 men who faced prosecution because of their faith. The court declared searches, arrests, restriction of freedom, confiscation of property and charges of extremism for peaceful religious activity illegal.\nHaving considered the case of Markin and Others v. Russia, the ECHR stressed that the prosecution of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses is \u0026quot;based on the impermissibly broad formulation and application of the extremism legislation.\u0026quot; \u0026quot;Since the authorities failed to demonstrate that the applicants were involved in any socially dangerous activities of an extremist nature, their prosecution and conviction for peacefully practising the religion of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in community with others... did not pursue any legitimate aim or \u0026quot;pressing social need\u0026quot;,\u0026quot; the judgment reads (paragraph 11).\nGroundless persecution brought severe hardships to the lives of the applicants: some were imprisoned for years, despite their old age or disability, some were separated from their families, and the health of many with serious illnesses worsened. For example, the court sent Valentina Baranovskaya, 70, to a penal colony shortly after a stroke; Yuriy Savelyev, at the age of 66, ended up behind bars and spent almost 5 years there (9 months of which were in strict conditions); Sergey Britvin, who is disabled, was imprisoned for 4 years; Stanislav Kim and Nikolay Polevodov were convicted twice. At the time of the ECHR decision, some applicants were still in penal colonies: father of 4 Sergey Filatov, Aleksandr Ivshin, 68, Artem Gerasimov and Roman Baranovsky.\nThe case of Markin and Others v. Russia included 14 applications, initially filed separately between 2018 and 2022, but due to the similarity of circumstances, were combined into one. The applicants were: Roman Markin and Viktor Trofimov from Polyarny (Murmansk Region); Ivan Puyda, Konstantin Petrov, Sergey Yerkin and Yevgeniy Zyablov from Magadan; Sergey Britvin and Vadim Levchuk from Berezovsky (Kemerovo Region); Nataliya Sorokina and Mariya Troshina from Sychevka (Smolensk Region); Andrzej Oniszczuk, Maksim Khalturin, Vladimir Korobeynikov, Andrey and Yevgeniy Suvorkov from Kirov; Sergey Skrynnikov from Oryol; Igor Ivashin from Lensk(Yakutia); Sergey Filatov, Artem Gerasimov from Crimea; Nikolay Polevodov and Stanislav Kim from Khabarovsk; the Alushkin couple and Galiya Olkhova from Penza; Yuriy Savelyev from Novosibirsk; Aleksandr Ivshin from Kholmskaya (Krasnodar Territory); mother and son Valentina Baranovskaya and Roman Baranovskiy from Abakan.\nThe decision issued in October echoes other ECHR judgments defending Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses\u0026#39; practicing their faith. This time, the believers were awarded compensation totaling EUR 430,000. Taking into account the previous judgments, Russia is obliged to pay more than EUR 4,000,000 to the prosecuted Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses as compensation for non-pecuniary damage.\n","category":"victory","date":"2025-10-16T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/10/221539/image_hu_ca03d1a1a160ebe2.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/10/221539/image_hu_dfcefd72d7b94e38.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/10/221539/image_hu_277624a262b21329.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/10/221539/image_hu_565b30de6399a80a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/10/221539.html","regions":["eu","sakha","crimea","khakassia","murmansk","magadan","smolensk","kemerovo","kirov","oryol","khabarovsk","penza","novosibirsk","krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["echr","compensation","families","elderly"],"title":"\"Unlawfully Prosecuted\". ECHR Found Violation of Rights of 28 More Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia","type":"news"},{"body":"The prosecutor again requested imprisonment of 6 years and 4 months for the elderly believer. Brattseva presents her closing arguments and gives her final statement.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Brattseva in Razdolnoye","date":"2025-10-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/razdolnoye.html#20251014","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["defense-arguments","punishment-request","final-statement","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On the eve of the court hearing, Yuriy Sergeechev has a hypertensive crisis. This condition requires medical intervention and rest, but the next day the believer is taken to court.\nYuri's wife cannot support him, as she is forced to stay at home due to illness. The defendant's granddaughter and ten of his friends come to the hearing.\nThe court examines written materials, including the protocol of examining audio recordings. The defense explains that the materials depict a Bible study using permitted publications without signs of involving others in the activity of a banned organization or displaying extremism. Quotes from the materials confirm the peaceful dissemination of religious beliefs without imposing personal opinions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dmitriyev and Sergeechev in Adygeysk","date":"2025-10-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/adygeysk.html#20251013","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["health-risk","elderly","disability","first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Olga Klyuchikova, judge of the Birobidzhan District Court, allows a search in the home of Yelena Shestopalova, 60, the mother of Vladlena Kukavitsa, who has been on trial for her faith for more than 1 year.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shestopalova in Birobidzhan","date":"2025-10-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan24.html#20251008","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["search","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Dmitriy Yankin issued a decision to initiate a criminal case against Natalya Kocheva under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\nThe investigation believes that Natalya continued the activities of \"an extremist organization in the course of many (at least four) conspiratorial meetings ... in the form of a collective religious assembly... consisting of a public study of various extremist materials, the performance of songs from a special collection of religious teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses, prayers, sermons.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kocheva in Birobidzhan","date":"2025-10-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan28.html#20251003","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region upholds the sentence to Artamonov and Krushevsky. The decision comes into force.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Krushevskiy and Artamonov in Birobidzhan","date":"2025-10-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan21.html#20251002","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["appeal","elderly","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On October 1, 2025, 10 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses from Khabarovsk Territory were convicted at the same time. \u0026quot;The charge for extremism is based on the testimony of interested persons and the assumptions put forward by them, which are not confirmed by evidence,\u0026quot; said one of the defendants expressing the collective position.\nJudge Aleksandr Sokolov gave suspended sentences of 6 years to Mikhail Dorofeev, Nikolay Kovadnev and Radion Shitov and 2 years to Vasiliy Bondarev and his mother Irina, Sergey and Ulita Sachnev, Svetlana Zharkova, Marina Voytko and Ivan Nikitin. The prosecutor requested up to 7 years in a penal colony for everyone.\nMost of the defendants in this case are elderly people and people with poor health. The criminal prosecution left its mark on their condition. Mikhail Dorofeev, 60, needs heart surgery and sometimes it was difficult for him to attend hearings. Ulita Sachneva, 71, suffered a stroke, and her husband Sergey, 74, is suffering from heart failure. Irina Bondareva, 64, a widow, described her condition as follows: \u0026quot;I don\u0026#39;t even leave the house on my own — I\u0026#39;m afraid of falling due to problems with my vestibular system.\u0026quot; Nevertheless, the believer remains positive: \u0026quot;All difficulties are temporary. It would be outrageous to waste precious time getting depressed and complaining!\u0026quot;\nAs a result of the trial, some believers lost their jobs. Radion Shitov, 53, worked for 25 years as an educational psychologist in a kindergarten for children with disabilities. When he informed his colleagues about his dismissal, they exclaimed: \u0026quot;Really, Radion? What? We know what you're like!\u0026quot; They provided the court with positive character references, pointing to numerous awards, diplomas and Radion winning a teaching competition.\nVasiliy Bondarev, 28, the youngest defendant in the case, was fired from the clinic, where he worked as a paramedic. But he does not despair: \u0026quot;When you focus too much on the prosecution, you get anxious. Therefore, I try to help others in any way I can. This distracts me from my problems and gives me joy.\u0026quot;\nBesides the prosecution, Nikolay Kovadnev, 65, experienced yet another personal tragedy. After the search the health of his wife, who was suffering from cancer, deteriorated rapidly and she died two months later. \u0026quot;The very next day, my friends brought me food and offered to help with the funeral arrangements,\u0026quot; Nikolay recalls. \u0026quot;I really needed their calls and attention at that time.\u0026quot;\nPeople who do not share their religious views stand up for the believers. Radion Shitov\u0026#39;s childhood friend supported him emotionally and even promised to pay the fine (should he be fined), and a neighbor regularly assured him whenever they met, that she was ready to speak in court in his defense.\nThe defendants do not agree with the verdict of the Komsomolskiy District Court of the Khabarovsk Territory. In response to the charge for organizing and participating in the activity of an extremist organization, they stated: \u0026quot;We sang religious songs, prayed and discussed the Bible.\u0026quot;\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-10-01T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/10/031122/image_hu_e8e97d8e7ec8a471.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/10/031122/image_hu_d19a90d86ac46bd7.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/10/031122/image_hu_dffa8ad5ae6fc393.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/10/031122/image_hu_f8adbb23c77a8b6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/10/031122.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":"In Komsomolsk-on-Amur 10 Believers Were Given Suspended Sentences from 2 - 6 Years","tags":["sentence","suspended","elderly","282.2-1","282.2-2","work-restrictions","health-risk"],"title":"\"We Prayed and Discussed the Bible.\"","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 30, 2025, the court gave Natalya Novoseletskaya a 2-year suspended sentence. Judge Yelizaveta Proskuryakova found the pensioner guilty of participating in extremist activity.\nNatalya does not admit guilt. \u0026quot;I hold my head up when walking along the streets, because I know I will never meet anyone whom I have deceived, robbed or slandered,\u0026quot; she said, adding: \u0026quot;I am sure that Bible principles will never harm anyone, because they are always based on love.\u0026quot;\nThe appointed lawyer is also convinced of her innocence. Natalya noted: \u0026quot;We have different beliefs, but she stood up for the Bible and for God's name. She explained that I have nothing to do with extremism. During the closing arguments, she smashed each point of the charge to pieces.\u0026quot;\nVasilina Penskaya and Irina Ushakova were among those who came to support Natalya on the day of the verdict. September 30, 2025 Those around her did not turn her backs on Natalya and supported her in every possible way throughout the 1.5 years of the criminal prosecution. For example, a neighbor who was a testifying witness during the search gave her phone to Natalya after her one was confiscated; this way Natalya could stay in touch with her loved ones. Friends also showed they cared. \u0026quot;On the day when the first hearing was held, I had a table filled with all kinds of chocolate — they brought me as a gift,\u0026quot; she recalls. \u0026quot;That\u0026#39;s how my \u0026#39;sweet life\u0026#39; began.\u0026quot;\nThe Vyselkovskiy District Court is hearing the cases of 14 other Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, 11 of them are awaiting the verdict. Natalya and her fellow believers try to attend every court hearing to support each other. The woman emphasized: \u0026quot;In my opinion, these trials did more than just bring us closer — we became a family.\u0026quot;\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-09-30T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/10/011530/image_hu_3725d6aa34f8f427.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/10/011530/image_hu_7a4e9cc168ee784a.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/10/011530/image_hu_1882e14a720034db.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/10/011530/image_hu_fbfc8d5fe3332b5b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/10/011530.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":"Believer, 62, Given Suspended Sentence","tags":["sentence","282.2-2","suspended","elderly"],"title":"Another Guilty Verdict in Vyselki.","type":"news"},{"body":"Investigator Yakov Merkulov, who opened a case against Tamara Brattseva, is interrogated. He denies that he put pressure on witnesses during interrogations, but admits that some of them later retracted their testimony.\nJudge Maria Bedritskaya dismisses the defense's questions about the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation and the law on extremism, which formed the basis of the charge. She states that law enforcement officers should not be \"examined\". Merkulov himself ignores the questions of the lawyer and the defendant. And when a 70-year-old woman asks him to speak louder, he answers: \"I say as I want.\"\nAfter a doctor's examination, Tamara Brattseva was recommended surgery. The believer is worried that the treatment may coincide with the announcement of the verdict.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Brattseva in Razdolnoye","date":"2025-09-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/razdolnoye.html#20250925","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigation charged four Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses from Vladivostok, including three elderly, with extremism. This happened on September 17, 2025, immediately after searches in the homes of peaceful believers.\nVyacheslav Yudin, 68, Sergey Isupov, 66, Sergey Chikichev, 64, and Andrey Yavniy, 58, do not agree with the charges. The latter appealed the charge in court. \u0026quot;Simply participating in a meeting for worship or reading the Bible is not a crime,\u0026quot; he said.\nSearches began at 7 a.m. and lasted about 3 hours. The law enforcement officers seized their electronics, Bibles, personal notes and cards. The officers confiscated family savings from Yavniy, as well as part of his wife\u0026#39;s work documents, without recording them in the protocol. After the searches, the four men were taken to the Investigative Committee for interrogation.\nThe criminal case against the believers was initiated on September 11, 2025, by Denis Sushchenko, investigator of the Investigative Committee, who had previously initiated cases against other Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Vladivostok. He charged Chikichev, Yudin, Yavniy and Isupov with participating in the activity of a liquidated organization (Article 282.2(2) of the RF CrC).\nAs of September 2025, more than 60 people from the Primorye Territory have already faced criminal prosecution, half of them are residents of Vladivostok.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2025-09-17T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"svg":"/img/news/case.svg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/10/011534.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":"Already More Than 30 Local Believers Are Being Prosecuted for Their Beliefs","tags":["search","interrogation","elderly","new-case","282.2-1","282.2-2"],"title":"New Searches in Vladivostok.","type":"news"},{"body":"The defense filed a motion for Aleksey Dmitriev to see a traumatologist for his swollen knee. The court refuses, explaining that the medical unit of the pretrial detention center can provide assistance and, if necessary, send the accused to a state hospital.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dmitriyev and Sergeechev in Adygeysk","date":"2025-09-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/adygeysk.html#20250910","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["first-instance","sizo","elderly","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"For decades Viktor Ursu\u0026#39;s great-grandfather, grandfather and father were persecuted for their faith. Now Viktor has been sent to a penal colony for 6 years. Yelena Nikolayeva, judge of the Dzhankoyskiy District Court, announced the verdict on September 8, 2025. The 60-year-old believer was taken into custody in the courtroom.\n\u0026quot;I am not a criminal and not an extremist,\u0026quot; Viktor Ursu said. \u0026quot;I have been living in Dzhankoy for more than 50 years, I have been working as a milling machine operator at the same company for 40 years. I look after my parents.\u0026quot; Ursu\u0026#39;s lawyer noted: \u0026quot;I would describe him as a very kind person from the upper working class. He has excellent references from his employer, who was not afraid to provide the court with documents that he was needed as a specialist in the company.\u0026quot;\nIn July 2023, law enforcement officers searched Viktor Ursu\u0026#39;s house. He was placed in a temporary detention facility for 12 days, and then under house arrest for 1 year. To avoid accidentally violating the restrictions imposed by the court, Viktor fenced off the permitted area near his private house with orange tape. Viktor\u0026#39;s obedience and goodwill earned him the respect of the staff of the Federal Penitentiary Service. One of the guards said: \u0026quot;If all arrested persons did this, we would have no problems in our work.\u0026quot; Throughout most of the time under house arrest, Viktor was forbidden to communicate with his wife of 30 years, Marina. She recalls: \u0026quot;We understood each other just by a look.\u0026quot;\nThe trial lasted a little less than a year. During this time, the court listened to audio recordings of two religious meetings, where the topics of kindness and support were discussed, and also watched 12 hours of videos on Bible themes. A secret witness under the pseudonym Gromov confirmed that Ursu did not call for violence, did not show aggression and did not encourage violation of the law.\nAt each court hearing, dozens of people supported Viktor. His elderly parents traveled 90 kilometers to all hearings, although they were not always allowed to be present in the courtroom. On such occassions, they sat at the entrance on folding chairs, which Viktor\u0026#39;s father, Aleksandr, brought in his car. These trips were not easy for his parents — his mother uses crutches, and the steps to the courthouse are high and slippery. The presence of his parents meant a lot to Viktor: \u0026quot;Although they couldn\u0026#39;t change anything, I knew they were on my side. Moral support is very important.\u0026quot;\nIn Crimea, 32 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have already been subjected to religious repression; 13 of them are serving prison sentences of 6 years or more.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-09-08T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/09/091442/image_hu_e843759f4402aabb.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/09/091442/image_hu_a6e89cf2e9a54fa2.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/09/091442/image_hu_3b50a9de655c5a2e.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/09/091442/image_hu_30a92fc91148ce67.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/09/091442.html","regions":["crimea"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","elderly","282.2-1","liberty-deprivation"],"title":"Court in Crimea Sent a Fourth-Generation Jehovah's Witness to Penal Colony for 6 Years","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 5, 2025, 63-year-old Vladimir Skachidub left the penal colony where he served time for peacefully practicing his faith. His wife and friends met him when he arrived at the railway station in Tikhoretsk, which is near his native village of Pavlovskaya.\nVladimir has been behind bars since October 2021. He served his sentence in a penal colony in the village of Stenkino, Ryazan Region, which is 1200 kilometers from his home. Skachidub applied for parole, but the court refused him, despite awards he received for conscientious work.\nEven before the prosecution, Vladimir\u0026#39;s health was poor — he has been registered disabled due to a neurological disease; he suffered a heart attack, after which he had to undergo surgery to have a stent inserted. Being imprisoned had a negative impact: Skachidub fell from the top bed several times while having epileptic seizures; an inflammation developed on his skin and ear, which needed medical treatment. The believer did not have any serious problems with receiving medical care.\nPenal colony No. 6 in the Ryazan Region, where the believer served his sentence Friends meet Vladimir at the penal colony exit The believer goes home after his release Vladimir Skachidub after his return from the penal colony Vladimir worked in the sewing workshop — this work brought him joy. A source of support, according to him, were letters from caring people and prayers from friends. Furthermore, even in prison, Vladimir found an opportunity to continue with his hobby — chess: he played with a man from the UK, sending and receiving moves by correspondence.\nThe administration staff and other prisoners treated the believer with respect; many addressed him by his first name and patronymic. One of the inmates, who at first felt hostility toward Skachidub, changed his attitude when he saw the kindness of the believer and said: \u0026quot;You, Vladimir, are a true Christian.\u0026quot;\nFour more believers from the Krasnodar Territory serving prison terms for their faith.\n","category":"sentence","date":"2025-09-05T00:00:00Z","duration":"0:35","image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/09/081524/image_hu_ab0abfcdce684db1.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/09/081524/image_hu_a7189b13dc378a6b.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/09/081524/image_hu_b8c772f77a6a562f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/09/081524/image_hu_a5ac6b25b7538fea.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/09/081524.html","regions":["krasnodar","ryazan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["release","disability","elderly","282.2-2","282.2-1.1"],"title":"Jehovah's Witness Vladimir Skachidub Released After Almost 4 Years Imprisonment","type":"news"},{"body":"The protocol of the examination of material evidence — video recordings — is read out. In one of them, a witness for the prosecution comments on sensitive political matters, while believer Aleksey Dmitriyev clearly distances himself from such discussions. The defense regards the behavior of the former as provocative.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dmitriyev and Sergeechev in Adygeysk","date":"2025-09-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/adygeysk.html#20250904","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["first-instance","sizo","elderly","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lilia Dolinina died at the age of 79.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dolinina in Dormidontovka","date":"2025-08-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dormidontovka.html#20250823","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["died","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that 77-year-old Lyudmila Shut died as a result of a heart attack.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shut in Razdolnoye","date":"2025-08-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volno-nadezhdinskoye2.html#20250821","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["died","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court changes the restriction measure for Anatoliy Odintsov: he is released from the pre-trial detention center and transferred to house arrest.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Odintsov in Snezhnogorsk","date":"2025-08-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/snezhnogorsk2.html#20250814","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["elderly","house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksey Trofimov is in good spirits. He is exempt from work because of his age. In the squadron, he is known as a non-confrontational and pleasant person to talk to. One of the prisoners, impressed by his behavior, said: \"Borisovich, you are a holy man!\" During his stay in the colony, Aleksey received about 2500 letters of support. Recently, his wife and son visited him.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malevaniy and Others in Spassk-Dalniy","date":"2025-08-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/spassk-dalny.html#20250805","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["life-in-prison","elderly","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Litvinyuk takes his work seriously and shows initiative. Sometimes, he stayed in the workshop after hours to redo faulty work, which the administration of the institution noticed.\nPrisoners say kindly that \"his presence eases the hardships of their lives.\" In his free time, he replies to letters of support.\nRecently, he had an extended visit from his wife and son. Aleksandr is still waiting for a dentist's appointment.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Dubovenko and Litvinyuk in Armyansk","date":"2025-08-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/armyansk.html#20250804","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On July 29, 2025, Judge Natalia Shibanova gave Aleksandr Krushevskiy, 47, and Anatoliy Artamonov, 73, a 5-year suspended sentence with 1.5 years restriction of freedom. She found the believers guilty of participating in the activity of an extremist organization and involving others in it.\nThe first search at Krushevskiy\u0026#39;s home — there were three in total — took place back in 2018. Members of Artamonov\u0026#39;s family faced prosecution in 2019: then his daughter, Larisa, and grandson, Yevgeniy Yegorov, were charged. In early 2024, the investigation brought charges against Krushevskiy and Artamonov, citing hidden videorecordings of their conversations on Bible topics with friends.\nThe criminal case made the already difficult life of Aleksandr Krushevskiy, who has been hearing impaired since childhood, more complicated. \u0026quot;The old hearing aid has stopped working a long time ago, and I could not get a new one because of the prosecution. This is just one of the difficulties I had to shoulder,\u0026quot; he said in his final statement. During the interrogation, the believer was not provided with a sign language interpreter, and at the hearings he could not always make out the words of the judge.\nKrushevskiy\u0026#39;s wife is struggling with what is happening and hardly leaves the home. It is also emotionally hard for his mother. \u0026quot;Imagine, my dear mother sees her son, disabled since childhood, under investigation, running around the courts. Of course, it's heartbreaking for her,\u0026quot; Aleksandr revealed.\nAnatoliy Artamonov, a working pensioner, could not receive his salary in full because his bank card was blocked. The trial in the Birobidzhan District Court took a lot of time and energy, but the believer said that he \u0026quot;tried to spend every free minute with his wife, son and great-grandchildren.\u0026quot;\nAccording to Artamonov, he draws strength from the examples of his elderly and infirm fellow believers: \u0026quot;If they endure everything, then I can too. I particularly remember the example of Andrey Vlasov, a disabled person sentenced to 7 years of imprisonment.\u0026quot; Krushevskiy said about his attitude during the trial: \u0026quot;I tried not to think about the negative attitude of others — there are so many negative things. Instead, I helped everyone stay positive.\u0026quot;\nIn the Jewish Autonomous Region, 27 people have been prosecuted, of whom 13 were women. Four men are serving terms ranging from 3 years and 6 months to 6 years and 9 months in a penal colony.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-07-29T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/07/301335/image_hu_862197c07a3d295f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/07/301335/image_hu_1dc8a43606fe070.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/07/301335/image_hu_36e923048fbc705e.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/07/301335/image_hu_f6c90a72fe4ec9f8.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/07/301335.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":"A Man with Impaired Hearing and a Pensioner Convicted in Birobidzhan","tags":["sentence","282.2-1.1","282.2-2","elderly","disability"],"title":"For Discussing the Bible — 5-Year Suspended Sentence.","type":"news"},{"body":"During his final statement elderly Anatoliy Artamonov tells the court about his beliefs. Aleksandr Krushevskiy explains, how studying the Bible helped him n life. Both believers ask the court to be acquitted.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Krushevskiy and Artamonov in Birobidzhan","date":"2025-07-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan21.html#20250728","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom","disability","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On July 28, 2025, the Rasskazovskiy District Court of the Tambov Region refused to reduce the sentence of Anatoliy Marunov, 71, one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. \u0026quot;His illnesses make a further stay in the penal colony unbearable as he is in constant pain,\u0026quot; said Marunov\u0026#39;s lawyer. \u0026quot;It is highly unlikely that he will survive the rest of his term.\u0026quot;\nThe official reason for the refusal was an oral reprimand (the smallest possible disciplinary sanction in the penal colony), which the believer was issued 2 weeks after the lawyer filed a motion with the court to change the punishment. According to the administration of the penal colony, Marunov made an incorrect inventory of the contents of his duffel bag; however, he was not told what exactly the discrepancy was. In court, the representative of the penal colony also could not answer what exactly Anatoliy had indicated incorrectly.\nMarunov has been diagnosed with severe chronic illnesses: he had an ischemic stroke, suffers from hypertension and heart failure, and has a prostate tumor. The believer is serving his sentence in penal colony No. 3 in the Tambov Region, where, according to the defense, he does not receive the necessary medical care. \u0026quot;Once his temperature rose to 40, but no one reacted,\u0026quot; recalls Anatoliy\u0026#39;s wife, Alfiya. \u0026quot;The cellmates themselves put him on a stretcher, carried him to the medical unit and demanded that an ambulance be called for him.\u0026quot;\nThe prisoner\u0026#39;s family notes that since entering the penal colony, about six months ago, he has lost more than 20 kilograms. \u0026quot;When I saw him, I was shocked,\u0026quot; Alfiya said after visiting her husband a few days before the hearing about changing his punishment. \u0026quot;Tubes everywhere, catheters, bags... This is no longer a person, but a living corpse. He left a handsome man, and now...\u0026quot; In January, he underwent a cystostomy to fit a drainage tube; this device requires regular replacement due to the risk of atrophy of internal organs, but it has long passed its expiry date.\nMarunov needs surgery, but it is technically impossible to carry it out in the Tambov Region. His family found a suitable hospital for the believer in Moscow, but the conditions of the standard transfer of prisoners are not suitable for someone in his condition. According to Anatoliy\u0026#39;s wife, he may not be able to withstand the journey. \u0026quot;I am not asking for leniency,\u0026quot; Alfiya wrote in a letter to the administration of the court deciding the fate of the believer, \u0026quot;I am asking for compassion.\u0026quot;\nInternational human rights organizations have repeatedly criticized the prosecution of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Russia. The European Court of Human Rights has found the ban on their activity a violation of religious freedom, but criminal cases continue to be initiated. Already 14 believers have died while under investigation. The last of them was Valeriy Baylo, who died in a pretrial detention center in the spring of 2025.\n","category":"prison","date":"2025-07-28T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/07/300931/image_hu_ad761679a5fc21f4.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/07/300931/image_hu_c54e358f34e76b4b.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/07/300931/image_hu_35e88467d4af0989.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/07/300931/image_hu_15436c69d19b9539.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/07/300931.html","regions":["moscow","tambov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["health-risk","elderly"],"title":"Court Refused to Release Seriously Ill Anatoliy Marunov From Penal Colony; His Family Fears for His Life","type":"news"},{"body":"The Gryazi City Court fined eight Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, including two elderly women aged 68 and 72, for talking about religion and participating in meetings for worship. The fines vary from 250,000 to 550,000 rubles. The trial lasted almost 2 years and ended on July 28, 2025.\nValeriy Khmil, a father of three minors, recalls how 4.5 years ago officers of the Investigative Committee and riot police broke into his house: \u0026quot;It was early in the morning. The children were scared, although the law enforcement officers tried to behave appropriately.\u0026quot; His wife, Kira, was put under pressure during the search. \u0026quot;One of the masked law enforcement officers said that if I don\u0026#39;t testify, my husband will be imprisoned for 10 years. I answered: my father, brother, uncle and grandfather were imprisoned for their faith. And so will my husband,\u0026quot; she recalls. Valeriy was not detained immediately, but a few months later — on International Day for the Protection of Children.\nAfter the raid, seven believers, including elderly women, were placed in a temporary detention facility. Later, Reshetnikov and Kretov spent almost 8 months in a pretrial detention center, then another 4 months under house arrest. All defendants in the case were added to the list of extremists.\n\u0026quot;I lost my job. And I couldn\u0026#39;t get another one while the trial was going on,\u0026quot; says Khmil. \u0026quot;But the most difficult thing during house arrest was social isolation, being unable to share my feelings. Over time, I learned to control my emotions. My wife and I tried to help others. This allowed me not to focus just on myself.\u0026quot; Sergey Kretov, an automation engineer, recalls that he was also left without a job because of the arrest, but his good reputation helped to resolve the situation: \u0026quot;After my release from detention, my former boss came to me and said: \u0026#39;Such people should not sit at home!\u0026#39; and took me on at a new place.\u0026quot;\nThe prosecution also led to other problems. Sergey said that after his detention he developed an emotional disorder and had to consult a specialist. \u0026quot;It was real depression — I could not make even the simplest of decisions. It took me 2 years to recover.\u0026quot; The arrest of the believer was a blow to his entire family. Kretov\u0026#39;s daughter, Yelizaveta, recalls: \u0026quot;In one day, everything turned upside down. Lawyers, papers, documents — we were constantly stewing in this mess. I was 15. I had to grow up very quickly. Learn to make my own decisions, accept help...\u0026quot;\nThe believers claim that the charges of extremism are related solely to their religious affiliation. The case was based on audio and video recordings of meetings for worship, as well as wiretapping. As the defense notes, these materials, on the contrary, demonstrate the peaceful nature of the meetings and confirm their innocence. Even at the investigation stage, it was obvious that at least some law enforcement officers did not consider them dangerous extremists. According to Khmil, in their case, one of the investigators sincerely apologized for his actions and justified them with an \u0026quot;order from above\u0026quot;.\nIn 2024, Mariana Katsarova, the UN Human Rights Council\u0026#39;s special rapporteur, expressed concern about the application of Russian legislation on extremism. In her report, she noted that \u0026quot;the definitions of extremism are too vague and allow for arbitrary application,\u0026quot; especially in relation to religious minorities such as Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-07-28T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/07/301347/image_hu_89a04b33ca851a9f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/07/301347/image_hu_37f482c4498ce0e3.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/07/301347/image_hu_725c5e9b33120284.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/07/301347/image_hu_d09f9a3748858879.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/07/301347.html","regions":["lipetsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","elderly","282.2-1","282.2-2","282.3-1"],"title":"Large Fines Imposed on Eight of Jehovah's Witnesses from Gryazi","type":"news"},{"body":"Nikolay Martynov, despite his retirement age, decided to volunteer for work and was sent to the carpentry workshop.\nAleksey Solnechny tries to find positive aspects in his circumstances, for example, the opportunity to receive dental care. Currently, his work is keeping the territory of his unit clean. Recently he had a long visit from his wife.\nSergey Kosteyev, who suffers from coronary heart disease and high blood pressure, sometimes has nosebleeds.\nDenis Sarazhakov has a personal copy of the Bible. He receives personal e-mails rather quickly whereas paper letters are delayed.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2025-07-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk.html#20250727","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison","elderly","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The first court hearing is taking place. The believers express how the feel about the charges. Sergeechev says that he always treated the key witness for the prosecution in a Christian manner, prayed for his son, asked God to help him and did not involve him in any extremist organization.\nThe court extends pretrial detention for the believers by another 6 months — they remain in the detention center.\nThey have a Bible and each has 5 people in their cell. It is very hot in the premises and there are cockroaches. A fan has been installed in Dmitriyev's cell. Sergeechev sometimes suffers from high blood pressure.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dmitriyev and Sergeechev in Adygeysk","date":"2025-07-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/adygeysk.html#20250723","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["first-instance","sizo","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor asks to send 69-year-old Tamara Brattseva to a colony for 6 years and 4 months.\nThe defendant's lawyer draws attention to the unfairness and cruelty of the prosecutor's demand in relation to the believer: \"The fact that the prosecution is asking for such a cruel punishment - imprisonment for a person whose only 'guilt' is that he prayed, read the Bible and sought to live according to his conscience - is not just a legal error. This is a moral fall. To turn faith into proof of guilt means to replace justice with repression, and the law with arbitrariness. Such actions of the prosecutor's office are not only devoid of compassion, but also deeply blasphemous: they encroach on the sacred – on the right of a person to seek God and live in harmony with his conscience. This is not a fight against extremism, this is a fight against beliefs, and it has nothing to do with law.\"\nIn her final statement, Tamara Brattseva speaks of her faith and firmness of convictions: \"If I am convicted, it will not change anything. I will continue to love Jehovah and worship only him.\"\nAbout 40 people come to the courthouse to support the elderly believer.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Brattseva in Razdolnoye","date":"2025-07-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/razdolnoye.html#20250715","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["defense-arguments","punishment-request","final-statement","courtroom","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yuriy and Aleksey are kept in different cells with 3-4 other prisoners. The conditions are satisfactory; the necessary things are provided by relatives. Since the believers did not admit their guilt, the investigator banned them from receiving letters, visits and phone calls. It also now known that he has seized Dmitriyev's car.\nSergeechev suffers from cardiovascular disease and diabetes mellitus; Dmitriyev is finding it hard being separated from his wife. Nevertheless, both are trying not to lose heart.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dmitriyev and Sergeechev in Adygeysk","date":"2025-06-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/adygeysk.html#20250626","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["sizo","elderly","disability","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"By decision of the Krasnoyarsk Regional Court, the sentence enters into force — 2 years suspended for holding meetings for worship of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nIn his appeal, the lawyer stated that he considered the prosecution of Kabanov to be persecution for his faith, since \"any mention of the phrase 'Jehovah's Witnesses' is interpreted by the prosecution as evidence of guilt.\" He explained that \"[Kabanov's] activity is the usual religious practice of the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses to conduct meetings for worship, which is not prohibited by RF law or Constitution.\"\nProsecutor Artem Gaytanov in his appeal insisted on the confiscation of Kabanov's laptop in favor of the state. He requested that the remaining part of the court verdict be left unchanged.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kabanov in Zelenogorsk","date":"2025-06-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zelenogorsk.html#20250626","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["appeal","elderly","282.2-2","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Nadezhda Lebed is in hospital, in the cardiology department. Her condition is stable, there are no plans for surgery yet. Earlier, she went to the doctor complaining of chest pains; she was immediately hospitalized.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lebed in Moscow","date":"2025-06-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow8.html#20250617","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["elderly","health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On June 11, 2025, Lidiya Koba, judge of the Vyselkovskiy District Court of the Krasnodar Territory, ruled in the case of Lyudmila Zinina: 2-year suspended sentence with 6 months restriction of freedom for reading the Bible with friends.\nLyudmila worked as a nurse in an operating room for many years. She has been married since 1973 — more than 50 years. They raised three children. In 2012, a tragedy happened in the family — their son died. \u0026quot;It was very difficult to get over his death,\u0026quot; Zinina recalls. \u0026quot;On top of that I started having problems with my health: heart and vascular diseases, osteoporosis and diabetes.\u0026quot; In addition, the believer\u0026#39;s daughter, Irina, is also being prosecuted.\nDue to problems with her legs and spine, Lyudmila can hardly move. \u0026quot;The hearings were held in a neighboring town. Public transport runs, but only twice a day. If it were not for the help of friends, I would not have been able to get there. They regularly took me to hearings, sacrificing their time and energy,\u0026quot; she said.\nFront: Lyudmila accompanied by her friend on a day of a hearing. Background: Lyudmila\u0026rsquo;s daughter, Irina, with a friend Shortly before the verdict, Zinina was diagnosed with cancer, but treatment has not yet been prescribed. According to her, during medical procedures, she encountered the bias of the medical staff — some medical workers spoke contemptuously about her because she was on trial for her faith. However, after a while, the attitude of some softened thanks to Lyudmila\u0026#39;s conduct.\nThe criminal prosecution of Lyudmila Zinina has been dragging on since February 2022. At that time, mass searches were carried out in the homes of believers in Kuban. Recalling those events, Lyudmila said: \u0026quot;When the law enforcement officers arrived, the neighbors were so outraged that they were ready to stand up for me, I even had to dissuade them.\u0026quot; Prior to the verdict, Lyudmila was under a recognizance agreement.\nIn Vyselki, trials are underway against 15 of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. Lyudmila Zinina is the first of them to be sentenced for her faith.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-06-11T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/06/120836/image_hu_893695b4439acd46.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/06/120836/image_hu_f1df22ae933b76bc.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/06/120836/image_hu_e762e534e9666932.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/06/120836/image_hu_81f730e136565569.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/06/120836.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","282.2-2","suspended","elderly","families"],"title":"Court in Vyselki Gave Pensioner Lyudmila Zinina, 74, Suspended Sentence for Her Faith in God","type":"news"},{"body":"The Moscow City Court rejects the appeals of Aleksandr Rumyantsev, Sean Pike and Eduard Sviridov. The court decision made 1.5 years ago, sentencing the believers to 7.5, 7 and 6.5 years imprisonment respectively, enters into force.\nThe defense draws attention to numerous violations committed by the court of first instance: witnesses were pressured, forbidden to use Article 51 of the RF Constitution, and their written notes were taken off them. The judge repeatedly interrupted the defendants and tried to distort their testimony. Violations during the expert studies were also discovered: for example, a religious expert conclusion was prepared by L. S. Astakhova, the wife of an Orthodox priest, who had previously been exposed for incompetence.\nThe defense emphasizes that there are no signs of extremism in the actions of the believers. Not a single episode contained violence, calls for hostility or a threat to society. \"When the prosecution demands tougher punishment for a person whose only \"guilt\" is that he prayed, read the Bible and sought to live according to his conscience, this is not simply a legal error. Such actions of the prosecutor's office are not only devoid of compassion, but also highly blasphemous: they encroach on the sacred – on the right of a person to seek God and live according to his conscience,\" said one of the lawyers.\nRumyantsev, Pike and Sviridov have been in pretrial detention for more than 3.5 years.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rumyantsev and Others in Moscow","date":"2025-06-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow3.html#20250609","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["appeal","elderly","liberty-deprivation","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anatoliy Odintsov is being held in a cell in the pretrial detention center along with five other prisoners.\nHe remains cheerful, also due to the significant support provided by letters. He also has a Synodal Bible from the institution's library.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Odintsov in Snezhnogorsk","date":"2025-06-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/snezhnogorsk2.html#20250606","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["sizo","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Olga Panyuta, 63, needs to see a doctor. She has been diagnosed with arthritis and has pinched nerves, which makes it impossible to stand up or bend over on some days. Recently Olga suffered from acute kidney infection twice. During the second infection, she could hardly move due to the severe pain. The penal colony administration allowed her 3 days of bed rest.\nThe believer is still under strict detention conditions. Olga tries to show kindness to other prisoners and maintain a peaceful atmosphere.\nIn May, Olga had an extended visit from her husband and daughter. She also draws strength from letters of support.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malevaniy and Others in Spassk-Dalniy","date":"2025-06-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/spassk-dalny.html#20250605","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["life-in-prison","strict-conditions","health-risk","prison-treatment","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In May 2025, Yuriy Pichugin, who had suffered a stroke not long before, ended up in a pretrial detention center. He was charged with extremism because of his faith in Jehovah God.\nYuriy was born in July 1959 in Uzbekistan but has lived in Tomsk almost all his life. He has a younger sister. Their mother worked as midwife, nurse, and head of a kindergarten until her retirement. Their father was an engineer at a state farm, then he was a fleet manager.\nYuriy has always loved nature and as a child joined a naturalists youth club. After school, he studied at the Tomsk Civil Transport College, served in the army, and then graduated from the Civil Engineering Institute. Over the years, he worked in road construction, home decoration, and as an entrepreneur. Now he is retired.\nIn May 2004, Yuriy was baptized as one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. He recalls that when he first read the Bible, he was particularly interested in prophecy. Their accuracy convinced him of the credibility of this book. He also saw the practical value of the Bible — in difficult situations it helped him to do the honest thing. Moreover Yuriy was impressed by the kindness and hospitality of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\nYuriy studied at the same school as his future wife, Tatyana. They got married in 1982 and have an adult daughter. His wife worked in construction, but is now retired. Tatyana loves working in the garden and growing flowers, and Yuriy loves spending time outdoors and fishing. Together, the couple likes picking mushrooms and riding bicycles. However, they are not only united by this, but also by their values. Tatyana was the first in the family to become interested in Bible teachings. Most of all, she was attracted to the qualities of God described in the Bible.\nAfter Yuriy ended up in the pretrial detention center, all the household worries fell on Tatyana\u0026#39;s shoulders.\n","date":"2025-07-08","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/pichugin/photo_hu_1508a64c6c6df260.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/pichugin/photo_hu_1508a64c6c6df260.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/pichugin/photo_hu_103ef203cb660bb3.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/pichugin/photo_hu_103ef203cb660bb3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/pichugin.html","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["elderly","health-risk"],"title":"Yuriy Pichugin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On May 30, 2025, the court announced its verdict against Aleksandr Protasov — a 6-year suspended sentence for reading the Bible, discussing it with other people and praying to God. \u0026quot;My life is based on love, not hatred,\u0026quot; he said at one of the hearings, and denied being guilty of extremism.\nProtasov is a pensioner from Novocheboksarsk, and was awarded the Order of Honor. In May 2023, his family\u0026#39;s home was searched. \u0026quot;I remember after everyone had left, we sat on the sofa, and didn\u0026#39;t know what to do next,\u0026quot; Aleksandr recalls. In the fall of the next year, a criminal case was initiated against him.\nThe prosecution brought new difficulties to the life of the Protasovs. \u0026quot;Recognizance agreement, bank accounts being blocked... And I have relatives who live outside the Republic, and now I could not visit them,\u0026quot; Aleksandr said. \u0026quot;It was difficult to come to terms with such a situation.\u0026quot; But, according to Protasov, his biggest worries were for his wife and son (both have disabilities): \u0026quot;They suffer from clinical depression, and this situation only aggravates their condition. I tried to be with them when it was very hard for them. We talked about our wonderful future and prayed a lot.\u0026quot;\nThe trial of Protasov lasted 2 months, and the court hearings were closed. Although Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses did not have a registered legal entity in Novocheboksarsk, judge Dmitriy Yefimov found Protasov guilty of resuming the activity of the liquidated organization.\nThe criminal prosecution of Aleksandr Protasov in Novocheboksarsk was preceded by the case of 86-year-old Yuriy Yuskov. Up until now, nine of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have been convicted in Chuvash Republic.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-05-30T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/06/031111/image_hu_7f2ca0035ae0238d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/06/031111/image_hu_6e1286602ae3d6fd.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/06/031111/image_hu_913bb3c8df4dc595.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/06/031111/image_hu_a703d676f2afcba5.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/06/031111.html","regions":["chuvashia"],"subtitle":"Aleksandr Protasov, 68, Received Suspended Sentence for His Faith in Jehovah God","tags":["sentence","elderly","282.2-1"],"title":"Another Elderly Prisoner of Conscience Convicted in Novocheboksarsk.","type":"news"},{"body":"The Khabarovsk Territory Court upholds the verdict against Liliya Dolinina — 4.5 years suspended sentence — for personal correspondence with an acquaintance on everyday and religious topics. The lawyer insisted that she was only exercising her right to freedom of religion and asked the court to acquit and rehabilitate her.\nLiliya noted in her appeal: \"I am already 78 years old, the investigation and the court hearings have severely affected my health and my chronic illnesses have worsened... But according to the verdict, I will have to go by train several times a month to report to the inspectorate in the city of Vyazemsky, which is very difficult for me.\" Liliya described how she feels: \"It's with horror when I think that I will have to live the rest of my life with the stigma of an 'extremist'.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dolinina in Dormidontovka","date":"2025-05-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dormidontovka.html#20250529","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["appeal","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yuriy Sergeechev and Aleksey Dmitriyev are held in double cells, each of them has another person with him. They have good relations with the believers.\nYuriy Sergeechev, 73, suffers from arrhythmia. He is disabled — walks with a cane and has poor eyesight. For a period after his arrest, he did not have the necessary medication. The medical unit could not give him the medication since they did not have it. Yuriy finds it difficult to understand the meaning of the case documents, so he has to reread the text several times.\nAleksey Dmitriyev needs dental care. According to available information, help from the appointed lawyer consisted of recommending the believer admit his guilt.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dmitriyev and Sergeechev in Adygeysk","date":"2025-05-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/adygeysk.html#20250527","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["sizo","elderly","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests 2 years and 6 months of suspended sentence for Lyudmila.\nIt becomes known that the believer has been diagnosed with a serious oncological disease. The defense provides the court with supporting documents.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lyudmila Zinina in Vyselki","date":"2025-05-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki3.html#20250519","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance","punishment-request","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"\u0026quot;It\u0026#39;s hard to get used to the lack of normal living conditions when you\u0026#39;re over 70,\u0026quot; said Yuriy Sergeechev while in the detention center. He ended up there after his home was searched; he is disabled and has suffered two heart attacks.\nYuriy was born in March 1951 into a large family in the village of Sokolaevka, Oryol Region. His parents worked on a collective farm. They had five children. His father died early, but his mother lived for 84 years.\nIn his youth, Yuriy liked playing the guitar, wrote poems and took part in amateur performances. He qualified as an electrician at a technical college, and later graduated from Rostov State University as a psychologist. Yuriy worked as the director of the local Community Youth Centre, then as a mechanic in the Kuban Basin Water Administration.\nYuriy believed in God from his childhood, but, as he says, he only felt spiritual refreshment when he started reading the Bible. \u0026quot;I finally began to receive answers to my questions,\u0026quot; the believer recalls.\nIn 1991, Yuriy married Antonina and in 1993 he was baptized. Then he was living in Adygeysk and became the first Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witness in this town. His wife supported his interest in spiritual things and in 1994 she was also baptized. Antonina is an economist by education and a creative person. In her youth, she taught herself to play the accordion and entered music competitions.\nBefore his arrest, the couple led a busy life. They organized entertaining evenings for family and friends with quizzes and mini-performances; they enjoyed the outdoors, fishing and making gifts from natural materials. Yuriy built a fountain and a decorative fireplace with his own hands. The couple were often visited by their granddaughter and two great-grandchildren.\nIn April 2025, FSB officers searched the house of the Sergeechevs and took Yuriy away. He was placed in a pretrial detention center, despite his serious health condition: he has diabetes mellitus, poor eyesight and uses a cane to walk with because of problems with his legs.\nTheir relatives sympathize with the Sergeechevs and are impressed by their steadfastness and courage. Their neighbors are bewildered: \u0026quot;Why are they arresting such a law-abiding person?\u0026quot;\n","date":"2025-10-21","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/sergeechev/photo_hu_f917f6ff208ba2fc.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/sergeechev/photo_hu_46449f22d16bf156.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/sergeechev/photo_hu_9121c670be1d1eff.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/sergeechev/photo_hu_d88b3c35449ab09d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/sergeechev.html","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["elderly","health-risk","disability"],"title":"Yuriy Sergeechev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Nadezhda Lebed, a pensioner from Moscow, faced criminal prosecution for her faith—in 2021 and 2025, she was searched. Later, the court fined her 500,000 rubles for her beliefs.\nNadezhda was born in 1950 in the village of Dubkino, Ryazan Region. She was the only child in the family. Having moved to Moscow in 1952, his parents got a job at a machine-building plant. After school, the girl received a secondary electrical education and worked as a technician in a machine-building design bureau.\nIn 1983, Nadezhda married Sergey. Together with her husband, they raised her two daughters from her first marriage. Relatives do not share Nadezhda\u0026#39;s religious views, but they treat them with respect. The woman\u0026#39;s passion for sewing and knitting became not only a hobby, but also an expression of love and care for her family.\nNadezhda became one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in 1998. Bible study helped her find answers to her questions about the meaning of life. What she learned from this book changed her life and had a beneficial effect on family relationships.\nThe criminal case against Nadezhda caused bewilderment among her relatives. She said: \u0026quot;My daughters cannot understand why I am being persecuted. They are very grateful for my upbringing with my husband. They are very kind and compassionate.\u0026quot;\n","date":"2025-05-13","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/lebed/photo_hu_3b6a165da6513324.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/lebed/photo_hu_84e80e2c2ecea590.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/lebed/photo_hu_a140f95ac9d44caa.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/lebed/photo_hu_3d77912820de3016.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/lebed.html","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Nadezhda Lebed","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"The room where Aleksandr Seredkin and other prisoners are kept has been renovated. By his behavior, the believer earned the respect of others.\nAccording to his wife, with whom he recently had a long date, the believer has lost a little weight, he lacks sunlight. However, Aleksandr has the opportunity to take care of his health: regularly exercise and drink more water. He also often visits the library, where he can quietly read and think. Seredkin still receives many letters from different countries and cities, and he tries to answer them regularly.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Seredkin in Novosibirsk","date":"2025-05-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk7.html#20250504","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison","strict-conditions","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Maykop City Court judge Marina Vittek sends Yuriy Sergeechev and Aleksey Dmitriev into custody until June 27, 2025.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dmitriyev and Sergeechev in Adygeysk","date":"2025-04-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/adygeysk.html#20250430","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["sizo","elderly","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Early in the morning of April 29, 2025, in Adygeysk, a small town on the border with the Krasnodar Territory, searches were carried out in the family homes of two Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses: Aleksey Dmitriyev, 57, and Yuriy Sergeechev, 74. They were interrogated, detained, and on the next day sent to a pretrial detention center (in Tlyustenkhabl).\nThe search warrant was issued by Zalim Ashinov, investigator of the Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for Adygea. According to eyewitnesses, the investigative actions were carried out by two FSB teams from Maykop. The law enforcement officers behaved appropriately, however they did not allow the believers to observe the search. Mobile devices, a computer, electronic storage media and notebooks were seized.\nThe search caused stress to both families. Sergeechev\u0026#39;s wife and Dmitriyev\u0026#39;s 90-year-old mother suffered a hypertensive crisis. Sergeechev suffers from heart problems: he has had two heart attacks and a few days prior to his arrest had been discharged from a day hospital, where he had been treated for angina pectoris and hypertension.\nAt the end of April, two believers from Adygea — Inver Siyukhov and Nikolay Voishchev — were released after serving sentences for their faith.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2025-04-29T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"svg":"/img/news/prison.svg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/05/081039.html","regions":["adygea"],"subtitle":"Two More of Jehovah's Witnesses Prosecuted in Adygea","tags":["search","elderly"],"title":"In Exchange for Two Released:","type":"news"},{"body":"Investigator of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation Zalim Ashinov opens a criminal case against 74-year-old disabled person of group III Yuriy Sergeechev and 57-year-old Aleksey Dmitriev from Adygeisk. The investigation interprets ordinary conversations about God with a local resident as involvement in an extremist organization.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dmitriyev and Sergeechev in Adygeysk","date":"2025-04-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/adygeysk.html#20250428","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1.1","elderly","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On April 28, 2025, Nikolay Voishchev was released. For his faith in Jehovah God, he spent more than 900 days (about 30 months) in prison: a little less than a year in a pretrial detention center, and the rest of the time in a penal colony. Voishchev served his sentence in Almetyevsk, which is almost 2000 kilometers from his home.\nNikolay, being a man of kind disposition, maintained good relations with other prisoners throughout his term. Being of pension age, the believer did not work in the penal colony but trained as a boiler room operator.\nNikolay Voishchev in front of the correctional facility Friends shared Nikolay\u0026#39;s joy of being released Voishchev\u0026#39;s prisoner tag Nikolay Voishchev surrounded by his friends View of Penal Colony No. 8 of the Republic of Tatarstan Three days after his release, Nikolay returned home. At the railway station, he was met by his relatives. April 2025 Pretrial detention and being in the penal colony worsened Nikolay\u0026#39;s already poor health. Prior to his arrest, he was diagnosed with a tumor that required treatment. At first, he did not receive the necessary medication in the detention center, but later he started receiving them. He was also sent to the regional hospital for examination. The believer suffered from severe headaches, caused amongst other things by the stress he encountered. Due to being often near smokers, his hypertension worsened.\nDespite all his difficulties, Nikolay did not despair. Throughout his imprisonment, he was supported by relatives and friends. He emphasizes that these trials did not weaken him. \u0026quot;I have been a Christian for over 50 years. What happened to me certainly did not alter my faith,\u0026quot; Nikolay Voishchev said after his release.\nIn May 2025, another Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witness from Adygea, Inver Siyukhov, is to be released. He was sentenced to 6 years in a penal colony because of his faith.\n","category":"sentence","date":"2025-04-28T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/04/291328/image_hu_7e71d5f427e9ca4b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/04/291328/image_hu_b2a37d12bfc38856.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/04/291328/image_hu_5da1c9b5da74187.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/04/291328/image_hu_d8285f9d9cd00d03.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/04/291328.html","regions":["adygea"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["release","elderly","prison-treatment"],"title":"Nikolay Voishchev, 69, Released from Penal Colony","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 22, the Krasnodar Regional Court announced its decision to terminate the criminal case against Valeriy Baylo due to his death, despite the objections of his son. He died in the pretrial detention center a month earlier. According to the position of the RF Constitutional Court, the termination of a case on such grounds without the consent of close relatives is unlawful.\nThe crime report, filed with the Investigative Committee by Valeriy Baylo\u0026#39;s lawyer, states: \"\u0026quot;The death of my client occurred as a result of criminal negligence and inaction on the part of the administration of detention center No. 3 in Novorossiysk\u0026quot;\". The lawyer stressed that the believer suffered from exhaustion and severe stomach pains, but the staff of the detention center systematically ignored his requests for help. Valeriy, his friends and his lawyer sought treatment for almost a year.\nThe believer managed to appeal the verdict. He maintained his complete innocence and requested the decision of the court of first instance, which had sentenced him to 2.5 years in a penal colony, be overturned. The verdict does not mention a single illegal action by Baylo. As his lawyer noted, although the believer was convicted of extremism, \u0026quot;the prosecution did not claim that he incited violence or religious hatred or enmity.\u0026quot;\nThe story of Valeriy Baylo once again confirms the position of the international human rights community: the criminal prosecution of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Russia is unjust and repressive in nature.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-04-22T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/04/281310/image_hu_788bedbfbafef577.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/04/281310/image_hu_9dd604f4475c147.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/04/281310/image_hu_4c00c0fe01249728.jpg","webp2x":"/news/2025/04/281310/image_hu_7cd06011fd00f377.jpg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/04/281310.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","died","282.2-2","elderly","sizo","medical-rights","health-risk","prison-treatment"],"title":"Court of Appeal Rejects Posthumous Rehabilitation of Valeriy Baylo","type":"news"},{"body":"The Ninth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Vladivostok is considering a cassation appeal of believers against the verdict and the appellate ruling. Andreev and Lee are present at the hearing via video conference from the colonies.\nBoris Andreyev emphasizes in his complaint: \"I am 73 years old. I am a veteran of labor, a pensioner, but I am employed, positively characterized at the place of residence and at the place of work, I have a family. I have not been previously convicted and have not been prosecuted. Before the arrest, doctors revealed that I had a suspected oncological disease, so being in prison significantly limits my opportunities to receive high-quality examination and treatment, which is vital for me.\"\nIn his complaint in defense of Lee, the lawyer draws the court's attention to the fact that the Supreme Court did not ban the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, to the absence of a motive and signs of extremism, to the fact that the court's conclusions are not supported by the evidence considered in the court session, and to the fact that the testimony of a witness who did not appear at the court session in the absence of legal grounds for this was read out in the court of first instance. The lawyer speaks about the unreasonable severity of the punishment and asks to cancel the verdict and the appeal ruling and terminate the criminal proceedings due to the lack of corpus delicti.\nThe court upholds the verdict. Andreev and Lee will continue to serve their sentences in penal colonies.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Andreyev and Others in Yaroslavskiy","date":"2025-04-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavskiy.html#20250415","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["cassation","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On April 9, 2025, Artur Putintsev, Vladimir Melnik and Vladimir Piskarev were released from colonies in the Oryol, Kirov and Kaluga regions, respectively. They served their sentences in full, having spent more than 3 years in pre-trial detention centers and more than a year in colonies. The believers were met by their relatives, as well as many friends.\nThree men ended up behind bars in December 2020, at the height of the coronavirus pandemic. For this reason, as well as due to the fact that the wives were witnesses in the case, there were problems with visits. Irina Melnik recalls: \"At first, they didn't give me a visit. They were gone for about 3 months. Then 2 times a month we saw each other on short dates... But it was at a distance of 1 meter through the glass and bars, by telephone. We were able to see each other and hug only in July 2024 on a long date.\" Vladimir Melnik and Artur Putintsev also experienced health problems during their imprisonment. In the pre-trial detention center, Vladimir Piskaryov's blood pressure problems worsened, he suffered a stroke and repeated hypertensive crises, as well as an acute attack of gastrointestinal disease, which caused him to be hospitalized.\nArtur Putintsev leaving the penal colony. April 9, 2025 Artur Putintsev embracing his wife, Lyudmila. April 9, 2025 Artur Putintsev\u0026#39;s inmate ID tag Artur and Lyudmila Putintsev. April 9, 2025 Vladimir Piskarev surrounded by Friends. April 9, 2025 Vladimir Piskarev meeting his wife, Tatyana, after his release. April 9, 2025 Vladimir Melnik at the penal colony\u0026#39;s checkpoint. April 9, 2025 Vladimir Melnik, his wife and two of their daughters. April 9, 2025 Vladimir Melnik with his wife Irina, April 9. 2025 Thanks to their exemplary behavior in the penal colony, the men earned a good reputation with the administration, as well as other prisoners. Out of respect for the believers, some of them stopped using abusive language and tried not to smoke in their presence. Artur Putintsev was nicknamed \"the hand of God\" in the penal colony for his generosity toward other prisoners.\nFriends and relatives supported the believers by sending them letters, and also provided material and practical assistance to their families. For example, Artur Putintsev's friends repaired the roof and fence of his house. Also, fellow believers drove the wives of the prisoners to courts and visits and helped making parcels.\nThe Oryol Region is the region where the prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses began shortly after the ban on their legal entities in 2017. A total of 8 believers from this area became defendants in criminal cases for their faith. Four of them have already been released from the penal colony, and two continue to serve their sentences of forced labor.\n","category":"sentence","date":"2025-04-09T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/04/091111/image_hu_97269111a3c54f0b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/04/091111/image_hu_222a3a7c0681eabe.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/04/091111/image_hu_520192f2bc177c7b.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/04/091111/image_hu_acad0d6404e256ab.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/04/091111.html","regions":["oryol","kaluga","kirov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["release","elderly","families"],"title":"Three Jehovah's Witnesses from Oryol Were Released","type":"news"},{"body":"The court places Oleg Postnikov in a pre-trial detention center.\n","caseTitle":"The Second Case of Postnikov in Birobidzhan","date":"2025-04-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan22.html#20250404","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["sizo","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anatoliy Artamonov and Aleksandr Krushevskiy are being searched as part of a new criminal case against another believer from Birobidzhan, Oleg Postnikov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Krushevskiy and Artamonov in Birobidzhan","date":"2025-04-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan21.html#20250403","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["search","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On April 3, 2025, in Birobidzhan (Jewish Autonomous Region) a new wave of searches of the homes of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses took place. Four families of believers were affected, including Oleg Postnikov, Aleksandr Krushevskiy and Anatoliy Artamonov, who had previously been subjected to criminal prosecution. Oleg Postnikov was placed in a pretrial detention center.\nThe search warrants were issued on April 2, 2025 by the Birobidzhan District Court as part of a new criminal case against Oleg Postnikov. It was initiated on March 21, 2025 by investigator Dmitriy Yankin, whose career has been built on the prosecution of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses: since 2018, he has handled 18 cases of believers in Birobidzhan, and during this time he was promoted from lieutenant to captain.\nThe search at Aleksandr Krushevskiy\u0026#39;s home, who has a hearing disability, began at 9 am and lasted for 3 hours. In the morning of the same day, 60-year-old Oleg Postnikov was summoned to the Investigative Committee, allegedly to fit him with a tracking bracelet. At that time, his house was being searched. A similar situation happened with 73-year-old Anatoliy Artamonov — he was told that he urgently needed to come to the Investigative Committee and pick up the phones seized during the previous search. From there, he was taken home by car and it was searched in his presence.\nOleg Postnikov and his wife have already received suspended sentences when they were convicted for their faith in a previous case. Earlier, the daughter of Anatoliy Artamonov and his grandson Yevgeniy were also prosecuted. The case against Larisa Artamonova in 2019 was initiated by the same Dmitriy Yankin. Now her elderly father has also come to Yankin's attention; he is defending his innocence in court together with Aleksandr Krushevskiy.\nBirobidzhan is not the first place in which an investigator climbs the career ladder by initiating cases against Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. A similar trend is observed in other regions, when entire families or believers previously convicted under articles for extremism are brought to criminal responsibility.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2025-04-03T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"svg":"/img/news/prison.svg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/04/081349.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":"Criminal Case Initiated Against Oleg Postnikov, Who Is Still Serving Suspended Sentence for his Faith","tags":["search","ivs","sizo","new-case","elderly"],"title":"New Wave of Searches in Birobidzhan.","type":"news"},{"body":"The prosecutor requested large fines for the defendants as a punishment: Podolin - 800 thousand rubles; Popras - 790 thousand rubles; Khmil - 750 thousand rubles; Kretov and Reshetnikov - 500 thousand rubles each; Vyrezkova and Morglang - 490 thousand rubles each and Perekatiy - 400 thousand rubles.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Reshetnikov and Others in Gryazi","date":"2025-03-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gryazi.html#20250328","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["punishment-request","elderly","282.2-1","282.2-2","282.3-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendants make their final statement.\nThe judge pronounces sentence on four believers. She separates the case against Naumenko into a separate proceeding and suspends it.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Starikov and Others in Konakovo","date":"2025-03-27T14:17:42+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/konakovo.html#20250327","regions":["tver"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom","elderly","sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendants make their final statement.\nThe judge pronounces sentence on four believers. She separates the case against Naumenko into a separate proceeding and suspends it.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Naumenko in Konakovo","date":"2025-03-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/konakovo2.html#20250327","regions":["tver"],"tags":["final-statement","sentence","liberty-deprivation","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses Aleksandr Starikov, Aleksey Kuznetsov, Oleg Katamov and Aleksandr Shchetinin given 6 years in a penal colony for their faith. The different Bible translations taken from them will be destroyed. This decision was made on March 27, 2025, by Yekaterina Vershinina, judge of the Konakovo City Court of the Tver Region.\nBefore the verdict was announced, the court made the case of Sergey Naumenko into a separate proceeding and suspended it.\nIn the summer of 2021, the FSB of Russia in the Tver Region initiated a criminal case against Aleksandr Starikov and Sergey Naumenko. Their homes and those of other believers were searched. After the interrogation, the investigator placed them under a recognizance agreement. Two years later, Oleg Katamov, Aleksey Kuznetsov and Aleksandr Shchetinin became defendants. The prosecutor considered discussing the Bible with fellow believers via videoconferencing and talking about Bible teachings with residents of the Konakovo District to be organizing the activity of an extremist organization.\nThe believers were added to the Rosfinmonitoring list and their bank accounts were blocked. The criminal prosecution made it difficult for Aleksandr Starikov to take care of his seriously ill elderly father. He had to travel to Tver, 450 kilometers from home, to participate in investigative actions and court hearings. During the prosecution, the believer\u0026#39;s father died. The trial also made life difficult for Oleg Katamov. He is caring for his wife, who is fighting cancer.\nUpdate. On March 27, a few hours after the verdict was announced, Larisa Katamova suddenly became ill, she was urgently hospitalized and connected to a life-support machine. However, intensive care did not help, and she passed away at the age of 61. The trial has been going on since October 2023. One of the witnesses for the prosecution was FSB officer Aleksandr Blinov, who had participated in the search. During interrogation, he admitted that he had not heard any extremist statements from the defendants. He also confirmed that the religion of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses is not prohibited in Russia and that they can freely read the Bible, hold meetings and preach.\nThe defendants, who are aged from 35 to 64, plead not guilty of extremism. Aleksandr Starikov noted: \u0026quot;No people would suffer because I read the Bible on my own or with fellow believers.\u0026quot; In his final statement, he said: \u0026quot;My elderly father was very worried about me. Now he is gone. But despite the difficulties, none of us have negative feelings, as we learn to show understanding and love. My conscience is clear. There is no feeling of indignation in response to an unjust accusation. I am sure that the fair and loving judge, Jehovah God, sees and knows everything.\u0026quot;\nEric Patterson, executive vice president of the Religious Freedom Institute and former dean of the Robertson School of Government at Regent University, said, \u0026quot;Russia\u0026#39;s continuing persecution of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses as \u0026#39;extremists\u0026#39; who threaten the country\u0026#39;s national security is unfair and unwise. It contributes to an atmosphere of fear and social stagnation.\u0026quot;\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-03-27T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/03/271527/image_hu_d64d3827e286918.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/03/271527/image_hu_da24603aba9d8748.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/03/271527/image_hu_ac0cd16b55c67305.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/03/271527/image_hu_1009f613411f6b31.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/03/271527.html","regions":["tver"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","elderly","rosfinmonitoring","liberty-deprivation"],"title":"The First Verdict Against Jehovah's Witnesses in the Tver Region — Four Men Given 6 Years in Penal Colony","type":"news"},{"body":"Referee: Artem Ozhev. Kovrov City Court of Vladimir Region (21 Shchorsa Street, Kovrov). Time: 14:00.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sakun in Kovrov","date":"2025-03-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov6.html#20250325","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom","elderly","sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Nikolay Kosov and his wife Larisa first faced criminal prosecution back in 2019—then their house was searched, and the head of the family was summoned for interrogation. In 2025, law enforcement officers came to their house again as usual, and this time the couple became defendants in a criminal case.\nNikolay was born in July 1963 in the city of Kolomyia (Ukrainian SSR). He has an elder brother. His father left the family when Nikolay was five, and did not maintain relations with the children. His mother was a nurse in a kindergarten and raised her sons alone. She died in 1993 after a long battle with cancer.\nOver the years, Nikolay lived in Gorlovka, in the Stavropol Territory (in Nevinnomyssk), and since 2012 he has been living in Cherkessk, the capital of the Karachay-Cherkess Republic.\nAs a child, Nikolay loved to read, he especially liked the genres of science fiction and adventure. He also drew and made toys from improvised and natural materials for himself and his friends. After school, the young man made his dream of the sea come true - he entered the department of operation of marine power plants in the city of Nevelsk (Sakhalin Region) and worked for some time as a ship engineer. Later, he returned to Ukraine to take care of his mother.\nNikolay was interested in the Bible from his youth. One day he bought the New Testament and the Psalter. He was so impressed by what he learned about Jesus Christ that he decided not to go to the polls anymore. He explained his position as follows: \u0026quot;I realized that no person who becomes the head of state can be like Jesus was—kind, caring, selfless, able to heal and resurrect.\u0026quot;\nThe man met Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses through his friends who were already studying the Bible. The first meeting for worship of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses that Nikolay attended was the Memorial of the death of Jesus Christ. There he saw that all the negative things he had heard about these people were just rumors. About how the Bible influenced his life, the believer said: \u0026quot;The truth helped to get rid of prejudices and prejudices.\u0026quot; Nikolay became a Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witness in 1996.\nNikolay met Larisa, his wife, in Cherkessk. The couple got married in September 2018. Nikolay has two adult daughters from his first marriage, Larisa also has a daughter. The spouses like to relax in nature, pick mushrooms, receive guests. Nikolay said: \u0026quot;We work together, we study the Bible together. And even a criminal case was opened for two.\u0026quot;\nNikolay\u0026#39;s relatives and friends are outraged that a kind and calm person with a good reputation is being persecuted for extremism.\n","date":"2025-04-24","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kosov/photo_hu_7c2799eb7eefd8c3.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kosov/photo_hu_b521c952f41ebdd9.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kosov/photo_hu_e1fd293e98d7c05.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kosov/photo_hu_6611f9bdf0d40c2f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kosov.html","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["families","elderly"],"title":"Nikolay Kosov,","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On March 25, 2025, Artem Ozhev, judge of the Kovrov City Court, sentenced Oleg Sakun — the pensioner was fined 250,000 rubles for participating in peaceful meetings for worship.\nThe believer said: \u0026quot;Since February 2021, our family has faced searches and interrogations. My wife Valentina and I were already elderly at that time, and these events had a very strong impact on our health. Due to emotional distress, my wife developed diabetes. At the end of 2021, we fell ill with coronavirus, my wife died of complications: as the doctor said, her health was weakened due to the stress suffered and her body could not cope with the disease. In August 2023, a criminal case was initiated against me.\u0026quot;\nIn May 2024, the case went to court. According to the prosecutor, Oleg Sakun continued the activity of a legal entity liquidated by the court, simply by practicing the religion of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. He requested a fine of 350,000 rubles for him. Objecting to the prosecuter's arguments, the believer used an illustration of a sewing factory outer garments, which was a legal entity, but went bankrupt and ceased operations. He asked the court: \u0026quot;Can it be concluded that former factory workers cannot sew clothes for personal needs or the needs of other people?\u0026quot;\nIn his final statement, Oleg Sakun said: \u0026quot;I am 72, never would I have thought that just because I am one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, I would be put on par with terrorists and extremists.\u0026quot;\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-03-25T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/03/271522/image_hu_326008df8f9d587a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/03/271522/image_hu_f403834ce7ea3b19.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/03/271522/image_hu_3a36402cf1e91584.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/03/271522/image_hu_6e659c93d8398cee.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/03/271522.html","regions":["vladimir"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","282.2-2","fine","elderly"],"title":"Court Ordered Pensioner, 72, From Kovrov, to Pay Fine for His Faith in God","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 24, 2025, the Sverdlovsk Regional Court upheld the sentence of Andrey Kozhushko, Andrey Bannykh and Pavel Loshchinin: 6 years suspended with a 4-year probation period.\nIn the appeal, the defense pointed out that the guilt of Kozhushko, Bannykh and Loshchinin had not been proven, and the verdict of the court of first instance had been passed with numerous violations. \u0026quot;The case materials contain only evidence of the activity of the religion of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses which is not prohibited in the Russian Federation,\u0026quot; the document states.\nSpeaking about the witnesses for the prosecution, whose testimony formed the basis of the criminal case, one of the lawyers said: \u0026quot;These are just random people who were found by the officers and interrogated by the investigators. There is no evidentiary value in the words of these persons to support the classification made by the prosecution.\u0026quot; The defense pointed out that the witness for the prosectution, Isaev, participated in operational-investigative measures and was interested in the outcome of the case, therefore his testimony was aimed \u0026quot;not at establishing the truth, but at an attempt to... make religious activity look extremist.\u0026quot;\nIn his final statement, Andrey Bannykh said: \u0026quot;My God Jehovah teaches me through the Bible not to be an extremist. Proof of this is [the feedback of] people around me at work, neighbors, family, friends, and even the investigator. Your Honor, there has never been, is not and will never be any extremism on my part.\u0026quot;\nAndrey Bannykh was one of the applicants in a collective application that Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses from Russia filed with the ECHR shortly after their legal entities were banned in 2017. In June 2022, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that the prosecution of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses is unlawful. \u0026quot;The respondent State must take all necessary measures to secure the discontinuation of all pending criminal proceedings against Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses,\u0026quot; the court said in its decision (§ 290).\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-03-24T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/03/250916/image_hu_2badea01c99c6860.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/03/250916/image_hu_12ffa1cf0622eab4.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/03/250916/image_hu_975c5a87849cca02.jpg","webp2x":"/news/2025/03/250916/image_hu_befc76085b3a76a2.jpg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/03/250916.html","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"subtitle":"One of the Convicted Persons Has a Disability","tags":["appeal","suspended","282.2-1","elderly","disability"],"title":"Court of Appeal in Sverdlovsk Region Upheld Suspended Sentences for Three of Jehovah's Witnesses.","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 20, 2025, 67-year-old retired police officer, Valeriy Baylo, one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, died in the hospital of Novorossiysk shortly after being rushed there from the pretrial detention center. Valeriy waited almost a year in the detention center for his sentence to enter into force, and during all this time he tried to get medical help.\nIn July 2024, the court sentenced Valeriy to 2.5 years in a penal colony, deeming peaceful conversations about the Bible via video link to be extremism.\nThe believer suffered from a gastrointestinal tract illness and stage 2-3 osteoarthritis of the knee. He also needed urgent dental care: in the detention center, the only tooth with which he could chew food became inflamed. Prison food caused digestive problems, so he ate very little, mostly only drinking water. Valeriy also walked with difficulty and needed surgery: in 2018, he was attacked by dogs, after which his completely torn knee ligaments were sewn back together; but over time, his kneecap needed replacing.\nValeriy appealed to the prosecutor\u0026#39;s office of the Krasnodar Territory, the regional Commissioner for Human Rights, the head of the medical unit No. 23 of Krasnodar and the head of the pretrial detention center. As a result, the member of staff of the prosecutor\u0026#39;s office supervising correctional institutions, together with the detention center officer, expressed annoyance with the complaints of the believer and threatened him with physical violence and harsher conditions while serving his sentence.\nOn March 21, Valeriy Baylo's lawyer filed a claim against the head of the investigative department of Novorossiysk about the crime committed. \u0026quot;The death of my client occurred as a result of criminal negligence and inaction on the part of the administration of detention center No. 3 in Novorossiysk regarding failure to provide him with medical care,\u0026quot; said the lawyer. The claim lists numerous facts of ignoring Valeriy Baylo\u0026#39;s complaints about his health. On March 7, the lawyer appealed to the Prosecutor General\u0026#39;s Office of the Russian Federation with a complaint about the failure to provide medical care to his client and the misuse of funds when trying to provide it. There is still no response to this complaint.\nThe death of Valeriy Baylo is the 13th case of death in the context of the criminal prosecution of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses since the start of present day persecution. Three women and ten men aged 51 to 90 died before their good name was restored. Some believers are at risk in prison due to poor health. For example, Andrey Vlasov, a disabled person, urgently needs surgical intervention by a neurosurgeon, otherwise he is at risk of ischemic stroke of the spinal cord and complete paralysis of the limbs. Adam Svarichevskiy, another disabled person, has difficulty obtaining medical care and medication, while they periodcally make his conditions of detention in the penal colony worse. Boris Andreyev, 72, and Anatoliy Marunov, 71, who were sentenced to long terms of imprisonment, remain behind bars. The first needs to be examined due to suspected cancer, the second is scheduled for surgery at the end of March 2025.\n","category":"crime","date":"2025-03-20T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/03/240907/image_hu_24062d14deed7917.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/03/240907/image_hu_98946797efc9719a.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/03/240907/image_hu_d6030e559fd7e828.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/03/240907/image_hu_1881b931db2fe896.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/03/240907.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["died","medical-rights","elderly"],"title":"In Kuban Elderly Jehovah's Witness Dies in Detention Center — He Was Denied Medical Care for Almost a Year","type":"news"},{"body":"In the colony where 65-year-old Aleksey Trofimov is kept, most of the prisoners are under the age of 30. The believer is one of the oldest prisoners and enjoys the respect of others. He has a Bible, he receives 60-70 letters every month.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malevaniy and Others in Spassk-Dalniy","date":"2025-03-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/spassk-dalny.html#20250315","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["life-in-prison","elderly","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"For five and a half hours, the prosecutor examines the transcripts of conversations of believers on everyday and religious topics.\nStress due to the trial, the difficult diagnosis of her husband affected the health of Tamara Bratseva: at the hearings she is with high blood pressure, constantly takes medications to sit out to the end. According to eyewitnesses, it seems that the believer is about to lose consciousness.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Brattseva in Razdolnoye","date":"2025-03-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/razdolnoye.html#20250313","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["health-risk","first-instance","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendants make their final statement.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kruglyakov and Others in Syktyvkar","date":"2025-02-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/syktyvkar.html#20250226","regions":["komi"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On February 21, 2025, the Court of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area upheld the verdict against a group of believers from Surgut. The panel of judges considered the case for more than 4 months. The suspended sentences imposed on the believers — from 3 years and 3 months to 7 years — entered into force.\nThe case against Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Surgut is one of the biggest and longest of its kind: the criminal prosecution affected 18 people and has been going on for more than 6 years.\nThe verdict of the court of first instance, handed down at the end of 2023, was appealed by both sides: state prosecutor Larysa Oniskevich considered the punishment \u0026quot;excessively lenient\u0026quot;, and the defense sought to overturn the conviction. According to the lawyer, the decision of the court of first instance is unconstitutional. \u0026quot;The materials of the criminal case do not contain a single fact, not one single statement, not one single episode that would fit the criteria of extremist activity,\u0026quot; one of the convicted persons, Vyacheslav Boronos, echoed the lawyer's words during the closing arguments.\nAnother 9 believers in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area—Yugra faced criminal prosecution on similar grounds. Eric Patterson, executive vice president of the Religious Freedom Institute and former dean of Regent University\u0026#39;s Robertson School of Government, said, \u0026quot;Russia\u0026#39;s continuing persecution of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses as \u0026#39;extremists\u0026#39; who threaten Russia\u0026#39;s national security is unfair and unwise. It contributes to an atmosphere of fear and social stagnation.\u0026quot;\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-02-21T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/02/251517/image_hu_60be9e2a80e844a2.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/02/251517/image_hu_1f764a3028d3eca5.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/02/251517/image_hu_a5c439bac9481fde.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/02/251517/image_hu_289fe03630cbe0db.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/02/251517.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"subtitle":"In Khanty-Mansiysk, Appeal Hearings in the Case of Eighteen Jehovah's Witnesses From Surgut Have Ended","tags":["appeal","complaints","suspended","282.2-1","282.3-1","282.2-2","families","elderly"],"title":"Terms to be Upheld.","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 18, 2025, the Zelenogorsk City Court found Aleksandr Kabanov, 64, guilty of extremism and gave him a 2-year suspended sentence. \u0026quot;Actually, there is no evidence that I am a danger to society,\u0026quot; the believer said a week earlier, addressing the court in his final statement for the second time.\nThe criminal prosecution has shaped Kabanov\u0026#39;s life for the past 5 years. The search and detention were followed by 2.5 years of preliminary forensic investigation. As a result, he was convicted the first time — given a 2-year suspended sentence. However, at the court of appeal the trial took an unexpected turn: the panel of judges returned the case to the prosecutor, not finding corpus delicti in the actions of the believer.\nAccording to Kabanov, the further investigation has not changed his position: he still considers himself innocent. \u0026quot;When they interrogated witnesses, including a secret one, nothing bad was said about me,\u0026quot; he said at a recent hearing. \u0026quot;They talked about what I really do, and that is study the Bible and share what I\u0026#39;ve learned.\u0026quot; Despite this, Judge Stanislav Doronin found the believer guilty of participating in the activity of an extremist organization.\nAt the moment, in the Krasnoyarsk Territory, 31 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses are being prosecuted for their faith. The world community condemns the persecution of peaceful believers in Russia.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-02-18T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/02/201117/image_hu_1fb64efffea8b38b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/02/201117/image_hu_9c744452bfb22a0c.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/02/201117/image_hu_40c3500a37b410e1.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/02/201117/image_hu_83345d0f6ee5fbfb.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/02/201117.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","retrial","suspended","282.2-2","elderly"],"title":"Aleksandr Kabanov from Zelenogorsk Again Given a 2-Year Suspended Sentence for His Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 13, 2025, Judge Andrey Nebogatikov of the Yoshkar-Ola City Court sentenced local believers to fines of 600,000 rubles for meetings for worship. One of them, Yevgeniy Plotnikov, 42, had his fine reduced to 500,000 rubles, considering the time he had spent in detention.\nIt took the court 4 months to find veteran of labor Eduard Kapitonov and his son Ilya, Sergey Kulikov and his son Aleksey, Igor Alekseyev, Vladimir Usenko, Denis Petrov, Ilya Buryi, Sergey Naymushin and Yevgeniy Plotnikov extremists. According to the prosecutor, the element of the crime consists of being organised in meetings for worship and participating in them. Based on this, the prosecution concluded that the men had recreated a legal entity liquidated by the court. The verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed at the appellate instance. The believers pleaded not guilty.\nIn his final statement, Yevgeniy Plotnikov emphasized: \u0026quot;The state prosecution demands harsh terms for us — 9 years in a penal colony. To tell the truth, such terms are not even requested for or given to real criminals, murderers and repeat offenders... The main mistake of the prosecution is not looking for extremism in my actions, otherwise all the charges would have been dropped long ago at the investigation stage, as there is no extremism. The prosecution only proves that I am a Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witness, simply a believer, which I have never denied.\u0026quot;\nThe local FSB Directorate conducted the investigation for 2.5 years, during which time the number of defendants increased from one to ten. The youngest of them, Ilya Kapitonov, is 23; the oldest, Sergey Kulikov, is 71. Sergey\u0026#39;s wife developed a malignant tumor due to the stress, and as a result one of her kidneys had to be removed. His son Alexey, father of five, developed hypertension. The property of Eduard Kapitonov, 59, was seized.\nYevgeniy Plotnikov\u0026#39;s lawyer said in his closing arguments: \u0026quot;The position of the prosecution, which actually requires believers to practice their religion [chaotically] under the threat [of punishment], is nothing other than the authorities attempting to force Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses to renounce their faith.\u0026quot;\nThe right of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses to worship in an organized manner was mentioned back in 2021 in the response of the RF Ministry of Foreign Affairs to Irina Yakku, wife of one of the convicted Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses from Arkhangelsk: \u0026quot;Members of a liquidated organization can independently practice a religious cult, including as part of religious groups that do not require registration, on the understanding that this is not related to carrying out extremist activity.\u0026quot;\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-02-13T14:43:40+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/02/131443/image_hu_d24ed264f74960f6.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/02/131443/image_hu_5b2982e993b21b4.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/02/131443/image_hu_b52b646e8b45cb60.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/02/131443/image_hu_77e6f70c9a32f601.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/02/131443.html","regions":["mari-el"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","fine","282.2-1","disability","elderly","families"],"title":"Court Fined 10 Jehovah's Witnesses from Yoshkar-Ola for \"Convening and Participating in Meetings\"","type":"news"},{"body":"The court suspends proceedings in the case against Nikolay Prokhorov due to his cancer.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuzhelkov and Prokhorov in Kirsanov","date":"2025-02-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirsanov.html#20250212","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"73-year-old Anatoliy Artamonov and 45-year-old Aleksandr Krushevskiy are included in the list of extremists of Rosfinmonitoring.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Krushevskiy and Artamonov in Birobidzhan","date":"2025-02-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan21.html#20250211","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["rosfinmonitoring","elderly","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Bratseva's husband gets into a serious accident. The next day, he was hospitalized and found to have a serious illness. Tamara is shocked by this news. According to acquaintances, she is very afraid of losing her husband and is depressed.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Brattseva in Razdolnoye","date":"2025-02-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/razdolnoye.html#20250211","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the 5-hour meeting, witnesses for the prosecution are interrogated. The first is an operative who participated in the search activities against Brattseva and was present during the search in her home. He notes that he did not hear threats or insults from the woman.\nNext, four elderly women are interrogated, the eldest of whom is almost 80 years old. They give a positive characteristic of the defendant.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Brattseva in Razdolnoye","date":"2025-02-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/razdolnoye.html#20250206","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On February 4, 2025, the Sovetskiy District Court of Krasnodar sentenced Aleksey Lelikov, 64, to 6.5 years in a penal colony. Judge Irina Klyuyeva considered holding meetings for worship of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses to be organizing the activity of an extremist organization. The believer was taken into custody in the courtroom.\n\u0026quot;I cannot agree to admit my guilt and call myself an extremist, even if it would benefit me,\u0026quot; Lelikov said in his final statement, \u0026quot;because then it would mean that worshipping God is a crime. For me, this is tantamount to denying God and his son Jesus, who have nothing to do with any form of extremism.\u0026quot;\nThree years ago the FSB initiated a criminal case against Lelikov, a musician like his father and finalist in the Teacher of the Year competition. His house was searched, and the believer and members of his family were interrogated. Soon Lelikov\u0026#39;s name was on the Rosfinmonitoring list, and his house and land were seized. In April 2022, due to impaired motor functions, Lelikov was categorized as having a disability.\nAleksey Lelikov with his wife and daughter on the day of the verdict Judge Irina Klyuyeva announcing the verdict Lelikov with his family in the courtroom The defendant, his wife and daughter going to the announcement of the verdict Aleksey Lelikov with his wife Irina The defendant in the courtroom Lelikov handcuffed after sentencing The defendant is taken away to be placed in a pretrial detention center after guilty verdict The charges of extremism brought against the believer come down to organizing religious presentations, meetings for worship and studying religious literature. \u0026quot;It was difficult to read the charge containing so many lies,\u0026quot; commented Lelikov. \u0026quot;I didn\u0026#39;t expect these degrading words to be like poison.\u0026quot; The charge was based on recordings of meetings for worship. The hearings in the case, which began in February 2023, revealed that the expert studies of these recordings contained contradictions and inconsistencies, which were highlighted by the defense.\nIn the Krasnodar Territory, 38 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have already been subjected to religious discrimination. At the moment, another 17 believers, including 7 women, are defending their beliefs in court.\nIn June 2022, the European Court of Human Rights ruled to end the repression of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Russia. The ECHR declared the criminal prosecution of believers unlawful and called on the Russian authorities to release the prisoners.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-02-04T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/02/061002/image_hu_f0803384dedd0fc3.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/02/061002/image_hu_51af4b222350bda0.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/02/061002/image_hu_2d32a24638ba1648.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/02/061002/image_hu_300e98b7c075dcd7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/02/061002.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","282.2-1","disability","elderly"],"title":"Krasnodar Court Sends Music Teacher With Disability to Penal Colony for Practicing His Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"The court found Liliya Dolinina, a pensioner from the village of Dormidontovka, guilty of extremism because she wrote letters to a woman on spiritual topics. On February 3, 2025, Judge Kseniya Matviyevskaya gave the elderly believer a 4.5-year suspended sentence.\nThe charge was based on Liliya\u0026#39;s letters, which she wrote to her son's friend, I. Lavrenova. According to the believer, her motive was wanting to support this woman. \u0026quot;My goal was to help her come to know God and the advice he gives to people through the Bible,\u0026quot; Liliya said in court. \u0026quot;I just wanted her to enjoy a happy family life with my son.\u0026quot; However, the prosecution regarded this correspondence as an attempt to involve Lavrenova in an extremist organization.\nIn February 2023, Liliya learned that a criminal case had been initiated against her, when her house was searched, and she was interrogated for 5 hours at the local department of the Investigative Committee. At the same time, the FSB visited Lavrenova and seized the letters from Dolinina.\nIn March 2024, Dolinina\u0026#39;s case was submitted to the Vyazemskiy District Court. The hearings were adjourned for 4 months due to the deterioration of the elderly believer\u0026#39;s health. Chronic illnesses, as well as an injury, confined her to bed. During this period, the pensioner was added to the Rosfinmonitoring list. Due to problems with her heart, vision and hearing, it was difficult for Liliya to participate in court hearings. In her testimony, she stated: \u0026quot;I could not have imagined that I would be tried at the age of 78 in my country in the 21st century for personal correspondence.\u0026quot;\nDuring the interrogation in court, Lavrenova and Dolinina\u0026#39;s son claimed that a significant part of their testimony, recorded by the investigator in the interrogation protocol, was fabricated. Lavrenova stated that Liliya Dolinina did not try to involve her in any extremist communities. The conclusions of the expert study also acknowledged that \u0026quot;in the letters and messages there are no calls to join or participate in the activity of any organization.\u0026quot;\nLiliya said that during this difficult period, she is not lacking support: fellow believers take her to the hospital, buy food and medicines. \u0026quot;I am grateful to our brothers and sisters for their support and love,\u0026quot; she stresses. \u0026quot;My faith and gratitude to God grow stronger every time.\u0026quot;\nAlready 41 of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses from the Khabarovsk Territory have been prosecuted for their faith; of these 7 are over 70 years old, 1 died while under investigation.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-02-03T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/02/051113/image_hu_22c557fec61b11f7.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/02/051113/image_hu_ab40c85e56bda5fa.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/02/051113/image_hu_2d8ec91de59f7031.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/02/051113/image_hu_fbf658206f502b32.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/02/051113.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","elderly","282.2-2","282.2-1.1"],"title":"Court in Khabarovsk Territory Gave 78-Year-Old Woman a Suspended Sentence for Letters About God","type":"news"},{"body":"Witnesses for the prosecution are being interrogated. One of them is Raisa Permyakova, born in 1939. Due to her advanced age, vision and hearing problems, the woman has difficulty understanding the questions she is asked. According to her, Olga Kalinnikova and Larisa Potapova periodically came to her, discussed the Bible and helped around the house. Around August 2017, she was approached by an FSB officer who installed a hidden camera in her home. Answering questions from the defense, the woman admits that Potapova and Kalinnikova did not urge her to hate anyone or use violence.\nPermyakova's neighbor is interrogated, who knew that Potapova and Kalinnikova came to her and helped her. According to her, they did not cause any harm to the elderly woman.\nAnother prosecution witness says that he once talked to the defendants, but does not remember in what year. In his opinion, Jehovah's Witnesses are banned in Russia. The man did not like that the defendants were talking to local residents about the Bible, and he began to collect information about them.\nAnother witness to the accusation, Dmitry Kovtun, who previously testified in the case of Roman Gumenyuk, claims that he does not know Kalinnikova and Popova personally. According to him, he identified them in the photographs shown to him during interrogation by the FSB, as he saw women at online meetings for worship. To this, Olga Kalinnikova states that she was not present at them.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kalinnikova and Potapova in Kurilsk","date":"2025-01-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurilsk.html#20250123","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Khabarovskiy District Court completed the retrial of the criminal case of two Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses on January 20, 2025. Judge Kira Kirina gave pensioners Lyubov Kocherova, 66, and Lyubov Ovchinnikova, 66, a 5.5-year suspended sentence.\nThe first verdict in this case — a 6-year suspended sentence — was handed down in August 2023. State prosecutor Yekaterina Trofimenko, who insisted on a prison term, appealed this decision. The court of appeal sent the case back for a new trial, which began in January 2024 in the same Khabarovskiy District Court.\nLyubov Kosherova nad Lyubov Ovchinnikova with their friends outside of the courthouse, January, 2025 Preliminary and judicial investigations against Kocherova and Ovchinnikova have already been going on for 2.5 years. The prosecution based the criminal case on audio recordings of meetings for worship and conversations about the Bible, made by undercover FSB agent Stanislav Martyn. Speaking in court, the believers disagreed with the charges and mentioned that the constitutional right to freedom of religion cannot be a crime.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-01-20T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/01/210938/image_hu_154396e7561ca00f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/01/210938/image_hu_cf0a0e1f0ec0ba18.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/01/210938/image_hu_e9d8123bd8e49ed7.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/01/210938/image_hu_8baa53430db1ab37.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/01/210938.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":"Court Deemed Talking About the Bible to Be Extremism","tags":["sentence","elderly","suspended","282.2-1.1","282.2-2"],"title":"Two Elderly Women From Khabarovsk Given Suspended Sentences.","type":"news"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests 9 years in prison for each of the 10 defendants.\nThe accusation was based on video footage and the testimony of a classified witness. One defense attorney says that if the accusation were true, there would have been many witnesses in the case, not just one classified person who failed to identify the source of his knowledge.\nThe prosecution argues that the defendants do not spontaneously and separately profess their religion, which means that they continue the activities of an extremist organization. In the debates, the defense draws attention to the fact that the law prohibits the continuation or renewal of not any, but namely illegal activity, and no evidence of such was heard in court.\nThe prosecutor admits that the motive of enmity and hatred has not been proven. Lawyers remind that the presence of direct intent is a mandatory element of the corpus delicti under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Plotnikov and Others in Yoshkar-Ola","date":"2025-01-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yoshkar-ola2.html#20250116","regions":["mari-el"],"tags":["punishment-request","defense-arguments","282.2-1","elderly","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"When Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses knocked on Anatoliy Artamonov\u0026#39;s door in the early 1990s and told him about the biblical hope for a better future, he wanted to know more about it. 30 years later, the man was prosecuted for his love of the Bible.\nAnatoliy was born in 1952 in the resort village of Kuldur (Jewish Autonomous Region), famous for its hot springs. His father worked as a carpenter, and his mother was the commandant of a dormitory. The couple raised six children—four boys and two girls. Anatoliy was the third child in the family. When he was one, his parents moved to Komsomolsk-on-Amur and then settled in Birobidzhan. Now they are no longer alive.\nAfter school, Anatoliy entered a vocational school, where he received the specialty of a fitter. He served 2 years in the Soviet Army in the village of Ust-Kamchatsk. After demobilization, he returned to Birobidzhan, where he worked at various enterprises as a turbine driver, assembler, and welder. Recently he has been working as an electrician in a city hospital. From childhood to this day, the man is fond of fishing.\nAnatoliy is married to Lyudmila, with whom they raised two children. In 1994, they officially registered their marriage, and in 1995, together with their daughter Larisa, they became Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. Later, they were joined by Anatoliy\u0026#39;s elder sister, his mother and grandson. The son of the believer does not share their beliefs, but they have a good relationship, the men work together.\nThe criminal prosecution affected not only Anatoliy, but also his daughter Larisa and grandson Yevgeniy. They have already served sentences on similar charges —2.5 years suspended. Relatives and friends are worried about Anatoliy and support his family during this difficult period of his life.\n","date":"2025-02-06","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/artamonov/photo_hu_3da9e365adaeccea.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/artamonov/photo_hu_5df6de3238b72a95.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/artamonov/photo_hu_a0ae5c2c9550b04d.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/artamonov/photo_hu_9453eca9896008d2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/artamonov.html","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["elderly","families"],"title":"Anatoliy Artamonov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"The defendants make their final statement, emphasizing that they are on trial for reading and discussing the Bible.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kocherova and Ovchinnikova in Knyaze-Volkonskoye","date":"2025-01-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/knyaze-volkonskoe2.html#20250114","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Galina Inkina was born in October 1953 in the village of Iliinka, Kurgan Region. She has an older and a younger brother. Her parents are no longer alive. Galina\u0026#39;s childhood was truly eventful and creative: she participated in school amateur performances, traveled during the holidays with performances from village to village, wrote poems and played in the puppet theater.\nAfter school, she entered a cultural college in the city of Perm but left her studies after the second course — she got married and moved to Zaprudnya in the Moscow Region. There, Galina got a job as a laboratory assistant at the electric vacuum appliances plant, where she worked for 20 years. Then she was a social worker, and after retiring, she worked in a psychiatric hospital for a further 13 years. In her free time, she likes to crochet mittens and socks for her friends; she also takes care of homeless animals.\nIn the 1990s, Galina became seriously interested in the Bible. She was particularly moved by God\u0026#39;s promise to recreate wonderful conditions on earth and bring dead loved ones back to life. She was baptized as one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in 1997.\nGalina has an adult son with whom she has a close relationship. \u0026quot;For 23 years we talk on the phone each day at 9 p.m. — my son calls to ask about my health,\u0026quot; she said and added: \u0026quot;Now this is prohibited.\u0026quot;\nIn December 2024, criminal prosecution of the believer began — armed law enforcement officers broke into her home to search it. She recalls: \u0026quot;I was put in the corridor facing the wall and told at gunpoint to stand like that. I was shaking all over from stress — my arms, my legs and everything inside.\u0026quot;\nGalina has several severe chronic illnesses; she has had eight operations. According to the believer, the prosecution has greatly affected her: \u0026quot; My veins swelled up, my legs get blue and swell up in the evening; the tracking bracelet digs into my leg.\u0026quot;\nFor a while, the elderly woman was without means of communication and was deprived of the phone numbers of the doctors treating her. Nevertheless, Galina does not despair and is grateful for the prayers of her friends, the power of which she feels.\n","date":"2025-10-21","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/inkina/photo_hu_5e02eca00b1441bf.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/inkina/photo_hu_ed6440398aa109ce.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/inkina/photo_hu_786d3e8b847832fd.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/inkina/photo_hu_e1e7ecba545c3196.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/inkina.html","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["elderly","health-risk","ankle-tag"],"title":"Galina Inkina","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Aleksandr Litvinyuk works conscientiously and has a high rate of output, for which he has already received three awards from the administration of the colony. He also responds to participation in work without pay — he helped in replacing windows in a residential building.\nThe 64-year-old believer often feels tired at the end of the day. Due to the intense work with scissors, his arm hurts, so sometimes he is given painkiller injections. In addition, Aleksandr needs the help of an orthopedic dentist.\nLitvinyuk, along with other prisoners, lives in a three-story non-smoking building. He takes a shower at work, but there is yellow, dirty water flowing in the pipes; Prisoners have to use water from a well.\nAccording to the believer, the food in the colony has improved. At the end of October, he had a long meeting with his wife.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Dubovenko and Litvinyuk in Armyansk","date":"2024-12-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/armyansk.html#20241230","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anatoliy is lying in a hospital room of the colony. Stress took a toll on his physical condition, he lost a lot of weight. He has been diagnosed with arrhythmia and other heart problems, but the necessary medications are available.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mareyev and Others in Moscow","date":"2024-12-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow4.html#20241229","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["life-in-prison","elderly","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On December 26, 2024, Irina Ivanova, judge of the Nazarovo City Court of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, found 60-year-old Pavel Chemrov guilty of extremism for saying prayers and reading religious literature. He was given a 3-year suspended sentence.\nThe believer maintains his innocence and can appeal the verdict in higher instance courts. In his final statement, he explained to the court that his \"intent is for people to treat each other with love, kindness, respect and mercy, to always remain calm and to rely on God.\"\nThe Investigative Committee for the Krasnoyarsk Territory and the Republic of Khakassia has been monitoring Pavel Chemrov since 2018. Later, in December 2023, a criminal case was initiated against him for participating in the activity of an extremist organization. His house was searched. The believer was interrogated and released under a recognizance agreement. In June 2024, the case went to court. Witnesses for the prosecution did not corroborate any of the prosecutor's allegations. During interrogation one woman said that she had heard \"only good\" from Chemrov. Despite this, the prosecutor requested 3.5 years in a penal colony for the believer.\nDuring the hearings, Chemrov drew the court's attention to the fact that the RF Supreme Court did not prohibit Jehovah's Witnesses from continuing to practice their religion individually or jointly. He added: \"It is insulting to expect that after the liquidation of a legal entity... believers... can conduct meetings for worship exclusively within the framework of other religious denominations, which in fact would mean renouncing their faith and would nullify the explanations of the Plenum of the RF Supreme Court.\"\nIn the Krasnoyarsk Territory, another 30 Jehovah's Witnesses are being prosecuted for their faith. Five of them are serving their sentences in penal colonies.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-12-26T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/12/271510/image_hu_9cc2812db8fe3132.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/12/271510/image_hu_24320bb1b52b9e66.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/12/271510/image_hu_aa476cd64bc5f05.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/12/271510/image_hu_6b9792d9f1afa5c1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/12/271510.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-2","elderly"],"title":"Believer from Krasnoyarsk Territory Received a 3-Year Suspended Sentence for Praying to Jehovah God","type":"news"},{"body":"The prosecutor asks the court to send Pavel Chemrov to a general regime colony for 3 years and 6 months.\nThe defendant makes his final statement.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chemrov in Nazarovo","date":"2024-12-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nazarovo2.html#20241224","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["punishment-request","defense-arguments","282.2-2","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Courts continue to send Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses to prison, and the sentence of three of them has set a new record for severity. There have been cases of violence and torture, the proportion of the elderly among the \u0026quot;prisoners of conscience\u0026quot; has increased, there are people with severe disabilities, one of whom died shortly after the verdict; the trend of prosecuting entire families continues. Read about these and other findings for 2024 in this article.\nYear in numbers Judges announce the decision in the case of five believers in Moscow As of December 16, 2024, since the beginning of the year, Russian security forces have conducted at least 96 searches in the homes of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses — 17 in Crimea being the highest number. The total number of raids since the ban reached 2157.\nDuring 2024, 41 persons were made defendants in new criminal cases, of which 19 went through various types of detention, 15 of them are still behind bars. Last year, criminal cases were initiated against 100 believers.\nSentences were handed down to 116 believers. 43 of them (37%) were sentenced to imprisonment (It is noteworthy that this year nine people were sent to forced labor as a punishment). Terms of more than five years were given to 24 people (or almost 56% of those sentenced to imprisonment).\nSince 2017, 842 people have already been prosecuted; 450 of them have spent at least 1 day in custody. Currently, 147 prisoners of conscience are behind bars, either already convicted or awaiting sentencing. Of the 27 prisoners released from colonies, 8 were released this year. Although they have served their main sentence, most continue to experience numerous difficulties due to additional restrictions imposed by the court, which can last up to eight years or sometimes even more. \u0026quot;The cumulative numbers and severity of custodial sentences are increasing. To put it simply, during this year they imprisoned less, but more severely,\u0026quot; Yaroslav Sivulskiy, a representative of the European Association of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, commented on the statistics.\nIn 2024, the court handed down record-breaking sentences against three Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. Khabarovsk residents Nikolay Polevodov, Vitaliy Zhuk and Stanislav Kim received eight years and six months, eight years and four months, eight years and two months in a penal colony, respectively. After about three months the court of appeal changed the punishment from imprisonment to a suspended sentence for shorter terms. Therefore, the longest term in 2024 was given to Alexander Chagan from Tolyatti — eight years in a penal colony. All in all, six believers have received such a harsh sentence since 2017.\nThe administration of the pretrial detention center forwarded 93 letters to Nikolay Polevodov, which arrived after his release from detention Over the seven years of mass persecution of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, the number of people sentenced has reached 543, and 186 believers have been imprisoned. Almost 61% of them (113 people) received terms of more than five years.\nIn 13 regions of Russia, the average term of imprisonment is 6 years or more. This is especially true with the southern territories — the Astrakhan, Rostov, Volgograd Regions, Crimea, and Sevastopol. For comparison: according to the official statistics of the Judicial Department at the Supreme Court of Russia for 2023, of the 1297 people convicted for intentional infliction of grievous bodily harm, only 0.85% (11 people) were sentenced to terms of five to eight years. Most were sentenced to terms of two to three years. It seems that from the point of view of the Russian judicial system, Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses are more dangerous than those who beat people to the point of disability. At the same time, hundreds of trials against Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses accused of extremism have not confirmed a single fact of extremist activity on the part of the believers.\nHunting the Elderly Of the new defendants who appeared in 2024, eight are over 60 years old, the oldest is 74 (Nina Smirnova). In total, among those charged with extremism, 235 people (156 men and 79 women) belong to this age category — this is almost 28% of all those prosecuted. \u0026quot;Up until last December, this share was 26%, and it increased by 2% in 2024. It may not seem much, but there are real people behind the numbers, whose freedom, health and even life are under threat,\u0026quot; said Yaroslav Sivulskiy. \u0026quot;Unfortunately, during criminal proceedings, 9 elderly men and women have already died. One of them — Aleksandr Lubin who was seriously ill. He died a month after his verdict was announced.\u0026quot;\nDuring the court hearings, Lubin had to lie down on a bench to recover his breath \u0026quot;He was very anxious on the days of the court hearings. Afterwards he and his wife needed a couple of days to recover, he had to lie down almost all the time on these days,\u0026quot; Lubin\u0026#39;s lawyer said. \u0026quot;Over the course of the year, his illness progressed and in December he was hospitalized, where he stayed longer than usual. After discharge, his condition remained serious.\u0026quot;\nShortly before his death, Lubin said in court: \u0026quot;It was very painful for me to see how elderly witnesses were interrogated during court hearings in my case. The investigation seemed to deliberately select those who were over 80. They no longer see and hear well; they do not understand many words. Therefore, it gave the impression that the investigators drew up the interrogation protocols at their own discretion.\u0026quot;\nSince the beginning of the persecution, 13 believers have already died: 3 women and 10 men. As of the end of 2024, 27 believers over the age of 60 are being held in colonies, pretrial detention centers, and special detention centers for persons sentenced to forced labor. For example, Boris Andreyev, 73, who was sentenced to six years in a penal colony (he is suspected of having cancer), and Anatoliy Marunov, 71, who received six and a half years in a penal colony, remain behind bars. \u0026quot;The oldest of all the convicted Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses is Yuriy Yuskov. When the suspended sentence imposed on him ends, he will be 90 years old. The oldest defendant is Elena Zayshchuk, 90\u0026quot; said Yaroslav Sivulskiy.\nOne of the examples when the courts did not even try to create the appearance of legality of the process is the case of Tatyana Piskareva. She is 68 years old, and for the past few months she has been held in the correctional center at colony-settlement No 3 for the Oryol Region. In the spring of 2024, the court sentenced her to two and a half years of forced labor, a type of punishment that, as expressly stated in Article 53.1 of the Criminal Code, is not imposed on old-age pensioners. Tatyana mentioned this in her appeal. However, as said in the decision of the appeal court, \u0026quot;the requirements of Article 53.1 of the Criminal Code of Russian Federation were observed by the court.\u0026quot;\nAndrey Vlasov participates in the court hearing via video conferencing from the penal colony Andrey Vlasov, 56, who has a severe disability, has already been in prison for more than two and a half years. He was sentenced to seven years in a penal colony, and the courts deny him early release, despite his rapidly deteriorating health. He is practically unable to move his joints. He experiences constant pain, which is why even everyday tasks — for example, putting on underwear — are very difficult. Some tasks that are simple for a healthy person are completely beyond Vlasov\u0026#39;s strength. He has already fallen several times and could not get up on his own. According to the surgeon, Andrey needs an operation. Failure to do so will lead to an ischemic stroke of the spinal cord and paralysis of the limbs.\nMoreover, the Russian law enforcement system is not lenient to those who are younger, but whose health also requires a special approach. Vladimir Fomin, 44, who is disabled, has been in a pretrial detention center since the end of March 2024. According to his lawyer, Fomin\u0026#39;s condition is getting worse — his chronic illnesses have been exacerbated, and there is no proper treatment. During one of the hearings, he lost consciousness, an ambulance had to be called.\nTorture and Violence In 2024, four cases of violence by law enforcement officers became known. Also, one case of torture in a place of detention was recorded against convicted Rinat Kiramov of Akhtubinsk. The prisoners demanded that Rinat give the names of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses living in Akhtubinsk.\nRinat Kiramov speaks in court Rinat\u0026rsquo;s wife Galina is waiting in the corridor for the decision of the court of cassation Did the pressure achieve its goal? \u0026quot;After beatings and torture, Rinat does not feel that he is a victim. On the contrary, he feels great joy, because he endured everything with dignity, \u0026quot;said Kiramov\u0026#39;s wife Galina shortly after the events described.\nDuring raids in Omsk in March 2024, security forces beat Sergey Rygaev and Leonid Pyzhov.\nIn the same month, during a search in Tolyatti, Sergey Fedorov was beaten and detained. He is still behind bars.\nOn September 16, during raids in Samara, law enforcement officers had been using force against one of the believers for several hours. At some point, the man lost consciousness.\nOn December 5, during searches in Moscow, the security forces hit one believer on the head and abdomen, and broke his nose.\nProsecution of Families Vladimir and Anastasiya Anufriyev, as well as two other families involved in the case, can now only see each other during trials, in a special box for defendants The number of families where more than one person was prosecuted for their faith has exceeded 80. At least nine of them were added in 2024. In one of the cases, three married couples were made defendants at once — Vladimir and Anastasiya Anufriyev, Viktor and Alena Chernobaev, as well as Andrey Mikholap and his wife Oksana. All of them are in pretrial detention at the time of writing.\nIn December 2024 , Kristina Golik, Valentina Yermilova and Yekaterina Olshevskaya were sentenced to forced labor. Earlier, their husbands received long prison terms and are serving their sentences in a penal colony. Before the verdict was announced Yekaterina stated in court: \u0026quot;My husband and my father are imprisoned under the same article. I can see my husband only a few times a year. My son, who is four years old, misses his dad very much and is constantly worried that I will also be sent to prison. Every time he accompanies me to court, my young son asks: \u0026#39;Mom, will you return home today?\u0026#39;\u0026quot;\nIn January 2024, the court separated Aram Danielyan from his wife and young son. The believer was sentenced to 7 years in a penal colony Similar concerns were expressed by Kristina Golik: \u0026quot;My husband will be released in 2027, after which his freedom will be restricted for another year, and he will have a further eight years of administrative supervision. If I am given a prison sentence, then I will have to serve it... The question is: after how many years will we be reunited? I\u0026#39;m scared to even think about it.\u0026quot;\nHowever, the issue of destroying the families of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses turned out to be insignificant for the court — if the sentence enters into force, the believers will have to serve their sentences in a special institution for carrying out forced labor.\nRepressions Against Convicted Persons With the passage of time, law enforcement officers find new ways to put pressure on those who are imprisoned for their faith. For the first time since 2017, one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses Viktor Stashevsky ended up in regular prison (not to confuse with a penal colony). Prior to that, he was held under strict detention conditions on the basis of penalties, most of which he was unaware of.\nDetention in strict conditions of imprisonment — placement in a punishment cell, CTF and SCTF — is a frequent practice in the cases of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. According to the rules, a prisoner should not be kept in such a room for more than 15 days, but in practice the punishment is extended, so that believers are kept in strict conditions for months. For example, Alam Aliyev, sentenced to six and a half years in a penal colony, has already been held for almost six months under strict detention conditions in IK-8 for the Amur Region. This is not compatible with the state of his health — he has diabetes mellitus, kidney disease, cardiac and neurological disorders.\nOften, the conditions for imprisoned Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses are hardened on the basis of fabricated or far-fetched violations. The reason may be an unfastened button or the absence of a tag with the prisoner\u0026#39;s name on the cabinet. Sometimes the prisoner does not even know what violations he is charged with. Such penalties are used as grounds for denying believers visits from relatives and make it almost impossible for them to be released on parole. It happens that in a particular colony there is no room corresponding to the punishment. In this case, prisoners are transported to another (sometimes remote) region, to a colony where such a room exists. This limits the possibility to see relatives and receive parcels.\nConcerned people support those who are unjustly convicted with letters. However, censorship does not allow everything to pass through, cutting out or crossing out part of the text There are also specific methods of pressure — when believers are deprived of the opportunity to read the Bible. Often this is done under the pretext that the book does not have a stamp of approval from the Russian Orthodox Church. In the case of Andrey Danielyan and the abovementioned Rinat Kiramov, the FSIN officers went even further — personal copies of the Bible were seized not only from them, but also from all other prisoners. Kiramov\u0026#39;s relatives said that before that, other convicts lent Rinat their copies, but the colony staff forbade them to do so. Not only the Bible was confiscated from Danielyan, but also a personal notebook with quotes from this book.\nPracticing their religion can even result in a new term for a prisoner, as in the case of Dmitriy Terebilov from Kostroma. He became acquainted with the Bible many years ago in the penal colony. Thanks to his new knowledge, Dmitriy changed so much that the administration of the institution itself petitioned for his early release. After his release he became one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. Later, Dmitriy was convicted again, this time for his faith. On September 5, his term of imprisonment expired but he was not freed. A new criminal case was initiated against him for answering questions from a cellmate about the beliefs of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. Now Dmitry is in a pretrial detention center and awaiting another trial. He faces an extension of his term from three to 10 years.\nNew Acquittal In 2024, Ruslan Atakuyev, judge of the Mayskiy District Court of Kabardino-Balkaria, found Kirill Gushchin not guilty of extremism. This decision withstood the courts of appeal and cassation, and the prosecutor\u0026#39;s office made an official apology. Since 2017, various courts have issued a total of 10 acquittals, but until that moment, only two of them were not overturned. In May 2021, the same Mayskiy District Court acquitted Yuriy Zalipayev.\nKabardino-Balkaria is the only region in Russia where Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have effectively been acquitted.\nKirill Gushchin leaves the courthouse after the announcement of his acquittal, he was greeted by a large support group International Support In the summer 2024, the European Court of Human Rights ruled in favor of 16 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses who were subjected to illegal searches, arrests, and convictions for their religion in Russia. Although Russia withdrew from the European Convention on Human Rights back in 2022, the Russian Federation is still obliged to pay compensation assigned to believers.\nOn October 24, 2023, the UN Human Rights Committee issued two opinions in favor of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses regarding the rulings to liquidate the local religious organizations (LROs) in Abinsk and Elista. In Russia, these rulings became precedent for the beginning of religious persecution, and a former member of the Abinsk LRO, the elderly Aleksandr Ivshin, is serving time for his faith in a penal colony.\nThe UN Human Rights Committee emphasizes that there are no calls for violence or other information inciting hatred in the literature of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. In both cases, Russia violated the right of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses to \u0026quot;freedom of thought, conscience and religion\u0026quot; and \u0026quot;the right to freedom of assembly\u0026quot; (Articles 18.1 and 22.1 of the European Convention on Human Rights).\nThe Committee ordered Russia to reconsider the decisions on the ban and ordered it to \u0026quot;take all necessary steps to avoid similar violations in the future.\u0026quot; During 2024, hearings were held in Russia on this issue, but the Committee\u0026#39;s orders were never carried out. Moreover, after the publication of the Opinion of the Human Rights Committee on the liquidation of a religious organization in Abinsk, local security forces initiated a criminal case against Valeriy Baylo, 66 at that time, — for participating in the activity of the Abinsk LRO. The court sentenced the believer to two and a half years in a penal colony. Now he is in custody and is awaiting the decision of the court of appeal.\nAnd in June 2024, the Elista City Court found three women guilty of participating in the activity of the Elista LRO and gave Kishta Tutinova a three-year suspended sentence, and Yekaterina Menkova and Tsagan Khalgaeva two years suspended. The court of appeal toughened the sentence.\nNadezhda Korobochko Back in 2019, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights called on the Russian authorities to \u0026quot;drop the charges and release all those detained for exercising their rights to freedom of religion or belief, freedom of expression, as well as the right to peaceful assembly and association.\u0026quot; It is obvious that the demands of the international community have not been met. However, this pressure — imprisonment, risk to health and sometimes even life — does not deprive Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses of their courage. Nadezhda Korobochko, 80, speaking in court before the verdict was announced, expressed the attitude of the majority of those prosecuted for their faith: \u0026quot;As long as I am alive, I will study the Bible. As long as I am alive, I will share the knowledge of God with other people, and nothing can make me give up my faith in God.\u0026quot;\n","category":"analytics","date":"2024-12-23T08:27:03+02:00","duration":"2:13","image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/12/230900/cover_hu_fc1b175ba1d427bc.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/12/230900/cover_hu_a55b8ccd423d4c4.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/12/230900/cover_hu_95ca1e5f3fbd612d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/12/230900/cover_hu_4d0f76a0f92a917b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/12/230900.html","regions":[],"subtitle":null,"tags":["review","statistics","torture","search","siloviks-violence","torture-conditions","families","prison-treatment","shizo","strict-conditions","letters","acquittal","international","unhrc","echr","died","elderly","disability"],"title":"\"They imprison less, but more severely.\" Repressions against Jehovah's Witnesses: 2024 Overview","type":"video"},{"body":"Sergey Afanasyev, 60, is placed in a punishment cell for 10 days for an unknown reason.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Olshevskiy and Others in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2024-12-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk.html#20241223","regions":["amur"],"tags":["life-in-prison","shizo","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator A. Egorov requests a measure of restraint for Galina Inkina in the form of house arrest. But since she is a pensioner, suffers from a number of chronic diseases that require constant medical examination, and lives alone in a one-room apartment, the judge of the Taldom District Court, Sergey Mukhortov, imposes a ban on certain actions on the believer.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mladov and Inkina in Dubna","date":"2024-12-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dubna.html#20241220","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions","ankle-tag","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the beginning of the year, Sergey Gobozev and Mikhail Potapov received large fines for their faith, however, on December 19, 2024, the Supreme Court of the Udmurt Republic imposed a harsher punishment on them - imprisonment. Potapov was arrested in absentia, and Gobozev was detained in the courtroom.\nThe case was heard in various courts over a period of 3 years and 3 months. The convicted persons believe that the prosecutor\u0026#39;s office was not able to prove their guilt in organizing the activity of an extremist organization. During the court hearings, witnesses spoke about psychological pressure from investigators, among them Sergey Gobozev\u0026#39;s wife, Olga. At the trial, she called part of her testimony fabricated by the investigation.\nSearches in the homes of believers took place in January 2021. After that, Potapov was sent to a pretrial detention center for 4 months, and Gobozev was placed under house arrest; later the preventive measure was changed to a ban on certain actions for both of them. The Votkinskiy District Court issued a guilty verdict in their case in March 2024. Even at the first stage of the proceedings, the prosecutor\u0026#39;s office sought a prison term for the believers, however, Judge Tamara Makarova imposed fines on them. The first court of appeal agreed with this decision, but the court of cassation sent the case back for reconsideration.\nSergey Gobozev became the 34th Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witness over the age of 60 to be sentenced to imprisonment. In his appeal, he noted: \u0026quot;The court found that in my actions there were \u0026#39;no calls for extremist or terrorist activity.\u0026#39; Therefore, bringing me to justice under the incriminated article is groundless and contradicts the facts established during the preliminary and judicial investigation.\u0026quot; Eight more believers in Udmurtia were prosecuted on similar grounds.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-12-19T15:13:15+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/12/191513/image_hu_b763c5d64bbc8a11.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/12/191513/image_hu_8e92b19ab0329131.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/12/191513/image_hu_fbe9152fb40394.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/12/191513/image_hu_f61465164172992a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/12/191513.html","regions":["udmurtia"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["2-appeal","282.2-1","liberty-deprivation","elderly"],"title":"Court in Izhevsk Toughens Sentence Against Two Jehovah's Witnesses from Votkinsk — Believers Sentenced to 6 Years in Penal Colony","type":"news"},{"body":"Due to the interrogation of a classified witness, the judge is holding the hearing behind closed doors, despite the objections of the defense. During the hearing, Tamara Brattseva feels bad due to high blood pressure.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Brattseva in Razdolnoye","date":"2024-12-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/razdolnoye.html#20241217","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On December 17, 2024, Aleksandr Korovenko, judge of the Pechora City Court of the Komi Republic fined a group of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, having found them guilty of organizing the activity of an extremist organization, participating in, and financing it.\nTaking into account the time spent in detention, Gennadiy Polyakevich must pay 200,000 rubles, and Gennadiy Skutelets — 250,000 rubles. The court imposed fines of 600,000 rubles on Nikolay Anufriyev, Eduard Merinkov and Aleksandr Vorontsov. The verdict has not yet entered into force and can be appealed.\nAleksandr Prilepskiy, who died during the proceedings at the age of 58 from the consequences of COVID-19, was also found guilty by the court, but it ruled to terminate the criminal prosecution due to his death. Thus, this is already the third case where one ofJehovah\u0026#39;s Witness has been posthumously found guilty of extremism. During the closing arguments, Prilepskiy\u0026#39;s lawyer, said: \u0026quot;Although my client is no longer with us, there are people who are ready to continue the fight, as my client did not admit his guilt.\u0026quot; Aleksandr\u0026#39;s wife and daughter maintain his innocence.\nThe Investigative Committee for the Komi Republic initiated a criminal case against the believers in January 2020. At that time, searches were conducted by law enforcement officers in the homes of 12 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. Polyakevich was sent to a pretrial detention center, where he spent about 10 months. Skutelets spent 1 year under house arrest. The other believers were placed under recognizance agreements. After about 1.5 years of investigation, the case went to court, however, after 8 months it was sent back for further investigation. In April 2023, the court hearings resumed — essentially starting the proceedings with different judges. The prosecutor requested 5 to 7 years imprisonment for the believers.\nThe support of friends and fellow believers helped the defendants cope with the hardships of criminal prosecution — they provided material assistance, attended hearings in any weather, gave cards, food, and wrote encouraging letters. Gennadiy Polyakevich, said in his final statement, that he received more than 5,500 letters while in the pretrial detention center.\nAnother case against five believers is being considered by a court in the Komi Republic. One of them, Sergey Ushakhin, a disabled person, died during the court hearings due to a sudden deterioration of his health.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-12-17T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/12/191313/image_hu_e1b139f048f68c99.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/12/191313/image_hu_1a5fbcdc16a0722b.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/12/191313/image_hu_ee564a1865c1e607.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/12/191313/image_hu_e5d0ce117b78aa0c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/12/191313.html","regions":["komi"],"subtitle":"One Of Those Convicted Died 2 Years Prior to This Decision","tags":["sentence","fine","282.2-1","282.2-2","282.3-1","elderly","died"],"title":"Court Imposes Fines Ranging from 200,000 to 600,000 Rubles on 7 Believers from Pechora.","type":"news"},{"body":"Anatoly Marunov is in dire need of qualified medical care, as his illness has worsened. He has already been to two hospitals. Other prisoners and the administration of the colony treat Anatoliy with respect.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mareyev and Others in Moscow","date":"2024-12-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow4.html#20241216","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["life-in-prison","elderly","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On December 12, 2024, the Irkutsk Regional Court upheld the sentence against nine Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. Earlier, the court of first instance had sentenced them to various terms of imprisonment in a penal colony. The believers maintain their innocence and have the right to appeal the verdict in cassation proceedings.\nAs noted by the defense, the meetings of worships in which the convicted Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses participated had nothing to do with the liquidated legal entities. Nevertheless, Sergey Vasiliyev was found guilty of participating in the activity of an extremist organization (Article 282.2(2) of the RF CrC), the rest were found guilty of organizing the activity of an extremist organization (Article 282.2(1) of the RF CrC); six of them were also found guilty of financing it (Article 282.3(1) of the RF CrC). Aleksey Solnechny, commented during the closing arguments: \u0026quot;I am charged with allegedly collecting funds... However, there is no concrete proof that I collected and transferred funds specifically for the needs of extremist organizations and specifically for extremist purposes. The verdict does not mention such evidence.\u0026quot;\nMikhail Moysh has two minor children. The believer\u0026#39;s wife, Yelena, said: \u0026quot;Nikita [the eldest son — Ed.] misses his father; they only talk on the phone and during visits. The youngest son, David, was 6 months old when Misha was arrested. When I manage to take him on visits, he doesn\u0026#39;t recognize his daddy.\u0026quot; At the appeal hearing, Mikhail\u0026#39;s lawyer asked the judicial panel: \u0026quot;Why then did the court recognize M.F. Moysh having young children of as a mitigating circumstance? In order to impose an even harsher punishment than the prosecutor requested?\u0026quot; The court\u0026#39;s position regarding Andrey Tolmachev, who spent about 2.5 years in solitary confinement, has not changed either. He is the only son of elderly parents: his father has a disability, and due to health reasons his mother is unable to provide her husband with proper care.\nIn his final statement, Sergey Vasiliyev, who had fully served his sentence in a pretrial detention center and under house arrest before the appeal hearing, explained that his faith in God changed his life for the better: \u0026quot;I stopped swearing, quit smoking and began learning to love people. In total, it took me 9 years to overcome all the negative things within me with the help of Jehovah God. After that, for almost 20 years, the state had nothing on me. And suddenly, in 2021, there were searches and I was arrested. For what? Because I studied the Bible and tried, like Jesus Christ, to do good to people.\u0026quot;\nIt is noteworthy that neither the Oktyabrskiy District Court of Irkutsk nor the Irkutsk Regional Court questioned the expert Elbakyan, although in the first instance she was waiting in the courthouse to be questioned, having flown from Moscow to the hearing to testify. Yekaterina Sergeyevna is a well-known Russian religious scholar. At the appeal hearing, one of the lawyers noted: \u0026quot;This is the only specialist who has examined all the meetings for worship mentioned in the charges against our clients.\u0026quot; Another lawyer emphasized that the refusal to interrogate is a serious violation of the RF Criminal Procedural Code: \u0026quot;If this motion is not satisfied, then I believe that the appellate ruling will be unlawful.\u0026quot; In the end, the panel of judges rejected all motions filed by the defense.\nThe criminal case against the Irkutsk believers received wide publicity, since the mass searches were accompanied by torture and violence by law enforcement officers, for which they have not yet been held responsibile.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-12-12T09:36:31+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/12/120936/image_hu_ce2bd024a28e0ae1.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/12/120936/image_hu_d90bb0de2d582769.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/12/120936/image_hu_dc5d63ea648dd833.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/12/120936/image_hu_7937b3962fe68741.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/12/120936.html","regions":["irkutsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","liberty-deprivation","282.2-1","282.2-2","282.3-1","siloviks-violence","torture","elderly"],"title":"Court of Appeal in Irkutsk Upheld Verdict Against Nine Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"In connection with the closure of the sewing production in the colony, Aleksandr Skvortsov was transferred to the electroplating shop. There, he has to work on his feet all day and breathe in harmful substances. Lately, the believer's blood pressure has been rising and he often has a headache.\nIt's cold in the barracks, so Skvortsov has to sleep in warm clothes. He does not always have the opportunity to take a shower, as there is no hot water in the barracks.\nDespite the difficult conditions of detention, Aleksandr maintains a positive attitude. The believer receives great support through letters. Recently, a dentist visited the colony and provided Skvortsov with the necessary assistance.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skvortsov and Others in Taganrog","date":"2024-12-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/taganrog.html#20241205","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["life-in-prison","elderly","prison-treatment","health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the request of the public prosecutor, the court is returned to the stage of examination of the materials.\nThe debate is adjourned at the request of the prosecutor, as he needs to coordinate the punishment to be requested with the regional prosecutor's office.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lelikov in Krasnodar","date":"2024-11-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnodar.html#20241128","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Lesnoy City Court found three local believers guilty. On November 25, 2024, Andrey Kozhushko, Andrey Bannykh and Pavel Loshchinin were given suspended sentences. Meetings for worship, during which Bible teachings were discussed, were deemed by the court as organizing the activity of an extremist organization.\nThe investigation lasted about a year. The Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Sverdlovsk Region initiated the case in March 2023, and in May of the following year it was submitted to the court for consideration by Lyudmila Yerzikova. The prosecutor requested 7 years imprisonment for the three defendants, including Andrey Kozhushko, 49, who is disabled. The believers do not agree with the verdict.\n\u0026quot;I saved dozens of lives, for which I received a government award,\u0026quot; said Pavel Loshchinin, 37, in his final statement. \u0026quot;And now it is as if my life is completely crossed out and will be like a struggle for survival, because I am branded an extremist. I will never accept this stigma.\u0026quot; Andrey Bannykh, 60, said that a person who lives according to God\u0026#39;s laws cannot be an extremist: \u0026quot;Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses invariably respect and obey the authorities in the country where they live.\u0026quot; Andrey Kozhushko expressed bewilderment: \u0026quot;What is being done against me and other [Jehovah\u0026#39;s] Witnesses — false accusations of extremism, interrogations, detentions, searches, torture, confiscations, blocking of bank cards and accounts — is clear persecution for our faith, in one word, repression. All this is happening to peaceful and respectable citizens of this country... I just can\u0026#39;t get my head around it.\u0026quot;\nThis is not the first conviction of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in the Sverdlovsk Region. Aleksandr Pryanikov, Venera and Darya Dulova received suspended sentences from 1 to 2.5 years after 4 appeals.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-11-25T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/11/260901/image_hu_746a43dc5d626900.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/11/260901/image_hu_6e235bff6bc10689.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/11/260901/image_hu_574f7fe75483bbd.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/11/260901/image_hu_8697153919200cfc.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/11/260901.html","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"subtitle":"Three Jehovah's Witnesses Received 6-Year Suspended Sentences","tags":["282.2-1","sentence","elderly","disability"],"title":"Court in Sverdlovsk Region Passes Guilty Verdict for Faith.","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 11, 2024, Aleksandr Lubin, convicted for extremism, died at the age of 68. He, a disabled person, was kept in a pretrial detention center for over a month and released only after the intervention of the ECHR; every court hearing was a struggle for him, and after the verdict his condition became critical.\nIn July 2021, Aleksandr Lubin was arrested and taken into custody. According to medical certificates, keeping him in a pretrial detention center already then posed a real danger to his life. He had a serious vascular disease, hypertension and an autoimmune disease that affected various organs. He needed to receive humidified oxygen every day for 16 hours, which was not provided in the pretrial detention center. Lubin\u0026#39;s lawyers filed an application with the European Court of Human Rights, which was satisfied: 20 days later, he was released from the pretrial detention center.\n\u0026quot;I can say for sure that after the detention of Aleksandr and his stay in the pretrial detention center, his health deteriorated significantly. Before his arrest, he went to the store for groceries on his own, after his release he could no longer walk further than the courtyard of the house,\u0026quot; says Lubin\u0026#39;s lawyer. \u0026quot;He was very anxious on the days when the court hearings were taking place.\u0026quot;\nIn October, the court sentenced Aleksandr to a fine of 500,000 rubles, although the prosecutor had requested a 7-year suspended sentence. Lubin managed to appeal the court\u0026#39;s decision, considering it unjust and unlawful. Shortly after that, Aleksandr\u0026#39;s wife, Tatyana, reported that her husband was in intensive care on a ventilator — he could not breathe on his own.\n\u0026quot;The investigation and prosecutors believe that they are only doing their job. And the judges that they pass comparatively lenient — \u0026#39;merciful\u0026#39; — sentences. But all this injustice literally takes the lives of ordinary peaceful people,\u0026quot; says Yaroslav Sivulskiy, a representative of the European Association of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\nAleksandr Lubin became the 12th Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witness in Russia to die while under investigation.\n","category":"bio","date":"2024-11-11T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/11/130920/image_hu_d0078483b01bb6bb.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/11/130920/image_hu_b48562c816132df9.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/11/130920/image_hu_538aa55f1d14d5d0.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/11/130920/image_hu_ce5dc22630c13204.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/11/130920.html","regions":["kurgan"],"subtitle":"Within 3 Years Elderly Man With Disability Went Through Pretrial Detention, Investigation and Court","tags":["died","elderly","disability"],"title":"Aleksandr Lubin Has Died","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 1, 2024, the Samara Regional Court upheld the verdict against 63-year-old Galina Komissarova: a 2-year suspended sentence. The prosecutor insisted on a prison term for the pensioner from Tolyatti.\nSpeaking before the panel of judges at the court of appeal, Galina Komissarova expressed her disagreement with the charges: \u0026quot;I only participated in meetings for worship that do not contain signs of extremism and, therefore, are not a crime... All I feel is pain and regret because of the injustice of the serious charges brought against me.\u0026quot; Galina considers what is happening to her to be political repression.\nReligious persecution of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in the Samara Region continues despite the clarifications of the RF Constitutional Court on freedom of conscience and religion.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-11-01T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/11/040950/image_hu_cfa50c78886b896c.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/11/040950/image_hu_35e5bb4bda2e8cda.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/11/040950/image_hu_b346147f68964960.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/11/040950/image_hu_52032963858a7237.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/11/040950.html","regions":["samara"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","elderly","complaints","suspended","282.2-2"],"title":"Court of Appeal Upheld Suspended Sentence for Teacher from Tolyatti for Reading the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"The verdict in the large-scale case of believers from Magadan — seven men and six women aged 32 to 73 — entered into force on October 15, 2024, by decision of the Magadan Regional Court. The prosecutor sought to change suspended sentences to prison terms for some of them, but the panel of judges supported the decision of the court of first instance.\nAll of the believers disagree with the guilty verdict and the appeal decision, according to which they will serve suspended sentences from 3 to 7 years. In their appeals, they drew attention to the absence of corpus delicti in their actions and stated that, according to the RF Constitution, they had every right to meet to discuss the Bible and to associate.\nIn her appeal, prosecutor Marina Shvyreva requested tougher sentences for some of the believers. For example, she requested 6.5 and 7 years in a penal colony for Ivan Puyda and Konstantin Petrov, respectively.\nMost of the convicted persons noted that reading holy texts, participating in joint meetings for worship and in community life, as well as striving to tell others about their beliefs are generally accepted ways of expressing any Christian faith. The believers came to the conclusion that the court mistakenly regarded lawful behavior of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses as unlawful actions of an extremist nature. They also noted that the court did not establish the motives of religious hatred or enmity in their actions and did not determine against which specific social group they acted.\nGalina Dergacheva expressed her position on the verdict as follows: \u0026quot;By their actions, the state authorities present me and my fellow believers in a bad light before society, contribute to the spread of prejudice and form the impression that Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses are a dangerous and dubious sect.\u0026quot; She added: \u0026quot;The state and all officials are obliged to maintain neutrality and impartiality. Therefore, they do not have the right to assess the legitimacy of religious beliefs or determine what can be believed and what not.\u0026quot;\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-10-15T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/10/160849/image_hu_8818a80f80274e66.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/10/160849/image_hu_99e3e42714bc270b.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/10/160849/image_hu_53bfea638abab900.jpg","webp2x":"/news/2024/10/160849/image_hu_ce91d317ccfc7afd.jpg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/10/160849.html","regions":["magadan"],"subtitle":"Court of Appeal Upheld the Decision of the Magadan Court","tags":["appeal","282.2-1","282.2-2","282.3-1","suspended","elderly"],"title":"Thirteen Believers, Men and Women, Will Serve Suspended Sentences.","type":"news"},{"body":"Mariya Ogoreva faced criminal prosecution following her daughter Svetlana. The pensioner was also accused of extremism because of her faith in Jehovah God.\nMariya was born in November 1961 in the village of Kardonikskaya (Karachay-Cherkessia). Her father and mother worked on a collective farm. Father died when the girl was 7. Mother, as well as his two elder brothers, are also no longer alive. As a child, Mariya helped her mother with the housework, loved to draw.\nAfter school, Mariya graduated from a school in Karachayevsk, where she received the specialty of a plasterer-painter. For many years she worked as a nanny in a kindergarten. Now retired, she is engaged in a garden.\nIn 1981, Mariya married Vasiliy. He was a hardworking and caring spouse, but in 2019 he passed away. The couple raised three children—two daughters and a son.\nFor many years, Mariya wanted to know if there would be a resurrection of those close to her heart. After learning the name of God from the Bible and receiving answers to her questions, she decided to embark on the Christian path in 1998.\nThe stress of the searches and criminal prosecution took its toll on the health of Mariya and her daughter. Svetlana supports her mother.\n","date":"2024-10-29","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/ogorevam/photo_hu_12aa410ccdfafcf0.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/ogorevam/photo_hu_ad49628ff68491f9.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/ogorevam/photo_hu_4e6f80d994b93cb5.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/ogorevam/photo_hu_69feb932efb84a62.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/ogorevam.html","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["elderly","families"],"title":"Mariya Ogoreva","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"21 people come to the court session to support their fellow believers. The arguments of the parties begin. The state prosecutor requests 7 years of imprisonment in a general regime colony for Polyakevich, Anufriev, Merinkov, Vorontsov and 5 years for Skutelets.\nOn behalf of the defense, lawyers for the defendants speak.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polyakevich and Others in Pechora","date":"2024-10-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pechora.html#20241009","regions":["komi"],"tags":["first-instance","punishment-request","defense-arguments","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Seversky City Court grants Elena Saveliyeva's petition to expunge her criminal record. The decision was made on the basis of positive characteristics and full performance of the duties imposed by the court, as well as serving more than half of the probationary period. The 83-year-old believer can continue her life without restrictions related to a criminal record.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Saveliyeva in Seversk","date":"2024-10-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/seversk5.html#20241009","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["clearing","elderly","282.2-1.1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Peaceful pensioner Aleksandr Protasov was involved as a witness in the case of Yuriy Yuskov, and later he himself was accused of extremism.\nAleksandr was born in August 1956 in Zelenodolsk (Tatarstan). He was the third of four children in the family. His elder brother and sister, as well as his parents, are no longer alive.\nAfter school, Aleksandr graduated from the Zelenodolsk Mechanical College, where he received the specialty of a technician-technologist. He worked as a turbine equipment repairman at Chuvashenergoremont OJSC in the city of Cheboksary (Chuvashia). Later he moved to Novocheboksarsk. The man is already retired. From childhood to this day, he loves to play hockey, and in the summer, in his free time, he rides a bicycle and goes to the forest to pick mushrooms and berries.\nWhen Aleksandr first read a book about the origin of life in the 2000s, he was surprised at how birds, especially warblers, navigate and know where and when to fly. Thinking about this led him to the conclusion that God created everything around him. The man was also impressed by the accurate fulfillment of Bible prophecy. Love for God and the Bible prompted him to embark on the Christian path in 2005.\nAleksandr married Svetlana in January 1987. She is a believer, like her husband. She likes to grow houseplants. Svetlana is a disabled person of group II. The couple raised two sons who share their religious views. The eldest son already has his own family, and the youngest has been disabled since childhood.\nThe criminal prosecution affected the health of the spouses. Relatives worry about the Protasov family and do not understand why Aleksandr is being persecuted.\n","date":"2024-10-29","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/protasov/photo_hu_fadc5bdb9ce5092f.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/protasov/photo_hu_352860d5b09dc889.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/protasov/photo_hu_866bcf0a0609b7f8.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/protasov/photo_hu_922c73e918b1ef08.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/protasov.html","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["elderly","disability"],"title":"Aleksandr Protasov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On October 7, 2024, Natalya Korotneva, judge of the Shadrinskiy District Court of the Kurgan Region, sentenced 68-year-old Aleksandr Lubin, a disabled person, to a fine of 500,000 rubles. The criminal trial in this case took three years.\nThe prosecutor requested a suspended sentence of 7 years for the believer with a 4-year probation period. Aleksandr does not admit guilt – in his opinion, the investigation wrongfully deemed jointly worshipping God to be continuing the activity of a banned legal entity. The believer may appeal the verdict in the higher courts.\nIn July 2021, Nikolay Astapov, an investigator for especially important cases of the First Department of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Kurgan Region, initiated a criminal case against Aleksandr Lubin. Then, armed law enforcement officers broke into the home of the elderly disabled couple. Distressed by the search, Tatyana, Aleksandr\u0026#39;s wife, suffered a fourth stroke — she lost the use of her legs and ability to speak. The believer was charged with organizing extremist activity and taken for interrogation to the investigative committee, and then placed in a pretrial detention center for 2 months.\nWhen deciding to detain the believer, Yevgeniy Kolesov, judge of the Kurgan City Court, did not take into account his disability and the danger to his health and life presented by the detention conditions, although the defense had provided all the necessary medical documents. Aleksandr Lubin has a serious vascular disease, hypertension, as well as polyarthritis – a severe autoimmune disease. Due to constant pain in the hip joints, he can hardly move; as prescribed by his doctors, he must use an oxygen cylinder for 16 hours a day, which is not possible in custody.\nThe defense filed a complaint with the ECHR about the detention of the believer. The European Court sent an inquiry to the RF Prosecutor General\u0026#39;s Office. The lawyers also appealed to the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Kurgan Region, Boris Shalyutin, and he initiated an urgent inspection. After that, Aleksandr Lubin was sent to the hospital for a medical examination, which established that his state of health did not allow him to be kept in custody. Eventually, after 1.5 months of detention, the court decided to release the elderly believer from the pretrial detention center under a ban on certain actions.\nAddressing the court, Aleksandr expressed his view of the case as follows: \u0026quot;The charges brought against me are purely based on a preconceived idea about Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. This approach toward my fellow believers was also prevalent during Nazi Germany, when thousands of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses were thrown into prisons and concentration camps, hundreds were executed, and thousands died from inhumane treatment. Anyone who was identified as one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, regardless of age, was immediately taken into custody. I do not want Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses to be treated with the same prejudice in the Kurgan Region.\u0026quot;\nAlmost all Russian law enforcement agencies are engaged in the persecution of elderly believers: the FSB, the Prosecutor\u0026#39;s Office, the Investigative Committee, the National Guard, the Federal Penitentiary Service, the OMON and the SOBR.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-10-07T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/10/080902/image_hu_a6b1dfb91904753f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/10/080902/image_hu_b75e731e1c69337a.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/10/080902/image_hu_f98f85b41b1479f7.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/10/080902/image_hu_811dea334b1188e9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/10/080902.html","regions":["kurgan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","282.2-1","disability","elderly","medical-rights","health-risk","torture-conditions","echr"],"title":"Another Victim of Persecution of Disabled Believers: Court Declared Seriously Ill Pensioner Aleksandr Lubin as Extremist","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 3, 2024, the verdict against Anatoliy Marunov, Sergey Tolokonnikov and Roman Mareyev entered into force. Meanwhile, the Moscow City Court added 2 months to Tolokonnikov\u0026#39;s term. The three believers received from 4.5 to 6.5 years in a penal colony.\n\u0026quot;The court criminalized the religion of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses,\u0026quot; the believers\u0026#39; lawyer said in the appeal. \u0026quot;As a result, the court declared the peaceful and socially harmless practice of religion a crime.\u0026quot;\nRoman Mareyev stressed that the decision of the court of first instance violates Article 28 of the RF Constitution, which guarantees freedom of conscience and religion. He also noted: \u0026quot;The court did not establish the presence of motives of religious hatred or enmity in my actions, and did not establish against which specific social group I acted... The prosecution did not state that I incited violence or religious hatred and enmity... I consider all the conclusions of the verdict to be not based on facts and are aimed at depriving peaceful believers, Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, of their liberty.\u0026quot;\nDue to his imprisonment, Roman Mareyev cannot take care of his parents - his mother and father have disabilities; his father uses crutches after two heart attacks. Sergey Tolokonnikov lost his job, where he had a reputation as a respected employee.\nIn June 2022, the European Court of Human Rights issued a ruling stating: \u0026quot;The Russian Federation, as a respondent state, must take all necessary measures to ensure the discontinuation of all pending criminal proceedings against Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\u0026quot;\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-10-03T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/10/041535/image_hu_3e5624971d2625a8.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/10/041535/image_hu_3dbc3bfb21af5696.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/10/041535/image_hu_16f41dc0c1d532f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/10/041535/image_hu_1a7b4d377c109949.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/10/041535.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":"The Terms for Two Other Believers Remain Unchanged","tags":["appeal","282.2-1","282.2-1.1","elderly"],"title":"Court of Appeal in Moscow Toughens the Punishment for One of Jehovah's Witnesses.","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 3, 2024, the Primorye Territory Regional Court upheld the guilty verdict against Boris Andreyev, Anatoliy Li and Nataliya Sharapova. The panel of judges reduced the sentences of Li and Sharapova by 1 month. Nataliya served her term in full during her time in the pretrial detention center and is expected to be released soon.\nUpdate. Natalia Sharapova was released the day after the appeal hearing. Andreyev and Li will have to spend about 2 years in the penal colony. Speaking before the Court of Appeal, Anatoliy Li said: \u0026quot;I didn\u0026#39;t kill, I didn\u0026#39;t rob, I didn\u0026#39;t go to rallies, did I, but my family is suffering. I just don't believe in God the same as everyone. Is that really a crime?\u0026quot; Boris Andreyev noted: \u0026quot;In the court materials, there is not a single piece of evidence of the cruel charges. And even if someone wanted to look for something like this in my life of 70 plus years, they wouldn\u0026#39;t find anything... I simply lived, worshipped God the way it is written in the Bible, wanted to be happy and wished the same for others.\u0026quot;\nDue to suspected cancer, Andreyev needs regular medical examinations, which are difficult to organize in the detention center. This is how his wife, Aleksandra, commented on the situation: \u0026quot;Transferring him to the place where he will serve his sentence can again delay further tests indefinitely; and the stress that my husband will have to endure with the transfer and the new place, as well as his age and the approaching cold season, can trigger the development of cancer.\u0026quot;\nHaving expressed in their appeals their disagreement with the charges of extremism, Andreyev and Li also pointed out that they were kept in metal cages during the hearings in the court of first instance. Such actions are in violation of article 7 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. It is noteworthy that in July 2024, the ECHR ruled in the case of several Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses from Russia and found such treatment of the defendants \u0026quot;amounted to degrading treatment and a violation of the European Convention on Human Rights\u0026quot; (Article 3).\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-10-03T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"svg":"/img/news/verdict.svg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/10/071647.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":"One of Them is a 72-year-old Believer with a Serious Illness","tags":["appeal","282.2-1","282.2-2","liberty-deprivation","elderly","health-risk","prison-treatment"],"title":"Term in a Penal Colony for Their Faith: Court of Appeal in the Primorye Territory Upheld the Verdict Against Three Jehovah's Witnesses.","type":"news"},{"body":"Aleksandr Rumyantsev is kept in a cell for 8 people, living conditions in it are satisfactory. He doesn't have the full Bible, but he does have some parts of it: the Book of Psalms and the New Testament. There are so many letters that the censor does not have time to check them, so the believer receives them with a delay.\nTogether with Eduard Sviridov, there are three more people in the cell. It is spacious, bright and clean. The believer has a complete Bible. He exercises regularly.\nRelations with the administration and cellmates of Rumyantsev and Sviridov are good. The pre-trial detention center is located next to the forest, they are glad that they can breathe fresh air. Believers do not lose courage and try to enjoy the little things, for example, the opportunity to watch the sunsets from the window.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rumyantsev and Others in Moscow","date":"2024-10-01T16:09:35+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow3.html#20241001","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The issue of dental prosthetics for Bailo is still unresolved, since there are no such specialists in the pre-trial detention center. He continues to suffer from toothache and stomach pain, which is why he is losing weight. Due to the lack of movement and lack of walks, Valeriy's knee became inflamed.\nThe believer has the New Testament. He receives parcels regularly, letters arrive, but less often than before.\nValeriy was transferred to another cell, where there are 4 more people besides him. The believer's relationship with them is normal.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Baylo in Kholmskaya","date":"2024-09-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya7.html#20240927","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["sizo","health-risk","medical-rights","prison-treatment","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The hearing was canceled, as Sergey Yerkin felt unwell. The ambulance service takes him to the hospital.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2024-09-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan.html#20240926","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["appeal","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On September 26, 2024, the Rostov Regional Court, chaired by Judge Sergey Shumeyev, upheld the decision of the court of first instance: Gevorg Yeritsyan and Garegin Khachaturyan will continue to serve their sentences of 6 years and 2 months and 6.5 years respectively, in a penal colony. Lyubov Galitsyna\u0026#39;s term of 2 years and 3 months in a penal colony is considered served due to her time spent in pretrial detention.\nThe trial of the believers started in September 2023. Video recordings, which were secretely made in the house of Lyubov Galitsyna, were reviewed at the hearings. The defense drew attention to the fact that the defendants are not in these videos and nothing extremist is happening in them. They also looked at the notes in the believer\u0026#39;s notebooks, where she wrote her thoughts on passages from the Bible to \u0026quot;better understand how to apply qualities that are pleasing to God, such as compassion and mercy.\u0026quot; All three believers maintain their innocence.\nThe Rostov Regional Court has repeatedly upheld verdicts against Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. So far, 14 people have received up to 7 years imprisonment.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-09-26T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"svg":"/img/news/verdict.svg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/09/271311.html","regions":["rostov"],"subtitle":"Two Men Will Remain Behind Bars","tags":["appeal","282.2-1","282.2-2","elderly","sizo"],"title":"Court of Appeal Did Not Change the Verdict Against Three Believers from Novocherkassk, Including a 68-year-old Woman.","type":"news"},{"body":"The Supreme Court of the Republic of Crimea satisfies Tamara Bratseva's appeal and overturns the decision of the court of first instance to allow a search of the believer's home. The case was sent for a new trial to the Razdolnensky District Court of the Republic of Crimea.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Brattseva in Razdolnoye","date":"2024-09-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/razdolnoye.html#20240924","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["appeal","search","complaints","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Samara Regional Court begins consideration of the appeal of Galina Komissarova. The prosecutor asks the court to adjourn the hearing in order to get acquainted with the additional appeal of the believer.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Komissarova in Tolyatti","date":"2024-09-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti6.html#20240924","regions":["samara"],"tags":["appeal","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Oleg Sirotkin and his lawyer object to the judge's actions in connection with the decision not to interrogate the expert Astakhova. The judge attaches the objections to the case file.\nFor the next 4 hours, the lawyer reads out the religious studies of Doctor of Philosophy, religious scholar Ekaterina Elbakyan. Among other things, it concludes that in order to worship God, believers were not required to register a legal entity or to continue the activities of a liquidated organization. The judge refuses to attach the text of the study to the case file, arguing that there is already enough evidence of the defendant's guilt and innocence. Counsel again objects to the actions of the presiding judge.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sirotkin in Tambov","date":"2024-09-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tambov.html#20240920","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On September 17, 2024, the Supreme Court of Kalmykia reclassified Kishta Tutinova\u0026#39;s actions from participating in to organizing the activity of an extremist organization, giving her a 4-year suspended sentence with a 3-year probation period and restriction of freedom for one year. The court added 6 months to the additional restriction of freedom for Yekaterina Menkova and Tsagan Khalgayeva.\nIn June 2024, the Elista City Court of the Republic of Kalmykia gave three believers suspended sentences: Khalgayeva and Menkova 2 years, and Tutinova 3 years. The court deemed the womens' peaceful conversations about God and the Bible unlawful. Assistant prosecutor Marina Bugdayeva appealed the verdict considering it to be \u0026quot;excessively lenient\u0026quot;.\nThe decision of the court of appeal has entered into force, but the believers still do not admit their guilt. Speaking in the court of first instance, Tutinova emphasized: \u0026quot;I have never carried out any extremist activity nor had any intention. I have never been motivated by enmity or hatred, no one suffered, I didn't hurt anyone. I am a believer and a law-abiding citizen.\u0026quot;\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-09-17T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/09/191323/image_hu_9616afca93d125c1.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/09/191323/image_hu_eef4ca202c6ab2db.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/09/191323/image_hu_249e5b9d441e9343.jpg","webp2x":"/news/2024/09/191323/image_hu_93cb043075f62655.jpg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/09/191323.html","regions":["kalmykia"],"subtitle":"Court of Appeal Found Women Guilty of Extremism Over Online Bible Discussions","tags":["appeal","282.2-1","282.2-2","suspended","elderly"],"title":"Court in Elista has Toughened the Punishment for Three Believers.","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 17, 2024, the Khabarovsk Territory Court commuted the sentence of Valeriy Rabota, 62, giving him a 5-year suspended sentence for participating in peaceful meetings for worship. Prosecutor Taisiya Kovtunova sought tougher punishment: she requested to replace the 6-year suspended sentence with actual imprisonment.\nValeriy Rabota completely denies being guilty of extremism. In his appeal, he noted: \u0026quot;My actions were completely peaceful. The prosecution did not state that I incited violence or religious hatred and enmity. On the basis of Article 28 of the RF Constitution, my fellow believers and I had every right to meet to discuss the Bible and associate, which in no way depends on the existence of any religious organization.\u0026quot; As noted by the defense, a guilty verdict, in fact, means that if the convicted person does not renounce his religious beliefs, he will again be subjected to criminal prosecution.\nTwo years of investigation and litigation did not pass without consequences for Valeriy: his chronic illnesses worsened and he suffered a stroke. Other prosecuted Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses face similar difficulties. Elderly believers are particularly at risk. In Russia, more than 200 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses over the age of 60 have already become defendants in criminal cases because of their religious beliefs.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-09-17T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/09/190844/image_hu_850208008c07321.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/09/190844/image_hu_e4e196111c15c3ed.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/09/190844/image_hu_a55c575f54dcbc2c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/09/190844/image_hu_be8c7837cd6cbfc.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/09/190844.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","282.2-1.1","282.2-2","elderly"],"title":"Territory Court Reduced the Suspended Term of an Elderly Believer from Knyaze-Volkonskoye by 1 Year","type":"news"},{"body":"Vladimir Maladyka is kept in a barrack with a population of about 50 people. The believer has earned the respect of the colony administration and successfully finds a common language with other prisoners. He has a Bible, he receives letters of support. Vladimir is glad to have the opportunity to see his wife Natalia during long-term dates.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zhukov and Others in Sevastopol","date":"2024-09-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol2.html#20240915","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Kruglyakov is being interrogated. Answering the questions of the judge and the state prosecutor, the believer uses Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.\nLydia Nekrasova feels bad and an ambulance is called. Due to the elderly woman's poor health, the meeting was postponed.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kruglyakov and Others in Syktyvkar","date":"2024-09-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/syktyvkar.html#20240913","regions":["komi"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladimir Skachidub is experiencing additional health difficulties: he has been feeling congestion and pain in his ears for a long time, which is why his hearing has deteriorated. The believer sought help from the medical unit of the colony, but could not receive it, since there is no otolaryngologist there. In addition, Vladimir suffers from hypertension and takes medications on a regular basis.\nSkachidub applied for parole, but was denied, despite the incentives he had for conscientious work. Also during the parole commission, the believer received a verbal reprimand for not fastening the top button on his jacket.\nDespite the difficulties, Vladimir maintains a positive attitude. He tries to answer all the letters that come to him, and in his spare time he plays chess by correspondence. The believer continues to maintain respectful relations with other prisoners.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skachidub in Pavlovskaya","date":"2024-09-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya3.html#20240912","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["life-in-prison","disability","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Moscow City Court is considering the appeal of Marunov, Mareev and Tolokonnikov against the verdict of the first instance. The defense filed several motions, including that the case be returned to the prosecutor and that the Bible be examined from the case file. Believers participate in the hearing remotely while in the pre-trial detention center. Sergey Tolokonnikov, due to the poor quality of communication, has a poor understanding of what is happening in the courtroom.\nThe court adjourns the hearing for additional examination of the case materials.\nAbout 30 people come to support the believers.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mareyev and Others in Moscow","date":"2024-09-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow4.html#20240911","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["appeal","sizo","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"About 40 people gather outside the courthouse, wishing to support the defendants. 10 listeners are allowed into the meeting room.\nA witness who previously attended meetings for worship is being questioned in court. He says he read in a magazine from the 1970s that Jehovah's Witnesses are forbidden to give blood transfusions and organ transplants. The lawyer clarifies whether the witness knew that Aleksandr Kostyuk had undergone hip replacement surgery. He replies in the negative. At the request of the prosecutor, the testimony of the witness given during the preliminary investigation is read out in court. He fully confirms them.\nThen the testimony of another witness is read out.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tolmazov and Others in Tver","date":"2024-09-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tver.html#20240911","regions":["tver"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Boris Andreev is in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in Vladivostok, where he was transferred from Ussuriysk. He can receive letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Andreyev and Others in Yaroslavskiy","date":"2024-09-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavskiy.html#20240910","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["transfer","sizo","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that the Abinsky District Court refuses to consider Valeriy's appeal. The court justifies this by the fact that the deadline for filing it has expired.\nThe believer will appeal against this decision, since the deadline was missed through no fault of his own.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Baylo in Kholmskaya","date":"2024-09-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya7.html#20240909","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["complaints","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"\"Although I am physically weaker, my faith in God and the expectation of his promises are getting stronger every day,\" Aleksandr Lubin makes his final statement in court.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lubin in Shadrinsk","date":"2024-09-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shadrinsk.html#20240909","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom","disability","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In his speech in court, the believer asked the following questions: \"Why am I called an extremist? What actions have I taken that have caused pain, suffering, or harm to those around me? Is it a crime to read the Bible, discuss Bible teachings, and praise God in chants with your friends?\"\n","date":"2024-09-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/475.html","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement","disability","elderly"],"title":"The final statement of the defendant Aleksandr Lubin in Shadrinsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"An appeal hearing in the case of Valeriy Rabota is underway. The prosecutor continues to insist on a punishment for the believer in the form of 6 years in prison, considering the sentence of the first instance too lenient.\nDuring the debate, the lawyer draws attention to the violations that were committed during the proceedings by the court of first instance. Thus, the court recognized as admissible evidence the opinion of a psychologist, which was made even before the initiation of the criminal case. The lawyer explains that this specialist expressed his personal opinion and it is impossible to verify the methods used to conduct the study. In addition, the specialist gave answers to legal questions, which is not within his competence, and did not disclose the essence of the concepts to which he referred in his conclusion.\nThe lawyer also says that during the court hearings, prosecution witness Martyn did not confirm the fact that Valery Rabota, through persuasion and persuasion, persuaded him to join a banned religious organization. The defense also notes that it is not clear from the verdict where Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, which guarantees freedom of religion, ends, and Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code begins.\n8 people come to the meeting to support the believer.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Valeriy Rabota in Knyaze-Volkonskoye","date":"2024-09-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/knyaze-volkonskoe.html#20240905","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["appeal","282.2-1.1","282.2-2","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator A. A. Selin enforces the court decision to seize the property of believers. The arrest is imposed until the final procedural decision on the criminal case is made. The believers intend to appeal this decision.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Knyazev and Talipov in Izhevsk","date":"2024-08-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk3.html#20240829","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["belongings-arrest","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Before making a decision on the request of the defense for the appointment of a computer and technical examination, the judge decides to summon senior FSB operative Stanislav Bochin for questioning. Under his control, CDs were recorded, the properties of which were later found to contain incorrect dates.\nIt is known that since 2020, Bochin has been actively involved in the criminal prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Krasnodar Territory and testifies against them in court. The defendant himself and the defense consider him to be an interested person and, in fact, the initiator of this criminal case. They insist on conducting an objective examination of CDs by technical means.\n24 people come to the court building to support Aleksey Lelikov, 7 of whom are allowed into the courtroom.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lelikov in Krasnodar","date":"2024-08-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnodar.html#20240829","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Relatives sent Igor a Bible in a parcel, but they do not give it to him. Only after several months in the pre-trial detention center, the believer was able to get a Bible in the library of the pre-trial detention center. The man is supported by letters from different countries.\nIgor suffers from a number of serious chronic illnesses, but he does not receive proper treatment in the pre-trial detention center.\nThe investigator charges the believer under Articles 282.2 (1.1) and 282.2 (2) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Muravyov in Saint Petersburg","date":"2024-08-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/poronaysk2.html#20240826","regions":["stpetersburg"],"tags":["sizo","elderly","282.2-2","282.2-1.1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anatoliy is kept in a small room, where 26 other people are accommodated with him. The conditions of detention are satisfactory, but due to the lack of hot water, they have to wash cold, so prisoners often get sick. The elderly believer is respected by his cellmates for his worldly wisdom.\nAnatoly receives many letters of support, sometimes up to 60 per day. He has the opportunity to read literature, and follow the news.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Gorbunov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2024-08-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk5.html#20240822","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"\"The advice and requirements for Christians, which are recorded in the Bible, are essentially anti-extremist. Therefore, my actions — the fact that I met with friends and studied the Bible — were not only peaceful, but also had nothing to do with extremism,\" Aleksandr Salnikov makes his final statement.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Salnikov in Magnitogorsk","date":"2024-08-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magnitogorsk.html#20240822","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Ordzhonikidze District Court of Magnitogorsk issued a guilty verdict in the case of Aleksandr Salnikov, one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. On August 22, 2024, Judge Olga Prokopenko equated holding peaceful meetings for worship with organizing the activity of an extremist organization.\nSalnikov is a man with 40 years of work experience, he has repeatedly received awards for high professionalism, including a certificate of honor from the head of Magnitogorsk. Now Aleksandr and his wife are non-working pensioners, so adding the believer to the Rosfinmonitoring list, the blocking of his bank and social benefit cards seriously affected the financial situation of the family.\nFriends supported Salnikov over the course of the trial. Photo made on August 21, 2024 The Salnikovs faced criminal prosecution in April 2023, when law enforcement officers broke into their home with a search warrant. Aleksandr was interrogated and placed in a temporary holding facility for two days, and then released under a recognizance agreement. Due to the stress, his chronic illness worsened.\nIn April 2024, the case went to court. During the hearings, it turned out that the witnesses could not indicate how the incitement of religious hatred was expressed by Salnikov. One of them said that during the interrogation the FSB officer used obscene language, forcing him to sign a protocol with testimony.\n\u0026quot;I have the impression,\u0026quot; the believer commented on his situation, \u0026quot;that in order to avoid criminal liability, I must renounce my religious beliefs or stop expressing them. But this is nothing other than discrimination.\u0026quot; Another 15 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses from the Chelyabinsk Region have found themselves in a similar situation.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-08-22T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/08/231120/image_hu_662fc35547d6e61a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/08/231120/image_hu_b2bbf5a545e0d65d.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/08/231120/image_hu_82ca669c1e53e0f5.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/08/231120/image_hu_fd10024d1d71e4a5.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/08/231120.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","elderly","282.2-1","suspended"],"title":"Court Gave Pensioner, 63, from Magnitogorsk a 6-Year Suspended Sentence for His Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"Defending his innocence, the believer said: \"Judging a man who gathered with friends to study the Bible and learned to love and live peacefully while meeting his spiritual needs is like judging a paralyzed man who does not get out of bed for crossing the street in the wrong place.\"\n","date":"2024-08-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/601.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The final statement of the defendant Alexander Salnikov in Magnitogorsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"The medical and sanitary unit of the Federal Penitentiary Service insists that there are no problems with providing the necessary assistance to Valery Bailo, despite the order of the prosecutor's office to eliminate violations of the legislation on the provision of medical services.\nIn the letter of the prosecutor's office to the medical unit, it is noted that \"within the framework of the inspection, the facts of untimely and incomplete provision of medical care to V. S. Bailo in connection with his diseases were revealed.\"\nIn response, the medical unit states that during the examination upon arrival, \"the presence of chronic diseases was denied, medical documents confirming a history of chronic diseases were attached to the patient's medical record ... I didn't get involved.\" It is also stated that the believer \"does not need emergency, urgent dental or other assistance.\"\nHowever, Valeriy Bailo still needs medical attention. He has been suffering from toothache since April 2024, complains of stomach pain and needs knee surgery.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Baylo in Kholmskaya","date":"2024-08-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya7.html#20240821","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["complaints","health-risk","medical-rights","prison-treatment","elderly","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Bushuev presents Novoseletskaya with a new version of the charge and interrogates her.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Novoseletskaya in Vyselki","date":"2024-08-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki10.html#20240820","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["interrogation","282.2-2","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Ninth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Vladivostok did not satisfy Valeriy Vyaznikov\u0026#39;s cassation appeal against the verdict. On August 20, 2024, the panel of judges decided to leave the sentence unchanged – 2.5 years suspended for conversations about God.\nSpeaking before the court, Valeriy expressed his disagreement with the court's decisions. He said: \u0026quot;I was actually sentenced for being one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, not for doing anything unlawful. The basis of the criminal case was the fact that the only time I was present at a Bible discussion with a person who was interested in this book... I just wanted the person I was having a conversation with via video to get accurate knowledge from the Bible... and find peace of mind.\u0026quot;\nAlready 58 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses from Primorye Territory, including Valeriy Vyaznikov, have faced criminal prosecution for their faith – this is more than in any other region of the Russian Federation.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-08-20T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/08/271443/image_hu_7f3d7a6bd2cff1cb.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/08/271443/image_hu_b364fa05d362e0c9.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/08/271443/image_hu_47c1e0100bf33309.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/08/271443/image_hu_581cb329cab160b8.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/08/271443.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["cassation","282.2-2","suspended","elderly"],"title":"Court of Cassation Upheld the Guilty Verdict Against Miner Valeriy Vyaznikov for his Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"Senior Lieutenant of Justice Y. A. Merkulov charges Tamara Bratseva. According to the investigation, the pensioner \"organized... collective religious worship... in the form of public reproduction of [religious] audio recordings and video recordings ... sequential performance of songs.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Brattseva in Razdolnoye","date":"2024-08-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/razdolnoye.html#20240814","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["elderly","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Tamara Bratseva, a pensioner from Razdolnoye, found herself under the criminal prosecution for her faith in God. In August 2024, her house was searched, and the recognizance agreement was taken from the woman .\nTamara was born in September 1955 in Melitopol in a family of ordinary workers. She has a younger sister.\n\u0026quot;I loved to read,\u0026quot; Tamara said, recalling her childhood. \u0026quot;I was just reading different stories. The library was where I spent a lot of time.\u0026quot; After school, the girl tried to enroll in the Zaporozhye Pedagogical Institute\u0026#39;s Faculty of Philology, but did not score the required points.\nReturning to her hometown, Tamara got a job as a cleaner in the lathe shop of a compressor plant. At the same time, she took preparatory courses at the Melitopol Institute of Mechanization and Electrification of Agriculture, where she later studied.\nAt the institute, Tamara met her future husband Aleksandr. They got married in October 1975. Upon graduation, they were assigned to the Razdolnensky district, where the spouses have been living ever since. For about 35 years, Tamara worked as an occupational safety engineer. The couple raised a daughter.\n\u0026quot;I never doubted that the Bible is the word of God. I\u0026#39;ve known this since I was a child,\u0026quot; Tamara said. \u0026quot;But I wanted to understand it, so I immersed myself in deep study.\u0026quot; It happened in 1991. Four years later, she became one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\nDespite the criminal prosecution, Tamara tries not to lose heart and keeps peace in her heart. Friends support the believer.\n","date":"2024-08-30","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/brattseva/photo_hu_95b8e84b52b39ad4.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/brattseva/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/brattseva/photo_hu_f13d0416fc57a6f5.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/brattseva/photo_hu_b2a9e8290457d629.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/brattseva.html","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Tamara Brattseva","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On August 13, 2024, the Sixth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Samara upheld the verdict against the Bochkarevs and Tatyana Obizhestvit: for the two women suspended sentences — from 2 to 2.5 years, for Andrey Bochkarev — 3 years and 1 month in a penal colony. His term is considered to be served, taking into account his stay in a pretrial detention center.\nIn the cassation appeal, the believers pointed to the fact that the guilty verdict was not based on evidence, that the defendants committed any extremist actions or made statements inciting hatred but was based on assumptions. They emphasized that Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses treat people of other religions with kindness, love and tolerance.\nThe court once again recognized it as a crime to study the Bible together with friends and other people. The Supreme Court of the Russian Federation and The European Court of Human Rights have ruled that meetings for worship of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses and their joint performance of rites do not constitute a crime.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-08-13T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/08/151418/image_hu_455a67d09d9b6b4c.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/08/151418/image_hu_73771227044b38e4.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/08/151418/image_hu_33d3b76680771895.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/08/151418/image_hu_ca9879af2ec1e328.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/08/151418.html","regions":["tatarstan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["cassation","282.2-1","families","elderly"],"title":"Court of Cassation Did Not Change the Verdict Against Believers From Kazan","type":"news"},{"body":"Addressing the court, the believer reminded the court of Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation and asked: \"How can I exercise my constitutional right to profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses so that the prosecution has no claims against me?\"\n","date":"2024-08-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/474.html","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement","elderly"],"title":"The final statement of the defendant Andrey Okhapkin in Kineshma","type":"docs"},{"body":"Valeriy Knyazev, a labor veteran who was awarded three medals for impeccable service and was awarded a prize by the Izhevsk administration for 50 years of marriage with his wife, faced persecution for his faith.\nValeriy was born in 1951 in the village of Tum, Yarsky District, Udmurt Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. He has a sister. After school, Valeriy entered the Ivanovo Fire Technical School, from which he graduated in 1972. In parallel with his studies, he did military service.\nAfter school, Valeriy was assigned to the city of Izhevsk, where he now lives. In 1986, he graduated from the Faculty of History of the Udmurt State University. The man worked in the fire department for 29 years, before retiring he was an assistant to the head of the detachment.\nIn 1973, Valeriy married Galina, with whom they raised a daughter and a son. The Knyazevs\u0026#39; family hobby is gardening. In winter, Valeriy enjoys skiing and skating.\nStudying the Bible, Valeriy learned about God and his love for people. He became one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in 2007. A year earlier, his wife had made the same decision.\nThe criminal prosecution of Valeriy affected the health of the spouses. Galina is a pensioner, she has a group III disability. They survived three searches. Valeriy was detained and spent a day in a temporary detention center.\nRelatives were sympathetic to the difficulties caused by the criminal prosecution of Valeriy and provide support to the spouses.\n","date":"2024-09-09","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/knyazev/photo_hu_9611fa771449f073.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/knyazev/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/knyazev/photo_hu_d357ab3d3640d73b.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/knyazev/photo_hu_9134332a7b625ec0.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/knyazev.html","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Valeriy Knyazev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Indus Talipov was born in April 1951 in Izhevsk. His parents, who came from a village in Tatarstan, moved there in 1949. They raised four children. His father participated in the Second World War; after the end of the war he worked as a steelworker and was a respected man. His mother devoted herself to her family and raising four children.\nFrom his childhood, Indus liked sports — skiing, volleyball, and later became interested in kayaking trips. After school, he worked as a locksmith in a factory, where he became so inspired by the skill of blacksmiths that he decided to qualify in this profession. Indus underwent the necessary training and worked at the anvil for almost 20 years until his retirement.\nTalipov studied the Bible on his own, but he had more and more questions and could not find the answers. One of the publications by Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses helped Indus to find strong evidence of God's existence. In 2009, he joined this religion.\nTalipov spent his entire life in Izhevsk. He is divorced. His adult son works as a truck driver. Indus dearly loves his grandson.\nRelatives and friends share the statement of his ex-wife, who described the criminal prosecution of a man on religious grounds as \u0026quot;absurd and unjust.\u0026quot;\n","date":"2025-10-29","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/talipov/photo_hu_a90934e76bed4210.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/talipov/photo_hu_dcdd5b95169a63d3.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/talipov/photo_hu_1ce66235d5fcbf16.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/talipov/photo_hu_ce4b92b03c357363.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/talipov.html","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Indus Talipov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Deputy Prosecutor of the Vyselkovsky District, Junior Counselor of Justice A. V. Bushev returns the case of Natalia Novoseletskaya submitted to him for approval to investigator Bushuev for further investigation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Novoseletskaya in Vyselki","date":"2024-08-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki10.html#20240809","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On August 9, 2024, searches were carried out in three homes of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Karachay-Cherkessia and Stavropol. It is already the third invasion of the homes of believers by the security forces. Three criminal cases were initiated under Article 282.2(2) of the RF CrC.\nIn the village of Kardonikskaya, searches were carried out at the homes of Maria Ogoreva, 62, and her daughter Svetlana, as well as at Tatyana Pasynkova, 59, the mother of Aleksey Pasynkov. On the same day in Stavropol, FSB officers searched the house of Aleksey, this time in the case against his wife Yulia. The couple are raising a disabled child who is completely dependent on the help of his parents.\nThe criminal cases against Maria, Tatyana and Yulia were initiated on July 23, 2024. They are being investigated by Senior Lieutenant of Justice A.A. Khasanov, who works for the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Karachay-Cherkessia Republic.\nThe Pasynkovs and the Ogorevs have been under prosecution since 2019. Their cases develop according to a similar pattern: first, the believer himself is suspected, and then his family members are prosecuted.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2024-08-09T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"svg":"/img/news/search.svg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/08/260952.html","regions":["karachaevo","stavropol"],"subtitle":"Three women Became Suspects in Cases for Extremism","tags":["search","new-case","282.2-2","families","elderly"],"title":"New Raids Against Believers in Karachay-Cherkessia and Stavropol.","type":"news"},{"body":"Early in the morning, armed law enforcement officers searched the house of Tamara Bratseva and her husband. Electronic devices and personal records were seized from the woman. After the search, the believer is taken away for interrogation and a written undertaking not to leave is taken from her.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Brattseva in Razdolnoye","date":"2024-08-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/razdolnoye.html#20240807","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["search","interrogation","recognizance-agreement","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Religious expert Larisa Astakhova again does not appear at the meeting. The prosecutor's office says it has exhausted the possibilities of bringing the expert to court. The judge proposes to proceed to the interrogation of the accused. The defense asks for time to prepare, so the hearing is adjourned to 20 September.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sirotkin in Tambov","date":"2024-08-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tambov.html#20240807","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On August 7, 2024, the homes of at least five Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses from Crimea were searched and they were interrogated. A criminal case has been initiated against Tamara Brattseva, 68, from the village of Razdolnoye. The believer was placed under a recognizance agreement.\nIn the early morning, several armed groups of masked law enforcement officers invaded the homes of believers in the villages of Razdolnoye and Senokosnoye and the town of Alushta. Law enforcement officers rudely demanded passwords for electronic devices, quizzed them about their fellow believers, and in one case threatened to harm a pet. Electronic devices, personal notes, media storage and money were seized. The searches were carried out under the leadership of Y.A. Merkulov, the senior investigator of the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Republic of Crimea.\nIn the village of Razdolnoye, they went to the workplace of one believer. He was laid face down on the floor and his hands were bound with a nylon zip, which injured him. Later, he had his injuries recorded in the emergency room, but the medical certificate was taken away from him at the police station.\nOver the past 7 years, more than 30 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Crimea have already been prosecuted for their faith. Eight of them are serving their sentences in penal colonies, one was transferred to prison by a court decision, another was sentenced to forced labor and three were given suspended sentences.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2024-08-07T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"svg":"/img/news/police.svg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/08/130810.html","regions":["crimea"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation","new-case","recognizance-agreement","health-risk","elderly"],"title":"Four Searches, Interrogations, and New Criminal Case: Prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Crimea Continues","type":"news"},{"body":"The defendant reads out his written notes, in which he emphasizes that he has nothing to do with extremism.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Salnikov in Magnitogorsk","date":"2024-08-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magnitogorsk.html#20240806","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Iryna Klyueva denies the defense's motion to summon a linguistic expert, Professor Elena Ryadchikova for questioning.\nInvestigator Nikita Rudenko is interrogated. He answers all questions very quietly. Asking everyone involved in the process to give louder answers leads nowhere.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lelikov in Krasnodar","date":"2024-08-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnodar.html#20240805","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["interrogation","elderly","first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior investigator of the Investigative Committee of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Republic of Crimea, Senior Lieutenant Y. A. Merkulov, opens a criminal case against 68-year-old Tamara Bratseva for \"organizing the activities of a religious association, in respect of which the court made a decision to liquidate it in connection with extremist activities.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Brattseva in Razdolnoye","date":"2024-08-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/razdolnoye.html#20240805","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendants make their final statements.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kononenko and Others in Nikolayevsk-on-Amur","date":"2024-07-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nikolayevsk_na_amure.html#20240730","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The elderly believer noted that the accusation is not supported by any evidence: there are no victims, no harm or damage caused. \"So, there is no crime,\" concluded 81-year-old Nadezhda Korobochko. \"I'm not on trial for my actions, but for my religious beliefs.\"\n","date":"2024-07-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/600.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"Defendant Nadezhda Korobochko's last word in Nikolaevsk-on-Amur","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his final statement in court, Igor Kletkin said: \"If my actions were in fact criminal and socially dangerous, then where are the victims of my criminal behavior? There aren't any.\"\n","date":"2024-07-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/599.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The final statement of the defendant Igor Kletkin in Nikolaevsk-on-Amur","type":"docs"},{"body":"Valeriy Bailo filed an appeal against the verdict of the first instance.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Baylo in Kholmskaya","date":"2024-07-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya7.html#20240724","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["complaints","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Litvinyuk tries to maintain a positive attitude — reading the Bible helps him in this, and regular exercises and physical activity at work help him to keep himself in good shape.\nThe conditions of detention are satisfactory. The believer has the opportunity to wash and iron clothes, as well as cook his own meals.\nIn June, Litvinyuk underwent a medical examination, but has not yet received its results. He also asked for an MRI of the brain, but was refused.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Dubovenko and Litvinyuk in Armyansk","date":"2024-07-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/armyansk.html#20240723","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison","prison-treatment","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court releases 73-year-old Sergey Vasiliev from the pre-trial detention center on his own recognizance, satisfying the petition of the believer. During the investigation, Vasilyev spent 2 days in a temporary detention facility, 139 days in a pre-trial detention center and 882 days under house arrest. Taking this into account, he has already served the sentence of 3 years in prison imposed by the court.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2024-07-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk.html#20240723","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["sizo","recognizance-agreement","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Valeriy Bailo, 66, still complains of toothache and stomach pain. After repeated statements, he managed to get an appointment with a dentist, who, after examination, concluded that the man needed dental treatment and prosthetics. Since there were no materials for this in the pre-trial detention center, the dentist recommended that the prisoner be released from custody and undergo treatment at large. Due to an acute toothache, Valeriy eats only liquid food in the pre-trial detention center. He continues to regularly appeal to the administration of the pre-trial detention facility with requests for medical assistance, but his statements remain unanswered.\nThe lawyer believes that such an attitude towards Valery Bailo on the part of the administration of the pre-trial detention center endangers his life and health. He filed complaints with the Public Monitoring Commission, the Prosecutor's Office for Supervision of the Federal Penitentiary Service and the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Krasnodar Territory, S. V. Myshak. Two of these complaints are forwarded to the Federal Penitentiary Service for consideration.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Baylo in Kholmskaya","date":"2024-07-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya7.html#20240723","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["sizo","elderly","medical-rights","health-risk","torture-conditions","prison-treatment","complaints"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alam is being held in strict confinement conditions. His wife Svetlana is worried about his health. The believer has acute toothache and inflammation with swelling. To provide assistance, a permit is required for admission to the colony of an orthopedic dentist, which is difficult due to the strict conditions of detention of a believer.\nFor almost three months, Alam has not received letters of support. Senders receive messages that the message has not been censored.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan","date":"2024-07-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan10.html#20240722","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["strict-conditions","prison-treatment","health-risk","elderly","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The verdict against Mikhail Reshetnikov, 75, veteran of labor, Yuriy Kolotinskiy, 69, disabled and Anatoliy Sarychev, 74, entered into force with minor changes \u0026ndash; the corresponding decision was issued by the Altai Territorial Court on July 19, 2024. Each of the believers received a 2-year and 3-month suspended sentence.\nKolotinskiy, Reshetnikov and Sarychev received suspended sentences for charges of participating in the activity of an extremist organization because they participated in peaceful religious meetings of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. The court of appeal amended the part of the verdict regarding the restriction of freedom: the believers are forbidden to visit places of mass events and participate in them without the consent of supervisory bodies, while the ban on participating in other events was excluded from the verdict. The territorial court also ruled that some personal belongings of the believers, which the law enforcement officers seized as material evidence, should not be destroyed.\nYuriy Kolotinskiy on the day of the appeal hearing In the appeal, the Barnaul residents pointed out: \u0026quot;All the charges [of extremism] do not correspond to reality, as evidenced by the facts from the criminal case, from the expert studies, as well as from the words of witnesses interrogated in court; [...] wholly legitimate conduct aimed solely at expressing one\u0026#39;s faith in ways characteristic of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses around the world was wrongly regarded by the court as illegal actions.\u0026quot;\nAccording to the believers, the criminal prosecution exacerbated the difficulties already caused by old age and failing health. However, all three are grateful for the support from family and friends. \"They pray for us, come to court, stand and wait for us in the cold on the street and meet and see us off with applause. This touches my heart,\" said Anatoliy Sarychev earlier.\nIn total, 9 of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses are being prosecuted on similar charges in the Altai Territory, two of them are serving sentences in a penal colony.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-07-19T16:53:16+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/07/191653/image_hu_55adc9efd1dbfb93.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/07/191653/image_hu_aab2e7ad1097e8ac.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/07/191653/image_hu_6c0845a0d20078e3.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/07/191653/image_hu_502acfe6269b373c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/07/191653.html","regions":["altaisky"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","282.2-2","suspended","elderly","disability"],"title":"Court of Appeal Upheld Suspended Sentences for Three Elderly Residents of Barnaul for Talking About Jehovah","type":"news"},{"body":"A. A. Ermolenko, Deputy Head of the Investigative Department for Komsomolsk-on-Amur of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Khabarovsk Territory and the Jewish Autonomous Region, returns the case of believers to the stage of preliminary investigation. During the check, it turns out that the law enforcement officers did not establish where, when and what exactly the suspects committed.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kovadnev and Others in Komsomolsk-on-Amur","date":"2024-07-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/komsomolsk-on-amur2.html#20240719","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["elderly","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Nataliya Novoseletskaya was born in 1963 in the village of Dombarovsky (Orenburg Region). She has an elder and a younger sister. Their father was in the military. When he retired to the reserve, the family moved to Vyselki. The parents are no longer alive.\nAs a child, Nataliya loved to draw, sculpt, read, solve puzzles and participate in quizzes. She graduated from the Krasnodar Architectural and Construction College and after that worked for some time as a graphic designer. At different times, she worked as a nurse, fire inspector and salesman. She retired in 2018.\nNataliya became convinced of the authenticity of the Bible when she thoroughly checked and compared the facts recorded in it. She met Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses and saw that they lived according to Bible principles. This prompted her to become a Christian in 2008.\nNataliya is divorced. She has a daughter and a son, as well as a granddaughter. In her free time, she studies English. She enjoys learning new things.\nDue to the persecution, the believer lost the opportunity to receive financial assistance from her son, who lives in another city, and for some time could not receive a modest pension due to the blocking of accounts. During this period, her friends helped her financially. Relatives are worried about Nataliya, as her health is deteriorating, and what is happening can aggravate this.\n","date":"2024-09-10","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/novoseletskaya/photo_hu_583edafdb4886818.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/novoseletskaya/photo_hu_51344c493051fcea.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/novoseletskaya/photo_hu_7f3f05301733c820.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/novoseletskaya/photo_hu_d67d6de288503f22.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/novoseletskaya.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Natalya Novoseletskaya","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Deputy Prosecutor for the Udmurt Republic Dmitry Tokarev sends a cassation submission to the court, in which he asks to cancel the decisions of the first and appellate instances.\nHe justifies this by \"the unfairness of the punishment imposed due to excessive leniency\" and a violation of the Criminal Code and the Criminal Procedure Code of the Russian Federation. He requests that the case be remanded for a new trial.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gobozev and Potapov in Votkinsk","date":"2024-07-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/votkinsk.html#20240718","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["complaints","cassation","282.2-1","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On July 12, 2024, Vasiliy Meleshko, 63, one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witness from the village of Kholmskaya, was released from penal colony No.11 in the Krasnodar Territory. The believer served his sentence in full.\nThe criminal prosecution of Vasiliy Meleshko began in the spring of 2021, and in the fall of the same year, the Abinskiy District Court convicted Vasiliy in just two sessions - 3 years imprisonment. In fact, the believer spent a little more than 2 years and 9 months in the penal colony, but taking into account his time in pretrial detention, the sentence in terms of imprisonment is considered to be served. According to the verdict, Vasiliy\u0026#39;s freedom will be restricted to some extent for one more year after his release from the penal colony.\nMeleshko spent part of his term in the penal colony under strict conditions of detention, where the rights of prisoners are infringed more than usual. Several times he was transferred to a \u0026quot;prison within the colony\u0026quot; -- a cell-type room or a punishment cell. The believer\u0026#39;s chronic illnesses were exacerbated, and he was treated in the prison hospital.\nIt was especially difficult for Vasiliy to endure the long separation from his wife, with whom he has lived for 42 years; never being apart for more than a week. Zoya Meleshko said: \u0026quot;It wasn\u0026#39;t until nine months [after Vasiliy\u0026#39;s detention] that we saw each other on a long visit and were finally able to hug. We couldn\u0026#39;t hold back the tears and couldn\u0026#39;t stop talking.\u0026quot;\nDue to the fact that Vasiliy was kept in strict conditions, the couple saw each other only once every four months, so the main method of communication was letters. \u0026quot;Vasiliy wrote very affectionate, tender letters, assuring me of his love,\u0026quot; Zoya revealed.\nThe Abinskiy District Court has already sentenced eight Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses from the village of Kholmskaya to imprisonment. Four have been released after serving their sentences.\n","category":"sentence","date":"2024-07-12T16:25:59+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/07/121625/image_hu_515c31a4eb9356b4.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/07/121625/image_hu_246f9788f7e34467.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/07/121625/image_hu_2a8c4204b9f4a60f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/07/121625/image_hu_b9b898e62c90a9b8.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/07/121625.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["release","282.2-2","shizo","strict-conditions","prison-treatment","elderly"],"title":"Vasiliy Meleshko Released After Serving His Term in a Penal Colony for His Faith in Jehovah","type":"news"},{"body":"Investigator of the Investigative Committee Dmitry Laktionov summons Natalia for interrogation, during which he involves her as an accused.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Novoseletskaya in Vyselki","date":"2024-07-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki10.html#20240712","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["interrogation","282.2-2","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Natalia Sharapova, 51, Boris Andreyev, 72, veteran of labor, and Anatoliy Li, 39, received 3, 6 and 6.5 years respectively, in a penal colony. On June 10, 2024, Tatyana Pogorelaya, judge of the Khorolsky District Court of the Primorye Territory, found them guilty of extremism for their faith in Jehovah God.\nIn October 2022, searches took place in the village of Yaroslavskiy, where the believers live. Andreyev and Li were accused of organizing the activity of an extremist organization, and Natalia Sharapova was accused of participating in this activity. This is how law enforcement officers deemed conducting peaceful meetings for worship and \u0026quot;organizing religious talks\u0026quot; at them. The case was based on video recordings of peaceful meetings for worship, secretly made by a woman who appears in the case under the pseudonym \u0026quot;Elka\u0026quot;.\nAnatoliy Li drew the court\u0026#39;s attention to the fact that the psycho-linguistic expert study stated that there were no signs of extremism in his actions or the actions of the other defendants. \u0026quot;This was also confirmed by all the interrogated witnesses, who clearly stated that I had never incited anyone to hatred or enmity, had not called for illegal actions against any religious or other group of people,\u0026quot; Anatoliy added. The believers do not agree with the court\u0026#39;s decision and can appeal it.\nAll three believers were sent to a pretrial detention center, where they remained until the verdict was passed. Natalia Sharapova suffers from a neurological disease and has severe headaches, which made her detention especially difficult. During the first months of their imprisonment, the investigator did not allow Sharapova and Li to be visited by their relatives, but letters helped them a lot.\nBoris Andreyev is one of the oldest Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witness behind bars in Russia. A total of 58 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses are being prosecuted for their faith in Primorye Territory, five of them have already been sent to a penal colony, and 27 have been given suspended sentences.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-07-10T15:53:16+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/07/101553/image_hu_a56aaea3296df43e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/07/101553/image_hu_d80831d9ec485159.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/07/101553/image_hu_def180ca94046b86.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/07/101553/image_hu_70c6de8ee34e4a12.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/07/101553.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","282.2-1","282.2-2","elderly","liberty-deprivation"],"title":"In Primorye, Three Jehovah's Witnesses Received From 3 to 6.5 Years in a Penal Colony for Their Beliefs","type":"news"},{"body":"About 30 people come to support the defendants, who are making their final statements, refuting the accusations of extremism brought against them. Only because of their faith, all of them have been behind bars for more than a year and a half.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Andreyev and Others in Yaroslavskiy","date":"2024-07-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavskiy.html#20240709","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Speaking in court, in her final statement, the believer told how from a young age he sought to read and understand the Bible and how it subsequently changed his life. He noted, \"If I tell a person that God is proposing to give up the things that destroy him and become happier, there is nothing extremist about it.\"\n","date":"2024-07-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/470.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The final statement of the defendant Boris Andreev in Yaroslavsky","type":"docs"},{"body":"\"The motives of all my actions are dictated by the desire to confess my faith, to try to show love for God and for people,\" Galina Komissarova says her final statement.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Komissarova in Tolyatti","date":"2024-07-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti6.html#20240708","regions":["samara"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom","elderly","sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On July 8, 2024, Yelena Laskina, judge of the Tsentralniy District Court of Tolyatti, completed considering the case of Galina Komissarova, 63, finding her guilty of extremism for discussing the Bible with friends. The believer does not agree with the verdict and can appeal it.\nThe criminal case was initiated in September 2023. The believer was accused of participating in the activity of an extremist organization. Due to the stress, Galina ended up in hospital with a hypertensive crisis. She said: \u0026quot;My blood pressure increased every time I came home after the interrogation or started examining the materials of my criminal case... The accusations caused me pain because all the listed \u0026#39;actions\u0026#39; are against my nature.\u0026quot; Investigator Sysoyeva forced the believer to appear for interrogation, ignoring complaints of poor health and never called an ambulance for her.\nThe investigation lasted 7 weeks, after which the case went to court. Witnesses for prosecution, including a secret one, spoke positively of Komissarova and reported that they had not heard anything from her that can be viewed as extremism. The prosecutor requested 4 years in a penal colony for the believer.\nAs \u0026quot;evidence\u0026quot; of extremist statements, the prosecution presented to the court a religious expert study of video recordings of meetings for worship in which Galina participated, according to the investigation. As the defense emphasized, the expert study was carried out by specialist Lenar Galiyev, who does not have the specialized education and therefore, the necessary qualifications. \u0026quot;The expert draws conclusions based only on his assumptions, without consulting the works of scholars who have devoted decades to the study of the teachings of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses,\u0026quot; Galina Komissarova emphasized. She continued: \u0026quot;The questions posed to the experts contained clues as to who to blame and for what... Doesn\u0026#39;t this prompt us to question the objectivity of their conclusions?\u0026quot;\nGalina Komissarova was widowed when her children were 10 and 12, and she had to raise them alone. She worked as a kindergarten teacher for many years. The children's parents, her neighbors and former colleagues described her positively in court.\nDespite all the difficulties, Galina does not lose heart: \u0026quot;Fellow believers write me a lot of warm words, send me encouraging verses and assure me of their love. They say they are worried, they pray for me, and they are even proud of me.\u0026quot;\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-07-08T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/07/090943/image_hu_55c7ed65cfd239a8.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/07/090943/image_hu_eab6e6388b6a781d.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/07/090943/image_hu_7d871c256e70bb4a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/07/090943/image_hu_863f5a225d8d1a7e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/07/090943.html","regions":["samara"],"subtitle":"She Received a 2-Year Suspended Sentence for Talking About the Bible Via Video Link","tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-2","elderly"],"title":"Court Issued a Guilty Verdict Against a Pensioner From Tolyatti.","type":"news"},{"body":"Addressing the court with the last word, the believer emphasized: \"All my actions, which the prosecution presents as participation in the activities of an extremist organization, are the realization of my right to freedom of religion, do not contain signs of extremism and are not a crime.\"\n","date":"2024-07-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/469.html","regions":["samara"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"Defendant Galina Komissarova's concluding remarks in Togliatti","type":"docs"},{"body":"On July 4, 2024, the Primorye Regional Court considered the prosecutor\u0026#39;s appeal for mitigation of the sentences of four of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses from Luchegorsk. The judicial board amended the verdict, reducing the suspended sentences by a month for each of the convicts. The decision came into force.\nIn the court of first instance, the prosecutor requested real terms: six years for Yuriy Ponomarenko and Oleg Sergeyev, two years and six months for Andrey Lyakhov, two years for Nikolay Dikhtyar, but the judge sentenced the believers to suspended terms: Yuriy Ponomarenko received six years and six months, Oleg Sergeyev — six years and four months, Andrey Lyakhov — two years and eight months, Nikolay Dikhtyar — two years and six months.\nProsecutor S.E. Mekesheva pointed out that the court of first instance had incorrectly applied the aggravating circumstance of \u0026quot;committing a crime as part of an organized group.\u0026quot; Since this circumstance is already provided for in the article of conviction and cannot be considered again when imposing punishment, the prosecutor requested to mitigate the sentence of the first instance.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-07-04T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/07/311346/image_hu_8d377071142af3b9.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/07/311346/image_hu_915f5693bff99257.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/07/311346/image_hu_814cd982a06b8f11.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/07/311346/image_hu_de7a70487b0ccf31.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/07/311346.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":"The Term for Each of Them Reduced by a Month","tags":["appeal","mitigation","suspended","282.2-1","282.2-2","elderly"],"title":"At the Request of the Prosecutor, the Primorye Regional Court Commuted the Sentences of Four Believers from Luchegorsk.","type":"news"},{"body":"It becomes known that Yuriy Chernyshev is being transferred to correctional colony No. 3 in the city of Safonovo, Smolensk region, to serve his sentence for his faith.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chaykovskiy and others in Moscow","date":"2024-07-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow.html#20240703","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["transfer","life-in-prison","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On July 3, 2024, Sergey Mikhin, judge of the Abinsk District Court, declared the peaceful believer Valeriy Baylo an extremist for discussing the Bible via video conferencing. He pleads not guilty and can appeal the verdict.\nThree months earlier, on April 2, the believer was summoned to the police department in the village of Akhtyrsky. From there he was taken to the Investigative Committee in Abinsk, where he was interrogated and then sent to a temporary detention facility. The next day, Baylo\u0026#39;s home was searched. They seized his electronic devices as well as literature, which he had found on the street and brought home to light the stove. Then the believer was placed in a pretrial detention center.\nOn June 13, the believer's case went to by the Abinsk District Court. The first hearing came as a surprise to Valeriy. He was given a few minutes to get ready, was put in a car and taken to court, therefore, he could not prepare for the trial. And already at the third session, the judge passed a guilty verdict under Article 282.2(2) of the RFCrC (participating in the activity of an extremist organization).\nIn the pretrial detention center, Baylo\u0026#39;s health has deteriorated: his chronic illnesses have worsened, he needs urgent dental care and knee surgery. The believer and his lawyer repeatedly sent requests for medical assistance to the administration of the pretrial detention center, but it has never been provided.\nBefore his arrest, Valeriy Baylo was living alone. After he ended up in the pretrial detention center, his relatives discovered that a large amount of money had disappeared from the house, which had not been seized during the search. He had already faced loss of property in the past. Due to a default, he lost all his savings and, with his children, whom he raised alone after the death of his wife, was forced to live on the territory of a factory for 7 years without electricity and water.\nValeriy Baylo is not the first Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witness whose case was considered by the Abinsk District Court in the shortest possible time, making it impossible to grasp the essence of the charge and to exercise the right to a comprehensive defense. Vasiliy Meleshko was sentenced to a term in the penal colony in just 2 sessions, Aleksandr Ivshin — in 4. All 8 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, whose criminal cases were heard in the Abinsk District Court, received terms of imprisonment for their faith.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-07-03T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/07/081716/image_hu_b809aad9b38ca6fc.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/07/081716/image_hu_1d3d0f1e21550a.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/07/081716/image_hu_a465a30b9e6c7b5f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/07/081716/image_hu_62d13071e6c45377.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/07/081716.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["282.2-2","sentence","elderly","liberty-deprivation"],"title":"In Three Hearings, the Court Sentenced One of Jehovah's Witnesses From Kholmskaya, 66, to 2.5 Years in a Penal Colony for His Beliefs","type":"news"},{"body":"Following two trials and two appeals, the case of the Postnikov couple reached the court of cassation. On July 2, 2024, the Ninth Cassation Court of General Jurisdiction in Vladivostok upheld the verdict of 5.5 and 4.5 years suspended sentences.\nIn their cassation appeal, the Postnikov couple stated: \u0026quot;The courts have replaced the concept of the doctrine of the Christian denomination of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, with the \u0026#39;doctrine\u0026#39; of the liquidated organizations, the practice of which, the courts regarded as a continuation of the activity of these legal entities.\u0026quot;\nOleg Postnikov, speaking before the court of cassation, said: \u0026quot;There was no extremism in our actions.Christian love motivated me and my wife to visit L.P. Kabak and talk to her about spiritual topics. This woman asked us for help to better understand the Bible. After all, the Bible foretells that a wonderful future awaits mankind... Love and the desire to do good to others are our true motives.\u0026quot;\nIn 1985, faith in Jehovah God helped the convicted Postnikov to change and became a Christian. Agnessa decided to become one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses back in 1979. The couple\u0026#39;s lawyer noted: \u0026quot;They practiced and spread their faith, guided by Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation both before 1991 and after 2017, that is, long before the creation and liquidation of legal entities which they are accused of participating in.\u0026quot;\nThe Postnikovs do not concentrate on their difficulties, while serving their suspended term. Oleg said: \u0026quot;Reflecting on those who have shown faith and courage, helps me to develop faith and courage. I try to imagine in detail the circumstances of the people mentioned in the Bible and the brothers and sisters who, in our time, have endured and continue to endure persecution.\u0026quot; Agnessa said: \u0026quot;I always pray for my brothers and sisters, as well as their families. I like to read the biographies of fellow believers, it helps me to feel love for them and write letters of support.\u0026quot;\nIn February 2024, the FSB again raided the homes of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Birobidzhan and the village of Amurzet. The number of victims again included the Postnikov couple. Oleg was threatened with tougher punishment.\nIn the court hearing, the lawyer emphasized: \u0026quot;The Russian Federation officially, publicly and consistently declares that the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of April 20, 2017 did not impose a ban on either the religion of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses or the ways in which this religion is practiced.\u0026quot; However, persecution of peaceful believers continues.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-07-02T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/07/021538/image_hu_7764c5074d1016fd.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/07/021538/image_hu_d15db4c2b4706d3b.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/07/021538/image_hu_6009ab8db48b1ee0.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/07/021538/image_hu_e3eea9ea2fe5dfbc.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/07/021538.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":"They Received Suspended Sentences for Peaceful Conversations About God","tags":["cassation","complaints","suspended","families","elderly"],"title":"After 3 Years of Legal Proceedings, Court of Cassation Finally Upheld the Verdict Against the Postnikov Couple.","type":"news"},{"body":"Vitaliy Komarov is temporarily held in the Oryol pre-trial detention center. Ivan Tchaikovsky was taken to a penal colony in Yaroslavl to serve his sentence for his faith. Yuriy Chernyshev is in the process of being transferred to a penal colony.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chaykovskiy and others in Moscow","date":"2024-07-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow.html#20240701","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["life-in-prison","transfer","elderly","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests 6 years in a penal colony for Igor Kletkin and Nikolay Kononenko; Nadezhda Korobochko – 5 years of suspended imprisonment with a probationary period of 5 years.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kononenko and Others in Nikolayevsk-on-Amur","date":"2024-06-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nikolayevsk_na_amure.html#20240628","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","punishment-request","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Lubin speaks in court with the last word.\nThe defense files a motion to attach an important document for the investigation. The judge supports the lawyer's opinion and grants the motion. To attach the document, the judge returns the trial to the previous stage and then re-announces the beginning of the arguments of the parties.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lubin in Shadrinsk","date":"2024-06-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shadrinsk.html#20240627","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Three believers make their final statement, hoping for a fair court decision.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yeritsyan and Others in Novocherkassk","date":"2024-06-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocherkassk.html#20240626","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom","elderly","sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Speaking before the court, the believer said: \"Your Honor, after I got to know Jehovah what kind of God he is, that all the suffering that people endure is not from him, I wanted to tell everyone about it. Is it possible to punish for this?\"\n","date":"2024-06-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/465.html","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement","elderly"],"title":"Lyubov Galitsyna's concluding remarks in Novocherkassk","type":"docs"},{"body":"On June 26, 2024, Nikolay Yegorov, judge of the Novocherkassk City Court of the Rostov Region, sentenced Lubov Galitsina to 2 years and 3 months, Gevorg Yeritsyan to 6 years and 2 months, and Garegin Khachaturyan to 6.5 years in a penal colony. The court considered the term given to Galitsina to have already been served: she will remain at large.\nIn August 2022, V.V. Bardakov, the investigator for the Investigative Committee, initiated a criminal case against three believers. The men were accused of organizing the activity of an extremist organization, and the woman was accused of participating in it. On the same day, their homes were searched. All three were interrogated and detained. The law enforcement officers considered the meetings for worship, which were held using the Zoom program, to be a continuation of the activity of the local religious organization of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in the city of Novocherkassk banned by the RF Supreme Court in 2017. Khachaturyan and Yeritsyan spent almost 2 years in a pretrial detention center, and Galitsina was in detention for more than a year, after which she was released under house arrest.\nIn the pretrial detention center, her diabetes and hypertension worsened and her vision and hearing also deteriorated. The believer repeatedly requested the administration of the institution to have a medical examination, but for a long time she was refused. And then, when the doctor arrived, the staff of the institution did not let them see her. In the end, Lubov was visited by a representative of the Ministry of Health, who carried out an examination in the detention center conditions.\nThe believers are grateful to friends and relatives for their support. They were especially encouraged when they came and even traveled from other cities to court hearings. They were also strengthened by letters from fellow believers from all over the world.\nSpeaking at one of the court hearings, Lubov Galitsyna, 68, noted: \u0026quot;Disobedience to the laws of the state is a protest against God himself, which is completely unacceptable for me as a believer.\u0026quot; Gevorg Yeritsyan, 37, said: \u0026quot;The basis of my faith is love.\u0026quot; Garegin Khachaturyan, 56, cited the words of Jesus Christ: \u0026quot;Love even your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.\u0026quot; Then he said, \u0026quot;For me, these are not just words, but a guide to action — in the family, in society, with neighbors.\u0026quot;\nIn the Rostov Region, 18 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have been convicted for their faith, 10 of them are serving their sentences in penal colonies.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-06-26T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/06/271742/image_hu_22497f20e3dceefd.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/06/271742/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/06/271742/image_hu_be79a072b540658d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/06/271742/image_hu_7cfe245d26f725d8.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/06/271742.html","regions":["rostov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","282.2-1","282.2-2","elderly","prison-treatment","sizo"],"title":"Three Jehovah's Witnesses from Novocherkassk Sentenced to Up to 6.5 Years in a Penal Colony for Their Beliefs","type":"news"},{"body":"State prosecutor Ilya Mityukov requests a imprisonment for 4 years in a general regime penal colony and restriction of liberty for a period of 8 months for the defendant.\nThe prosecutor says that the guilt of the defendant was confirmed by the testimony of witnesses and eyewitnesses of the incident, the materials of the criminal case, as well as the results of religious and psychological examinations. Further, he gives a characteristic of the personality of Galina Komissarova and points out mitigating circumstances, such as age, the presence of diseases, as well as positive characteristics.\nThe lawyer reminds the court that the article under which Komissarova is being tried implies actions of an extremist orientation and assumes the presence of motives of religious hatred and enmity. In addition, actions must be not only intentional, but also public. However, the prosecution did not provide this evidence to the court.\nThe defense lawyer asks to fully acquit the defendant due to the absence of corpus delicti, motives and malicious intent in her actions.\n28 people come to the hearing, 8 are allowed into the courtroom.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Komissarova in Tolyatti","date":"2024-06-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti6.html#20240625","regions":["samara"],"tags":["punishment-request","defense-arguments","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests that Boris Andreyev and Anatoly Lee be sentenced to 6.5 and 7 years in prison, respectively. He asks Natalia Sharapova to be sentenced to 4 years of suspended imprisonment.\nAccording to the prosecutor, the believers deserve punishment because they participated in worship services typical of Jehovah's Witnesses: \"The events were built according to the plan adopted in the cult practice of the international religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses.\"\nHowever, the defense argues that the accusations against the believers are unfounded. \"Which religious organization, liquidated by the court decision, was organized by Li, taking into account the fact that a local religious organization in the village of Yaroslavsky, Khorolsky municipal district, never existed? How, then, is it possible to organize or continue the activities of such an organization?\" Anatoly Lee's lawyer asks the court.\nBoris Andreev's lawyer draws the court's attention to the fact that some of the prosecution witnesses stated that they were pressured by the investigation. He also notes that the mental illness of one of the witnesses casts doubt on the credibility of his testimony.\nNatalia Sharapova's defense states: \"The state prosecution decided that Sharapova can be convicted only on the basis of her faith. […] The only thing the defendants did was perform religious rites, read prayers, study and discuss Bible stories. […] Everyone could see that these were ordinary gatherings of a group of grandmothers talking about the Bible.\" According to the lawyer, Natalia Sharapova is \"an ordinary resident of the village of Yaroslavsky, a believer in Jehovah God, who has done nothing but harmless and unprohibited religious rites.\"\n\"These defendants are not the worst citizens of our country. They have never been prosecuted, have absolutely no criminal experience, and are all family people, with independent incomes. They did not violate the rules of residence in our country in any way,\" the defense sums up.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Andreyev and Others in Yaroslavskiy","date":"2024-06-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavskiy.html#20240625","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","punishment-request","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The longest terms of imprisonment since the liquidation of legal entities of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses were given to believers by Roman Chiskovskiy, judge of the Industrialniy District Court of Khabarovsk. The decision was handed down on June 20, 2024, after five years of litigation. For Nikolay Polevodov and Stanislav Kim, this is the second sentence for their faith.\nNikolay Polevodov was sentenced to 8.5 years in a penal colony, Vitaliy Zhuk — to 8 years and 4 months, and Stanislav Kim — to 8 years and 2 months. They were taken into custody in the courtroom. The court gave the women suspended sentences: 5 years for Tatyana Zhuk and Svetlana Sedova and 4 years for Maya Karpushkina.\n\u0026quot;During the entire trial,\u0026quot; said Vitaliy Zhuk, \u0026quot;I never heard what exactly in my words and actions constituted a crime of an extremist nature and what I should stop doing in order to not be considered a criminal.\u0026quot; Nikolay Polevodov expressed a similar thought: \u0026quot;All the facts considered during this trial clearly prove that I am being prosecuted not for actual crimes, but for my religious views. The prosecution is trying to promote the idea that I committed a crime, without even providing evidence.\u0026quot;\nThe Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against six Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in November 2018. On the same day, riot police arranged a raid on believers who had gathered in a cafe for a friendly party. As a result, Kim, Polevodov and Zhuk ended up in a pretrial detention center, where they spent 2 months. They were then under house arrest for between 6 and 12 months.\nThe case went to court in July 2019. For a year Judge Vera Pismennaya examined the case materials and interrogated witnesses, but the basis of the charges was never clarified. The case was returned to the prosecutor\u0026#39;s office, and 4 months later it again went to court.\nThe defense recused Judge Chiskovskiy, pointing to an obvious \u0026quot;bias against the defendants and the desire for a guilty verdict\u0026quot; at the stage of the judicial investigation. In their motion, the lawyers noted that, among other things, the judge limited the right of the accused to familiarize themselves with the evidence in the case, and also allowed himself to reprimand them in a raised voice, \u0026quot;perceiving\u0026quot; some motions \u0026quot;as personal insults.\u0026quot; Roman Chiskovskiy refused his recusal.\nMeanwhile, Stanislav Kim and Nikolay Polevodov were defendants in another criminal case for their faith. The Zheleznodorozhniy District Court of Khabarovsk gave them a 2-year suspended sentence \u0026quot;for participating in extremist activity,\u0026quot; namely: for discussing the Bible and Christian teachings. This sentence is already considered to have been served.\nAt the time of publication of this text, out of 811 defendants in criminal cases for their faith, 170 were sentenced to imprisonment. 108 of them (over 63%) received sentences of 5 years or more; 9 people were sentenced to 8 years or more.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-06-24T11:47:32+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/06/241147/image_hu_9384d67f0786d90c.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/06/241147/image_hu_2118da98ac1afee3.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/06/241147/image_hu_ca62d0a55534f7ab.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/06/241147/image_hu_c8d20e2724827ea3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/06/241147.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","families","elderly","liberty-deprivation","suspended","282.2-1","282.2-2"],"title":"Court in Khabarovsk Handed Down Record Harsh Sentences to a Group of Jehovah's Witnesses—Up to 8.5 Years in a Penal Colony","type":"news"},{"body":"68-year-old Tatyana Piskareva arrives at the correctional center to serve a court-imposed sentence for her faith — forced labor. The center is located at colony-settlement No. 3 in the village of Shakhovo (Oryol region).\nIn the precinct functioning as a correctional centre (UFRC), a certain daily routine has been established. At 6 o'clock in the morning, we wake up, then exercises, breakfast and general formation. After that, the convicts go to work. They receive a salary, from which from 5% to 20% is deducted in favor of the state. At the end of the 8-hour working day, convicts are obliged to return to the correctional centre. In the evening, there is also a general formation, and then at 22:00 lights out. In the center there is a shared kitchen, washing machine, showers.\nConvicts do not lose social ties with their loved ones, as they are allowed to use mobile communications and the Internet.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Piskareva in Oryol","date":"2024-06-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orel4.html#20240624","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["labor","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On June 24, 2024, Aleksey Polevshchikov, judge of the Elista City Court of the Republic of Kalmykia gave three believers suspended sentences: Tsagan Khalgayeva and Yekaterina Menkova 2 years, and Kishta Tutinova 3 years. The court considered the women\u0026#39;s peaceful conversations about God and the Bible via video conferencing a crime.\nIn February 2023, the FSB Directorate for the Republic of Kalmykia initiated a criminal case against pensioner Tutinova on suspicion of organizing the activity of an extremist organization. A week later, her hime and the homes of Khalgayeva and Menkova were searched. After that Tutinova was sent to a temporary detention facility for 2 days. In December 2023, Yekaterina and Tsagan were charged with participating in the activity of an extremist organization. A year later, the case went to court, where it was under consideration for 3 months.\nThe prosecutor requested suspended sentences of 6, 3 and 2.5 for Tutinova, Khalgayeva and Menkova, respectively. In passing the sentence, the court reclassified Tutinova\u0026#39;s charge from organizing to participating in the activity of an extremist organization.\nThe lawyer commented on the videos from the case materials, which were presented as evidence of illegal activity: \u0026quot;We observed everyday conversations about the weather, health, doctors, and culinary recipes. But most importantly, we observed the usual religious life of a believer: the video recorded how Kishta says prayers to Jehovah God, reads and discusses passages from the Bible with others, and talks about religious topics. Neither the Supreme Court of the Republic of Kalmykia nor the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation has prohibited any of this.\u0026quot;\nThroughout the criminal prosecution, the women experienced various difficulties. During the search, Yekaterina Menkova fell ill, and the security forces had to call an ambulance for her. Tsagan Khalgayeva was dismissed from her job the day after the search and interrogation as a witness in the case. Pensioner Kishta Tutinova, who spent about 5 months under house arrest and more than 6 months under the ban on certain actions, said: \u0026quot;I was in a small one-bedroom apartment with my son\u0026#39;s family. There were seven of us. I also was not able to move around and go for walks, and this affected my well-being.\u0026quot;\nAccording to the believers, they managed not to lose heart thanks to the support of friends. \u0026quot;It is especially touching when those who have recently faced persecution themselves come, as well as those who are currently going through the same thing directly, but find the strength, time and have the desire to strengthen others,\u0026quot; said Yekaterina Menkova. Kishta Tutinova noted that the example of Andrey Vlasov and Dennis Christensen, who managed to maintain a positive attitude in prison, helped her in many ways.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-06-24T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/06/270954/image_hu_29ba17c8814a3572.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/06/270954/image_hu_fd567b86e9015764.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/06/270954/image_hu_682e928682a8f117.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/06/270954/image_hu_2487c1f4424d1209.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/06/270954.html","regions":["kalmykia"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","282.2-1","282.2-2","elderly","suspended"],"title":"Jehovah's Witnesses Have Been Sentenced in Kalmykia for the First Time Since 2017: Three Women Received Suspended Sentences for Their Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"Aliyev was prescribed a course of droppers and injections for cerebral circulation. The spouse hands over the necessary medications.\nThere are reports that for unknown reasons, Alam Aliyev is again sent to the punishment cell for 14 days. In this regard, the course of treatment is interrupted. Aliyev is promised to be given only pills. Periodically, his blood pressure rises. Such a condition is difficult for him to tolerate, as he has always been hypotensive.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan","date":"2024-06-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan10.html#20240621","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["shizo","prison-treatment","health-risk","life-in-prison","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Of the 22 people who came to the courthouse, 6 were allowed into the courtroom.\nThe interrogation of religious expert Pavel Boyko continues. He continues to express his negative attitude towards Jehovah's Witnesses. In the expert opinion, Boyko points out that the word \"peace\" carries an extremist connotation. Defendant Lelikov asks if the expert knows that this word has many meanings. Boyko agrees, but says that since he is not a linguist, he cannot explain the meaning of the word in the context of the Bible.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lelikov in Krasnodar","date":"2024-06-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnodar.html#20240621","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly","interrogation","expert-conclusions","studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In her final statement, the believer told the court that her actions were exclusively peaceful: \"By sharing what is written in it [the Bible], I wanted to help the people around me become a little better and happier.\"\n","date":"2024-06-20T15:32:43+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/459.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Maya Karpushkina in Khabarovsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"The court orders the suspension of the criminal case due to the defendant's serious illness requiring bed rest.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dolinina in Dormidontovka","date":"2024-06-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dormidontovka.html#20240620","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["elderly","first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendants make their final statements.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polevodov and Others in Khabarovsk","date":"2024-06-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk4.html#20240620","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom","families","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The closing arguments begin. The prosecutor asks to impose a sentence of 6 years in prison with restriction of freedom for 1 year for Valeriy.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Valeriy Rabota in Knyaze-Volkonskoye","date":"2024-06-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/knyaze-volkonskoe.html#20240619","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","punishment-request","appeal","282.2-1.1","282.2-2","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"With the judge's permission, Galina Komissarova reads excerpts from the publications of two religious scholars, Nikolai Gordienko and Sergey Ivanenko, and comments on them. The believer also tells how biblical knowledge helped her in raising her own children.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Komissarova in Tolyatti","date":"2024-06-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti6.html#20240617","regions":["samara"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly","interrogation","scholar-publications"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court does not satisfy the defense's request to declassify the secret witness. His interrogation takes place in a separate room. The secret witness says he has known Jehovah's Witnesses since the late 1980s. I never met or communicated with Lyudmila personally. Neither he nor his family had ever received threats from any of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lyudmila Zinina in Vyselki","date":"2024-06-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki3.html#20240606","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Industrial District Court of Izhevsk Aleksandr Shishkin chooses a preventive measure in the form of a ban on certain actions against Indus Talipov and Valeriy Knyazev, and sends Alexander Stefanidin to a pre-trial detention center.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Knyazev and Talipov in Izhevsk","date":"2024-06-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk3.html#20240605","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["sizo","prohibition-of-actions","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Speaking with the last word, Kishta stressed that she had never carried out extremist activities: \"I am a believer and a law-abiding citizen. My motive was love for God and my neighbor.\"\n","date":"2024-06-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/453.html","regions":["kalmykia"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement","elderly"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Kishta Tutinova in Elista","type":"docs"},{"body":"In the early morning of June 4, 2024, security forces invaded the homes of at least three families of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Izhevsk. One man was sent to pretrial detention, two were banned from certain actions.\nA criminal case against the believers \u0026ndash; the fourth in the region \u0026ndash; was initiated by the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Udmurt Republic a day earlier. The case proceedings are being conducted by investigator Artur Selin.\nThe search at the home of Aleksandr Stefanidin, 32, and his wife began at about 7 a.m. and lasted 2 hours. Electronic devices and flash drives were seized from the family. After that, Aleksandr was taken for interrogation. On June 5, the judge of the Industrialniy District Court of Izhevsk, Aleksandr Shishkin, sent Stefanidin to the detention center.\nAnother of those against whom the case was initiated, is pensioner Indus Talipov, 73.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2024-06-04T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"svg":"/img/news/prison.svg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/06/070956.html","regions":["udmurtia"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","new-case","282.2-1","sizo","prohibition-of-actions","families","elderly"],"title":"One of Jehovah's Witnesses from Izhevsk Placed in Pretrial Detention Center After Searches","type":"news"},{"body":"For five sessions, the prosecution, lawyers and Aleksandr Lubin speak in the debate.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lubin in Shadrinsk","date":"2024-06-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shadrinsk.html#20240601","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["punishment-request","defense-arguments","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anastasia Gaitur, the daughter of Oleksandr Gaytur, is being searched. The believer himself is also in the apartment at this moment. He is seriously ill and cannot get out of bed. Investigator S.G. Ermolaev conducts the search for more than 4 hours, while personal belongings of believers are seized.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Gaytur in Kurgan","date":"2024-05-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan3.html#20240531","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["search","families","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Seredkin is still being held in strict conditions of serving his sentence. The believer's condition is aggravated by headaches and back problems. Alexander is very worried about his wife Svetlana, who suffered a heart attack in January. For both spouses, the ability to make regular phone calls is a great support. They were especially pleased with the long meeting held in February.\nAlexander tries to maintain a good emotional and spiritual state. Now the man has a personal copy of the Bible, reading it is of great help to him. The believer also appreciates encouraging letters from friends.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Seredkin in Novosibirsk","date":"2024-05-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk7.html#20240531","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison","strict-conditions","elderly","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case goes to the Kovrov City Court of the Vladimir Region. It will be considered by judge Artem Ozhev.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sakun in Kovrov","date":"2024-05-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov6.html#20240530","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["to-court","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Prosecution witnesses are being questioned. The first was FSB officer Yevgeny Ilyin, who searched Alexander Salnikov's home. He says that during the search, secular literature and clippings from the Criminal Code and the Code of Criminal Procedure of the Russian Federation were seized, among other things. According to Ilyin, the believer during the search did not deny that he was one of Jehovah's Witnesses. The witness could not say what was the incitement of religious hatred on the part of Salnikov. According to him, he does not remember many dates, places and details.\nThe next student who participated in the search as a witness is interrogated. He says that during the search, Salnikov became ill. According to the witness, the presence of a webcam on the believer's computer indicates that he was the organizer of online worship.\nThe third witness explains that he has known the defendant since about 2005. \"I have very deep respect for this person, he is respectable, has many positive qualities ... A conscientious worker in production, a good family man who loves his family,\" he characterizes the believer. The witness claims pressure during one of the interrogations: according to him, FSB officer Ilyin shouted at him using obscene language and threatened. On this basis, the witness retracts his previous testimony, stating that he signed it under duress. When the judge shows him the record of the interrogation, he states that he did not say this.\nThe court refuses to disclose the testimony of witnesses who did not appear to the prosecutor.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Salnikov in Magnitogorsk","date":"2024-05-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magnitogorsk.html#20240530","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of religious scholar L. M. Galiyev via video conferencing. The judge reads out the conclusions of three examinations from the case materials made by Galiev. The defendant Komissarova draws the court's attention to the expert's lack of necessary education. During interrogation, Galiev often evades answering many of the defendant's questions and does not see the difference between religion and legal entity.\nGaliev also said that he was not faced with the question of identifying signs of extremism among the participants of the service, among whom was Komissarova. However, he mentions this in his report and admits that he was simply repeating the wording of the investigator.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Komissarova in Tolyatti","date":"2024-05-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti6.html#20240530","regions":["samara"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","studies-violations","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor reads out the indictment, the fifth volume of the case and the testimony of a classified witness.\nA woman who attended services of Jehovah's Witnesses before 2017 is being interrogated. She says: \"I remember that we were going to the cinema. I didn't see anything extremist there... We communicated normally. They read the Bible. They didn't say anything bad there.\"\nAfter that, the prosecutor reads out the testimony given by the woman during the preliminary investigation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kabanov in Zelenogorsk","date":"2024-05-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zelenogorsk.html#20240529","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["retrial","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On May 29, 2024, a panel judges of the Eighth Court of Cassation in Kemerovo upheld the verdict against Aleksandr Seredkin. The believer continues to serve his sentence in the penal colony.\nAleksandr attended the hearing via video conferencing. In the cassation appeal, the defendant\u0026#39;s lawyer pointed out that in the case there was no evidence of the believer\u0026#39;s guilt: \u0026quot; The appealed judicial acts do not indicate any signs of extremism in the actions of Aleksandr Seredkin: not in deeds, not in words. How exactly a peaceful conversation about God with fellow believers jeopardized the constitutional order and security of the state is not specified in the appealed judicial acts\u0026quot;.\n\u0026quot;On the contrary, all the actions and statements of my client,\u0026quot; the lawyer continued, \u0026quot;were exclusively peaceful in nature and did not indicate the presence of hatred or enmity. He was driven not by extremist motives, but his intention to exercise the right to practice his faith in the ways common to Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\u0026quot;\nSeredkin has been in the penal colony for almost a year. Apart from him, three other Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in the Novosibirsk Region received prison sentences for their faith.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-05-29T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/05/281528/image_hu_81eae5f354275d3e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/05/281528/image_hu_7058151f32123ea7.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/05/281528/image_hu_52ebab1dcda1ad10.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/05/281528/image_hu_eda16a44d1208f65.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/05/281528.html","regions":["novosibirsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["cassation","282.2-1","elderly"],"title":"The Court of Cassation Did Not Change the Sentence of a 69-Year-Old Jehovah's Witness From Novosibirsk – 6 Years in a Penal Colony for His Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"The prosecutor asks the court to sentence the disabled person of group II Alexander Lubin to 7 years conditionally with a probationary period of 4 years.\nThe defendant provides the court with information about the impact on his life and health of his stay in the pre-trial detention center, where he spent 1.5 months and was released only after a complaint to the ECHR.\nThe debate of the defense begins.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lubin in Shadrinsk","date":"2024-05-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shadrinsk.html#20240528","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["punishment-request","defense-arguments","disability","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"\n","date":"2024-05-28T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/sakun/photo_hu_f47a3441109b4d9d.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/sakun/photo_hu_920a589b00f48b26.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/sakun/photo_hu_ad3eebd5f51eaba.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/sakun/photo_hu_e4f0f0bc9565905d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/sakun.html","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Oleg Sakun","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests punishment for the defendants: Nikolai Polevodov, Vitaliy Zhuk and Stanislav Kim to 9 years of imprisonment in a general regime colony with restriction of liberty for 1 year and 6 months and a ban on engaging in public and religious activities for 8 years; Tatyana Zhuk, Svetlana Sedova and Maya Karpushkina were sentenced to 5 years of suspended imprisonment with a probationary period of 5 years and restriction of liberty for 11 months.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polevodov and Others in Khabarovsk","date":"2024-05-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk4.html#20240527","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["punishment-request","families","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A hearing is being held to extend the measure of restraint. When asked by the defense what the investigation was doing while Valery Bailo was in custody, the investigator explained that \"she did not work with Bailo, because there was no need\" - she studied the materials of previous criminal cases against Jehovah's Witnesses, and also received an expert opinion and characterizing material, examined material evidence, interrogated witnesses who participated in the search.\nThe court upholds the preventive measure.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Baylo in Kholmskaya","date":"2024-05-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya7.html#20240527","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["sizo","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Redozubov issues a decision to terminate the criminal case against Valeriy Petrenko.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Petrenko in Berezniki","date":"2024-05-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/berezniki.html#20240521","regions":["perm"],"tags":["case-dismissed","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Valery was transferred from the special unit to a brighter and more spacious cell, in which he is held with two previously convicted prisoners. He regularly receives letters, but not all of his answers are sent to the addressees.\nThe believer continues to experience health problems. He wrote several applications requesting a medical examination, but all of them remain unanswered at the moment. He still needs knee surgery.\nA believer is not given a Bible from the library of the pre-trial detention center. At his request, his acquaintances sent him the Holy Scriptures in the Synodal translation, but the book was placed in the warehouse of the pre-trial detention center. The believer is waiting for it to be given to him.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Baylo in Kholmskaya","date":"2024-05-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya7.html#20240517","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["sizo","prison-treatment","letters","health-risk","medical-rights","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The verdict against Tatyana Piskareva, sentenced to 2.5 years of forced labor entered into force \u0026ndash; on May 16, 2024, the Oryol Regional Court did not satisfy her appeal. The believer has already been separated for 3.5 years from her husband, who was sentenced to 6 years in a penal colony on similar charges of extremism.\nIn March, the Sovetskiy District Court of the city of Oryol found Piskareva guilty of participating in the activity of an extremist organization for attending peaceful meetings for worship. According to the investigation, the believer acted out of religious \u0026quot;hatred and enmity.\u0026quot; However, this was not proven in court. The verdict was appealed. \u0026quot;I worshipped my God Jehovah peacefully ... I did not prevent anyone from living their personal lives, no one was hurt ... I obeyed the laws of the country in which I live. And suddenly I was falsely accused of something I had never participated in,\u0026quot; Piskareva said, addressing the court of appeal in her final statement.\n\u0026quot;My completely legitimate conduct, aimed only at expressing my faith in ways typical of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses around the world, was wrongly regarded by the court as illegal actions ... At the same time, the law does not consider practicing the religion, which the liquidated religious associations belonged to, including together with others, as a sign of extremism. Therefore, declaring a legal entity as extremist is not tantamount to imposing a ban on a religion,\u0026quot; Tatyana explained.\nIn the Oryol Region, 8 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have already been prosecuted for their faith, 3 of them have been sentenced to imprisonment.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-05-16T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/05/200812/image_hu_a9c38a87c89e3a22.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/05/200812/image_hu_67905bf465ecf58.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/05/200812/image_hu_3d59d1b821240428.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/05/200812/image_hu_f693fee0dc4d3c29.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/05/200812.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","282.2-2","labor","elderly","families"],"title":"Court of Appeal in Oryol Upheld the Sentence of 68-year-old Tatyana Piskareva - 2.5 Years of Forced Labor for Her Faith in Jehovah","type":"news"},{"body":"Nadezhda Korobochko reads out her additional testimony after the examination of computer and technical examinations. The defendant explains: \"Although the examination established that the book 'The Bible – New World Translation' published in 2021 was downloaded to my laptop, it is not included in the list of extremist materials.\"\nThe believer adds: \"Not one or two, but many witnesses were questioned in court, none of whom confirmed anything of the kind [the fact of distribution of extremist materials].\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kononenko and Others in Nikolayevsk-on-Amur","date":"2024-05-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nikolayevsk_na_amure.html#20240515","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Despite the defense's objections, the court granted the prosecutor's request to listen to the recording of the divine service from the case of Valery Rabota. It features a biblical talk about the positive impact of the Bible on a person's life.\nThe hearing was attended by 25 people who came to support Kocherova and Ovchinnikova.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kocherova and Ovchinnikova in Knyaze-Volkonskoye","date":"2024-05-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/knyaze-volkonskoe2.html#20240514","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alexander Salnikov expresses his attitude to the charges against him: \"The specific events related to the actions imputed to me are not indicated in the indictment: neither the date, nor the time, nor the place, nor the method, nor the actions themselves ... It remains unclear how I could coordinate my actions with a non-existent organization or how I coordinated my actions with an organization whose activities I myself allegedly organized.\nSalnikov reminds the court that on April 20, 2017, the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation did not ban the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses as a religious denomination and did not require believers to stop exercising their constitutional rights and freedoms.\nThen there is the interrogation of a 75-year-old woman who had a search and two interrogations in connection with the case of Alexander Salnikov. She describes the believer as a deeply decent and honest person: \"It is very rare to meet such people in life.\" When asked how Jehovah's Witnesses feel about other religions, the woman replies: \"They have no animosity. Jehovah's Witnesses respect other religions.\" The prosecutor reads out her testimony from the record of the investigator's interrogation. The woman refuses her words.\nNear the courthouse there are about 60 people who came to support the defendant.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Salnikov in Magnitogorsk","date":"2024-05-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magnitogorsk.html#20240514","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court attaches to the case file the response of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia on the right to profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, the decision of the ECHR in the case of LRO Taganrog and others v. the Russian Federation.\nGevorg Yeritsyan's wife is being interrogated. She does not share her husband's religious views, but gives a positive characterization of both her husband and all the defendants. The woman explains to the court that she attended religious services and there was nothing extremist, in particular, calls for violence and destruction of the constitutional order.\nThe interrogation of the defendants begins. Lyubov Galitsina declares: \"Extremism is incompatible with my religious beliefs, because first of all, as a Christian, I am obliged to love God and my neighbor. And Jesus said that you need to love even your enemies! What kind of extremist am I if I try to keep these commandments sincerely.\"\nGevorg Yeritsyan says that in his life he is guided by the commandments of Jesus: to love God and to love your neighbor as yourself. He refutes the testimony of a classified witness regarding the destruction of the family. Gevorg gives his own example: \"My wife is not one of Jehovah's Witnesses, but we have a strong family, and we have been married for 14 happy years, we have two wonderful children.\"\nGaregin Khachaturyan briefly talks about his life: he grew up in Nagorno-Karabakh, his family lost their home due to the war events; Garegin became a widower when his son was only six months old. \"Biblical hope, the help of God and friends helped me to survive that difficult time, to remain human and maintain a positive attitude,\" the believer concludes.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yeritsyan and Others in Novocherkassk","date":"2024-05-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocherkassk.html#20240514","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On May 14, 2024, the consideration of the case of Igor Kasabov was completed in the Oktyabrsky District Court of Tambov. Judge Vladimir Chernov sentenced the believer to 2 years suspended with a 2-year probationary period. The investigation considered conversations with friends on biblical topics to be participation in the activities of an extremist organization.\nThe criminal prosecution exacerbated the already poor health of Kasabov and his wife. A few months before the search, which took place in April 2023, Igor suffered a heart attack, and his wife suffered a stroke. \u0026quot;During the interrogation, I faced serious pressure: the investigator, in order to obtain my confession, mentioned that my wife, a disabled person of group II, who cannot normally express her thoughts after a stroke, can also be brought to justice,\u0026quot; the believer said.\nThe case was initiated by the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Tambov Region, it was led by Pavel Salnikov. Commenting on the charges, Igor Kasabov noted that the actions imputed to him are the usual peaceful practice of a Christian. He declared his innocence in his last plea: \u0026quot;I am one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, and the teachings of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses are dear to my heart. Yes, I attend meetings and love to discuss biblical thoughts and topics. I have nothing else to \u0026#39;confess\u0026#39; to.\u0026quot; Kasabov can appeal the court\u0026#39;s decision.\nThis is the first conviction of a Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witness for religious beliefs in the Tambov Region. The courts of this region are considering similar criminal cases against three other believers.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-05-14T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/05/161346/image_hu_f6789d49fe4a26c8.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/05/161346/image_hu_c1ee970e24968d1d.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/05/161346/image_hu_d5b9eeee32eaacea.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/05/161346/image_hu_f7c653f0be2ab7cb.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/05/161346.html","regions":["tambov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","elderly","suspended","282.2-2"],"title":"A Court in Tambov Sentenced One of Jehovah's Witnesses, 68, to a Two-Year Suspended Sentence for Talking About the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 13, 2024, the Leninskiy District Court of Barnaul found Mikhail Reshetnikov, 74, Yuriy Kolotinskiy, 69, and Anatoliy Sarychev, 74, guilty of participating in the activity of an extremist organization. Judge Lyubov Kurushina gave each of them a 2-year and 3-month suspended sentence.\nThe believers received such punishment for participating in peaceful meetings for worship that are not prohibited by law. They do not agree with the verdict and have the right to appeal it.\nIn May 2021, a special operation codenamed \u0026quot;Armageddon\u0026quot; took place in Barnaul and surrounding cities. One of the searches took place at the home of Mikhail Reshetnikov, a veteran of labor, and a criminal case was initiated against him. In the fall of 2022, new defendants appeared in the case: Yuriy Kolotinskiy, a veteran of labor who has a disability, and Anatoliy Sarychev. Both were added to the Rosfinmonitoring list and placed under a recognizance agreement.\nThroughout the trial, which lasted about a year and a half, the prosecution tried to prove that peaceful believers are dangerous criminals. Anatoliy Sarychev objected to this in his final statement saying that they only made use of \u0026quot;the legal right to freedom of religion provided for in Article 28 of the RF Constitution.\u0026quot; Mikhail Reshetnikov noted: \u0026quot;Your honor, we share the principles from the Word of God with people. Can this really be extremism?\u0026quot; Yuriy Kolotinskiy emphasized: \u0026quot;During the hearings, we listened to the recordings of meetings for worship, which are held peacefully and with dignity. And what is discussed at them can be called extremism prevention.\u0026quot;\nAll the defendants said that during the trial they were supported by friends who came to the courthouse in any weather, greeted and accompanied them with applause at each hearing and encouraged them with warm words.\nAt the moment, 9 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses are being prosecuted for their faith in the Altai Territory. Of the 807 believers repressed by Russian law enforcement officers, 215 are over 60.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-05-13T16:31:35+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/05/131631/image_hu_697d28e6b6a3c025.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/05/131631/image_hu_c1d581e25b274177.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/05/131631/image_hu_38a727b797e3f9f9.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/05/131631/image_hu_d29f7083c960b252.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/05/131631.html","regions":["altaisky"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["first-instance","282.2-2","elderly","disability","suspended"],"title":"Court Considered Three Pensioners From Barnaul Extremists and Gave Them Suspended Sentences for Their Beliefs","type":"news"},{"body":"Yuriy Yuskov is the oldest Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witness convicted in Russia. On Monday, May 13, the Supreme Court of the Chuvash Republic approved the five-year suspended sentence assigned to him, but with a slight change - the ban on leaving the house at night was removed from additional restrictions.\n\u0026quot;I studied the Bible, met people who were also interested, and told them about my hope,\u0026quot; said the believer, 86, addressing the appeals panel with his last plea. \u0026quot;This is what I did until April 2017 [before the liquidation of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses\u0026#39; legal entities]. I continued to do the same thing later. What has changed? What is my crime?\u0026quot; Yuskov believes that the court baselessly equated his peaceful religious activities with participation in extremist activities and involvement in them (parts 1.1 and 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).\nDespite appeals by human rights organizations and ECHR rulings, criminal prosecution of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, including the elderly, continues in Russia. When published, 13 believers aged 80 and over were prosecuted for their faith.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-05-13T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/05/151458/image_hu_6ec6949028971c96.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/05/151458/image_hu_39ae3f0db399d0ec.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/05/151458/image_hu_8bd252115db1c221.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/05/151458/image_hu_a444793508210693.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/05/151458.html","regions":["chuvashia"],"subtitle":"The Believer Will Turn 90 After Serving the Sentence","tags":["appeal","elderly","282.2-1.1","282.2-2"],"title":"In Chuvashia, the Appeal Approved the Verdict for Yuriy Yuskov.","type":"news"},{"body":"\n","date":"2024-05-10T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/muravyov/photo.jpeg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/muravyov/photo.jpeg","webp":"/prisoners/muravyov/photo_hu_c2776b1bea13a27c.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/muravyov/photo_hu_c2776b1bea13a27c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/muravyov.html","regions":["stpetersburg"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Igor Muravyov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"\n","date":"2024-05-10T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/person_placeholder_female.jpg","jpg2x":"/person_placeholder_female.jpg","webp":"/person_placeholder_female_hu_c25ee5bdff083aef.webp","webp2x":"/person_placeholder_female_hu_c25ee5bdff083aef.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/smirnova.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Nina Smirnova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Nikolay Voishchev receives the necessary medicines for his illness. He is retired and may not work.\nNikolay has good relations with other prisoners, he is treated with respect, including because of his venerable age. The barracks where he lives is designed for 20 people. It has freedom of movement compared to a pre-trial detention center.\nThe believer has a Bible. When he was in the pre-trial detention center, he received about 800 letters, but upon arrival at the colony, the letters have not yet arrived.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Voishchev in Maykop","date":"2024-05-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/adygeya.html#20240508","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["life-in-prison","elderly","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court rejects the previously filed motion of the defense to return the case to the prosecutor.\nIn another petition, the defence alleges that the investigator violated the statutory deadlines for the preliminary investigation. According to the investigator, it was allegedly not possible to involve Gadrshina in the investigation of the criminal case. However, the believer declares that she was not absent anywhere, since she was under recognizance not to leave. The prosecution asks for time to prepare a response.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gadrshina in Vyselki","date":"2024-05-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki8.html#20240508","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The viewing of videos continues, in which the image practically does not change - only occasionally Lyubov Galitsina appears in the frame when watching TV or talking on the phone.\nThe defense draws attention to the inspection protocols, the content of which does not correspond to the video recordings. Some of them are silent, including those for which the examination was carried out.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yeritsyan and Others in Novocherkassk","date":"2024-05-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocherkassk.html#20240506","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecution witness is being questioned via video conferencing. She says that she personally does not know Alexandra Lubina, she has never seen him live. I heard about him from my mother's stories, I saw his photo, but I can't identify him exactly.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lubin in Shadrinsk","date":"2024-05-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shadrinsk.html#20240506","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["first-instance","disability","elderly","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendants make their final statement and ask the court to find them not guilty of extremism.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Reshetnikov and Others in Barnaul","date":"2024-05-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/barnaul2.html#20240503","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["elderly","final-statement","courtroom"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anatoliy Sarychev tells the court about his difficult life, the loss of his children and what faith in God gave him. He says, \"Knowing about God and his purposes gave me back the desire to live.\"\n","date":"2024-05-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/448.html","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement","elderly"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Anatoly Sarychev in Barnaul","type":"docs"},{"body":"The believer stated that he was being judged only because he peacefully worshipped God together with others. \"According to the investigation, if we studied the Bible and prayed at home, instead of getting together, it would not be extremism,\" he said.\n","date":"2024-05-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/449.html","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement","elderly"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Mikhail Reshetnikov in Barnaul","type":"docs"},{"body":"Addressing the court, the believer asked the question: \"Why did respectable, hardworking, caring for their marriage and their children, who profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses for decades, suddenly turn into dangerous criminals?\"\n","date":"2024-05-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/450.html","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement","elderly"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Yuri Kolotinsky in Barnaul","type":"docs"},{"body":"Galina Komissarova submits two petitions. In the first, she asks the court to oblige the state prosecutor to explain the circumstances to be proved: \"Now the case materials have been examined, witnesses have been interrogated, but I still do not know what exactly my words or actions are interpreted by the prosecution as extremist. Therefore, I cannot defend myself effectively in court, because I do not understand what I need to defend myself against.\" The judge rejects the motion.\nThe defendant also petitions for the return of personal property seized as a result of the search: a webcam, a Wi-Fi router, a phone, a tablet and flash cards. The defendant explains that the prosecution did not request them for examination during the trials.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Komissarova in Tolyatti","date":"2024-05-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti6.html#20240502","regions":["samara"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Luchegorsk residents Nikolay Dikhtyar, Andrey Lyakhov, Yuriy Ponomarenko, and Oleg Sergeyev were found guilty of organizing and participating in an extremist organization because they continued to gather for peaceful religious meetings with other Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. The verdict was handed down on May 2, 2024 by the judge of the Pozharskiy District Court of the Primorye Territory, Mikhail Atroshko.\nYuriy Ponomarenko was given a suspended sentence of 6 years and 6 months, Oleg Sergeyev — 6 years and 4 months, Andrey Lyakhov — 2 years and 8 months and Nikolay Dikhtyar — 2 years and 6 months. The period of probation is from 2.5 to 5 years. The believers also received terms of restriction of freedom ranging from 1 to 1.5 years.\nOleg Sergeev has three young children. \u0026quot;The most difficult thing for me was to stay calm,\u0026quot; said the believer. \u0026quot;I was worried about what would happen to my wife and children if I was deprived of my liberty.\u0026quot; Nikolay Dikhtyar is a 69-year-old pensioner. He and his wife raised four children (three of their own and another boy who was orphaned). Now he takes care of his wife, who suffered a stroke a few years ago. Yuriy Ponomarenko is also retired.\nThe Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against the believers in July 2021. Ponomarenko was the first to fall under suspicion – he was added to the Rosfinmonitoring list and his accounts were blocked. A few months later, the others were charged.\nThe court considered the case for almost two years. One of the witnesses for the prosecution was FSB officer Prokhor Vasin, Ponomarenko\u0026#39;s neighbor. Pretending to be interested in the Bible, he secretly videotaped conversations with the defendant. During the interrogation, Vasin admitted that no one had encouraged him to do anything against the law.\nThe believers insist on their innocence. In his final statement, before the verdict was announced, Yuriy Ponomarenko, 65, said: \u0026quot;During four searches of my house, they searched for any notes where the name Jehovah was mentioned. It turns out that they want to charge me just because I practice the religion of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, which is not banned in Russia ... There is no evidence in the case materials of incitement to hatred of others, i.e. extremism. There aren't any because I am following the Bible commandment, \u0026#39;Be peaceable with all men.\u0026#39;\u0026quot;\nAs Nikolay Dikhtyar stated, his conscience is clear before God, people and the law: \u0026quot;One thing I regret is that I only became one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses at the age of 40, having learned the truth that saved me from many rash actions.\u0026quot;\nAndrey Lyakhov, in turn, said: \u0026quot;I do not deny that I am a believer, one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, that I read the Bible, sing songs and pray to God. But no legal entity has ever told me how to do this. My faith has never depended and does not depend on the presence or absence of a local religious organization in my city.\u0026quot;\nOleg Sergeyev emphasized: \u0026quot;Studying the Bible, I came to the conclusion that those who want to please God must love not only their neighbors, but all people.\u0026quot;\nEarlier, Oleg Sergeyev\u0026#39;s father, Sergey Sergeyev, was convicted for his faith on the basis of similar charges. As a result, 8 residents of Luchegorsk, a town with a population of just over 17 thousand people, have already been prosecuted for peaceful religious activity. A total of 58 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have faced criminal prosecution for their faith in the Primorye Territory.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-05-02T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/05/011110/image_hu_b202a85d9c5950a2.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/05/011110/image_hu_e185fa7047f3fc6a.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/05/011110/image_hu_fd036ff01780dc7a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/05/011110/image_hu_3e0ad8b40ac8b6b3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/05/011110.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":"Two of Them Are Pensioners, and One is a Father of Three Minors","tags":["sentence","282.2-1","282.2-2","elderly","suspended"],"title":"The Court in Luchegorsk Found Four Jehovah's Witnesses Guilty of Extremism.","type":"news"},{"body":"Valeriy Bailo is experiencing acute toothache and needs urgent dental treatment. In addition, the believer suffers from a chronic disease of the gastrointestinal tract, which, if the diet is disturbed, is exacerbated and accompanied by acute pain. Bailo also has serious problems with one of the knee joints, which also causes severe pain.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Baylo in Kholmskaya","date":"2024-04-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya7.html#20240430","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["elderly","health-risk","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court session lasts more than 6 hours without a lunch break.\nReligious scholar Pavel Boyko is being interrogated. In his speech, he focuses on issues that are not the subject of this criminal case - he discusses whether Jehovah's Witnesses are real Christians, commenting on their doctrine.\nThe lawyer and the defendant file a motion to disqualify the expert because of prejudice against the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses and incompetence. The judge refuses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lelikov in Krasnodar","date":"2024-04-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnodar.html#20240427","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","elderly","studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Y. Nikulin notifies the believer of the end of the preliminary investigation. The accused proceeds to familiarize himself with the materials of the case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sakun in Kovrov","date":"2024-04-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov6.html#20240425","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense file a motion to attach to the materials of the criminal case the written text of the ECHR decision in the case of \"LRO Taganrog and others v. Russia\". The court satisfies the motion, despite the objections of the prosecution, and examines it.\nDefendant Alexander Lubin reads out his written notes. The believer draws attention to the fact that \"the prosecution did not provide a clear explanation as to why it believes that [he] could practice his faith exclusively within the framework of a 'religious association'.\" He also asks: \"Why does the prosecution believe that the constitutional rights of believers and the rights of religious groups were lost for me in April 2017? Why can't I use them now?\"\nThe believer tells the court about his state of health: \"It is difficult for me to walk, and in the event of a fall, I am not able to get up without assistance. Criminal prosecution on trumped-up charges further worsened my already poor health and deprived me of the opportunity to receive full-fledged routine medical care.\"\nLubin also cites a response from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation in the case file, explaining that \"members of a liquidated organization can independently practice religious worship as part of religious groups that do not require registration.\" He concludes: \"In court, we did exactly the opposite—we looked at the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses and how they were expressed. And this is not a crime! Therefore, I do not consider myself guilty and do not plead guilty.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lubin in Shadrinsk","date":"2024-04-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shadrinsk.html#20240425","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["first-instance","disability","elderly","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case is submitted to the Ordzhonikidze District Court of Magnitogorsk. It will be considered by judge Olga Prokopenko.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Salnikov in Magnitogorsk","date":"2024-04-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magnitogorsk.html#20240423","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["to-court","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Recordings made by a hidden video camera in the house of Lyubov Galitsyna are being viewed. Almost all of them show only a cat lying on the bed. Behind the scenes, female and male voices are heard, but no one specifies to whom they belong. The defense draws attention to the fact that there are no defendants in the video and nothing close to extremism is happening.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yeritsyan and Others in Novocherkassk","date":"2024-04-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocherkassk.html#20240422","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The believer is kept alone in a special block - a semi-basement room in which there are no windows. It's damp there, the lights are on around the clock. His friends gave him the necessary things and food.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Baylo in Kholmskaya","date":"2024-04-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya7.html#20240419","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["sizo","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor asks to read out the testimony of a secret witness under the pseudonym Alexei, since \"the Investigative Committee has taken exhaustive measures to find him.\" The defendants are against the reading and believe that insufficient measures were taken to bring a witness. Lawyers support this position, stating that they have not been provided with information about what work was done to find a witness.\nAfter reading out the testimony, Anatoly Lee comments: \"I can only agree that my name is Anatoly Yuryevich Lee, but otherwise I would like to interrogate the witness.\" Boris Andreev also gives his comment: \"Some of the things that are given here could not be said by Lee and Sharapov, as it does not correspond to our faith. Is it worth trusting these testimonies?\"\nThe lawyers are filing a motion to reduce the measure of restraint for Andreev and Lee.\nAnatoliy speaks before the court: \"Your Honor, for more than 18 months I have been under the strictest measure of restraint - detention. It brings me and my family pain: physical and emotional... I am a law-abiding citizen, so I came to the investigating authorities voluntarily - as soon as I found out that the investigation was interested in me. Doesn't that prove that I'm not going into hiding?\"\nBoris Andreyev says: \"When the case materials were considered, the transcripts of our meetings were read out, there was not even a hint of any extremism, calls for violence, expressions of hatred towards any groups.\"\nThe defense asks the court to take into account the deterioration of the health of 72-year-old Boris Andreev.\nThe court refuses to satisfy the petitions for mitigation of the measure of restraint for Andreev and Lee.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Andreyev and Others in Yaroslavskiy","date":"2024-04-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavskiy.html#20240418","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","sizo","health-risk","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Valeriy Bailo, a pensioner from the Krasnodar Territory, became accused in the spring of 2024 because of his faith in Jehovah God. His home was searched, after which the man was taken into custody. On March 20, 2025, he died in the hospital, without obtaining medical care and without restoring his good name.\nValeriy was born in November 1957 in the village of Roylyanka, Odessa region of Ukraine. He has a younger brother. Their father worked on a state farm as a combine operator, and their mother was a high school mathematics teacher. The parents are no longer alive.\nAs a child, Valeriy loved to play chess and read books, was engaged in freestyle wrestling. After school, he graduated from the Nikolaev Shipbuilding Institute and got a job at a locomotive depot, where he met Yekaterina. In 1979 they got married. Two sons and a daughter were born in the marriage.\nIn the early 1980s, Valeriy, his wife and son moved to Yakutsk. In 1992, a family with two children returned to Ukraine, and 2 years later they moved to Gelendzhik (Krasnodar Territory).\nIn 1999, Valeriy retired and started breeding goats, rabbits and chickens. Yekaterina taught history and German at college and school. She was fond of local history and tourism—she organized hikes for students, conducted excursions to historical sites in the vicinity of Gelendzhik. Yekaterina also loved to read books, especially poetry, as well as play chess.\nIn the early 2000s, Valeriy became interested in the Bible, and soon his wife joined him in researching this book. In 2001, the couple became Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. They were impressed by the Bible prophecies fulfilled in detail, as well as the scientific facts mentioned in the Bible.\nIn 2002, Yekaterina fell ill and later died of cancer. Due to the default, the family lost all the money earned in the North, and Valeriy and his three children were forced to live at the plant for seven years without electricity and water.\nThe believer suffered from diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and arthrosis of the knee joint of the 2nd and 3rd stages. He needed urgent dental care: in the pre-trial detention center, his only tooth with which he could chew food became inflamed. Prison food caused digestive problems, so the man ate very little, mostly drinking water. Also, Valeriy could hardly move and needed surgery: in 2018, he was seriously injured as a result of a dog attack, he had completely torn knee ligaments sewn together, but over time he needed to replace the kneecap.\nValeriy said that faith in God helped him cope with all the difficulties. Despite all the difficulties, the believer tried to remain calm. \u0026quot;Now we are defending Jehovah, but soon he will stand up for us!\u0026quot; he said.\n","date":"2024-04-18","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/baylo/photo_hu_2fc3a15d3068e508.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/baylo/photo_hu_495af36f72999e4c.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/baylo/photo_hu_8712fcea2f730249.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/baylo/photo_hu_50d20d05916b59f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/baylo.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["elderly","died","health-risk"],"title":"Valeriy Baylo","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Investigator Deshko expands the indictment against Olga Kalinnikova and Larisa Potapova. He charges them with involving a person in the activities of an extremist organization.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kalinnikova and Potapova in Kurilsk","date":"2024-04-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurilsk.html#20240412","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["282.2-1.1","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Another criminal case is being opened against Potapova and Kalinnikova under Part 1.1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (involvement of a person in the activities of an extremist organization) because they talked with a fellow villager on biblical topics.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kalinnikova and Potapova in Kurilsk","date":"2024-04-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurilsk.html#20240410","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1.1","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On April 10, 2024, the sentence entered into force for Ivan Chaikovskiy, Yuriy Chernyshev, Vitaliy Komarov, Sergey Shatalov and Vardan Zakaryan with minor changes made by the Moscow City Court. More than 150 people came to support the believers at the courthouse, but only about 20 were allowed into the courtroom.\nThe criminal prosecution has been going on for about three and a half years. In November 2020, law enforcement officers staged a high-profile mass raid on the believers living in Moscow. One of them, Vardan Zakaryan, was beaten during the raid and ended up in hospital. The men were accused of organizing the activity of an extremist organization and involving others in it because of conversations about the Bible with an undercover agent who feigned interest in this book.\nAll five have been in custody since the announcement of the verdict on March 31, 2023. Chaikovskiy, Chernyshev, Komarov and Shatalov received six years and three months, and Zakaryan — four years and three months in a penal colony with deprivation of the right to lead or participate in the work of public organizations for three years, prohibited from participating in mass events; to report to the state agency supervising the serving a sentence twice a month, and restriction of freedom for a year. During the period of restriction of freedom, the court also banned believers from traveling outside Moscow and the Moscow Region.\nFamily members came to support the believers \u0026quot;The verdict is actually a way to prohibit . . . practicing their religion, which is not banned, in a manner not prohibited by law,\u0026quot; Ivan Chaikovskiy\u0026#39;s lawyer said in his appeal against the verdict. The defense also emphasizes that in the case materials there is no mention of any actions containing signs of extremism.\nThe court of appeal panel ruled to slightly change the verdict: it allowed the convicts to choose where to live after serving the main sentence, but ordered them not to leave the boundaries of the chosen municipality for one year. In addition, the court counted Zakaryan's period of hospitalization toward his period of detention as one and a half days for one day. The periods of restriction of freedom were left unchanged.\nThe European Union and the United Nations have repeatedly called on the Russian authorities to stop persecuting citizens for practicing their religion, and the European Court of Human Rights has fully acquitted Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Russia.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-04-10T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/04/110906/image_hu_6a4ba3733d773b6e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/04/110906/image_hu_fd5ba5e31e02c47f.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/04/110906/image_hu_571abefac1318de7.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/04/110906/image_hu_3a340798f5f04b3e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/04/110906.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":"Believers Were Sent to a Penal Colony for Terms of Four to Six Years","tags":["appeal","282.2-1","282.2-1.1","elderly","liberty-deprivation"],"title":"A Court of Appeal in Moscow Upheld the Verdict of Five Jehovah's Witnesses.","type":"news"},{"body":"The state prosecutor reads out several pages from the volumes of the case, since for technical reasons it is not possible to listen to and view audio and video materials of the case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lyudmila Zinina in Vyselki","date":"2024-04-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki3.html#20240408","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On April 8, 2024, a panel of judges of the Oryol Regional Court, chaired by Judge Yuliya Orlovskaya, approved six years in prison for the faith of Piskarev, Melnik and Putintsev. Taking into account the 3 years and 4 months spent in pre-trial detention before the verdict came into force, they may be released in April 2025.\nThe accusation of organizing the activities of an extremist organization and participating in it was based on audio recordings of a biblical speech that Piskarev rehearsed aloud in his apartment. As a result, on October 13, 2023, the judge of the Sovetskiy District Court of the city of Oryol, Natalya Tishkova, found the three believers guilty.\nPensioner Vladimir Piskarev is experiencing particular difficulties in prison—he had a stroke in the pre-trial detention center and hypertensive crises were recorded twice. In his last plea, he emphasized: \u0026quot;All the accusations that are in the indictment do not correspond to reality, as evidenced by the facts from the criminal case, from the examinations, as well as from the words of prosecution witnesses.\u0026quot; Among other things, it was established that his religion was not prohibited by law, he did not incite religious hatred and never promoted the superiority of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\nEight Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have already been prosecuted in the Oryol Region, including Dennis Christensen, the first Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witness in modern Russia who ended up behind bars only because of his faith.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-04-08T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/referee%27s%20hammer2_hu_cdc5fb2172564231.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/referee%27s%20hammer2.jpg","webp":"/news/common/referee%27s%20hammer2_hu_f79c615f28bc8443.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/referee%27s%20hammer2_hu_813ead7c958d760f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/04/101552.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":"They Will Remain Behind Bars","tags":["appeal","282.2-1","282.2-2","liberty-deprivation","rosfinmonitoring","elderly","hidden-surveillance","health-risk"],"title":"The Verdict Against Three Believers in Oryol Came Into Force After an Appeal.","type":"news"},{"body":"\"My views, as a believing Christian with 33 years of experience, are based on love for God and love for people and have nothing to do with extremism,\" the believer delivered his last speech.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sidorenko in Krasnodar","date":"2024-04-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnodar2.html#20240403","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance","final-statement","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Pavel Sidorenko, 66, a resident of a suburb of Krasnodar, received a suspended sentence of 3 years for talking to local residents about the Bible. On April 3, 2024, the decision in his case was made by Zhanna Velichko, judge of the Goryachy Klyuch City Court.\nIn 2019, the believer took an Orthodox encyclopedia to work to show his colleagues the name \u0026quot;Jehovah\u0026quot; in it. An acquaintance of Pavel Sidorenko gave copies of the pages of this publication to the law enforcement officers. After that, the FSB began wiretapping telephone conversations and found out that he had been talking about the Bible with several local residents. This was enough to initiate a criminal case against Sidorenko on extremism in January 2022. His home was searched, and the believer was placed under a recognizance agreement.\nIn his final statement, Pavel Sidorenko emphasized: \u0026quot;My life in general, as well as the actions that I am charged with, are entirely peaceful. My views as a believing Christian with 33 years of experience are based on love for God and love for people, and have nothing to do with extremism.\u0026quot;\nSidorenko lived in Kuban all his life. He and his wife are now retired; due to the criminal prosecution, the believer was fired from his job. \u0026quot;We both have a small pension. In addition, our adult daughter lives with us, who, due to illness, cannot work. I also can\u0026#39;t get a job to have additional income,\u0026quot; he said. \u0026quot;Our fellow believers help us financially; if necessary, they provide us with transport, and bring food and medicine.\u0026quot;\nAccording to an OSCE statement dated July 28, 2020, \u0026quot;all people, including Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, should be able to peacefully exercise their rights, including the right to freedom of religion, peaceful assembly, and expression without discrimination, as guaranteed by the Constitution of the Russian Federation.\u0026quot; Nevertheless, the number of believers who are prosecuted by the law enforcement officers continues to grow.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-04-03T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/04/041721/image_hu_d5188c2d0791a68c.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/04/041721/image_hu_ce1e8d7d8d21c3a2.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/04/041721/image_hu_ed3607f07a22f607.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/04/041721/image_hu_c8d91fd18627e11c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/04/041721.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":"This is Already the 18th Jehovah's Witness Convicted for his Faith in the Krasnodar Territory","tags":["sentence","282.2-2","suspended","elderly"],"title":"In Goryachy Klyuch, the Court Gave Pavel Sidorenko a 3-Year Suspended Sentence for Talking About the Bible.","type":"news"},{"body":"Addressing the court, the believer said: \"I did not commit a crime, but only exercised my constitutional right to believe in Jehovah God and live in harmony with my religious beliefs and share those beliefs with others.\"\n","date":"2024-04-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/440.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement","elderly"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Pavel Sidorenko in Krasnodar","type":"docs"},{"body":"Bailo is summoned for questioning by the Investigative Committee. He was charged with participating in the activities of an extremist organization, after which he was placed in a temporary detention facility in the city of Krymsk.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Baylo in Kholmskaya","date":"2024-04-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya7.html#20240402","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["search","interrogation","elderly","282.2-2","ivs"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The public prosecutor continues to read out the materials of the case, including the conclusion of the forensic religious examination, a list of material evidence and documents characterizing the defendants.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kruglyakov and Others in Syktyvkar","date":"2024-04-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/syktyvkar.html#20240402","regions":["komi"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Expert Lenar Galiev does not appear at the court hearing. The prosecutor proposes to read out the conclusions of the examination, but the defense insists on personal interrogation of Galiyev due to the fact that his examination is the basis of the charge.\nThe defendant Komissarova petitions for the attachment of documents stating that she was not a member of the LRO of Togliatti, about her financial situation and state of health. Judge Elena Laskina granted the motion.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Komissarova in Tolyatti","date":"2024-04-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti6.html#20240402","regions":["samara"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"E. V. Shevchenko, investigator of the Investigative Directorate for the Abinsk District of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Krasnodar Territory, initiates a criminal case against 66-year-old Valery Bailo under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Baylo in Kholmskaya","date":"2024-03-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya7.html#20240328","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["new-case","elderly","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A. D. Bushuev, investigator of the Korenovsky Interdistrict Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee, initiates a criminal case against Natalia Novoseletskaya under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The believer is suspected of \"taking a direct part in religious teaching and sermons ... entered into conversations and religious discussions with other participants... read aloud to other participants the religious books of Jehovah's Witnesses, emphasizing that these books contain true knowledge about God.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Novoseletskaya in Vyselki","date":"2024-03-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki10.html#20240328","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Instead of returning to the prosecutor's office, the case of Aleksandr Kabanov is again sent to the court of first instance. This decision is made by a panel of judges of the Krasnoyarsk Regional Court chaired by Vitaly Nosov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kabanov in Zelenogorsk","date":"2024-03-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zelenogorsk.html#20240328","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["appeal","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator, Colonel of Justice E. V. Mayboroda attracts Salnikov as an accused. The believer declares: \"I do not consider myself guilty, I have never carried out extremist activities, I have not organized or participated in the activities of any extremist association. I am petitioning for the termination of the criminal case due to the lack of corpus delicti.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Salnikov in Magnitogorsk","date":"2024-03-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magnitogorsk.html#20240327","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["282.2-1","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court is watching a film about the history of repression of Jehovah's Witnesses in the USSR, which is in the case file.\nThe defense attaches an epicrisis after Lubin's treatment in the hospital. A petition is also filed to attach to the case file two more medical reports, medical records, discharge reports and ECHR decisions issued in cases of Jehovah's Witnesses. The judge grants the request, except for the admission of medical records.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lubin in Shadrinsk","date":"2024-03-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shadrinsk.html#20240327","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["first-instance","disability","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On March 25, 2024, Tamara Makarova, judge of the Votkinsk District Court of the Udmurt Republic, found Mikhail Potapov and Sergey Gobozev guilty of extremist activity and sentenced them to fines.\nSergey Gobozev will have to pay 450,000 rubles for peacefully practicing his faith and Mikhail Potapov — 400,000 rubles. The prosecutor requested imprisonment for 6 years and 6 months for both believers. They do not agree with the verdict and can appeal to higher courts.\nThe case has been considered in court for 2.5 years – since September 2021.\n\u0026quot;Extremism is nothing else than a vivid expression of evil and moral baseness,\u0026quot; Mikhail Potapov told the court in his final statement. \u0026quot;So when I read my indictment, which uses the expressions \u0026#39;violent change of foundations,\u0026#39; \u0026#39;violation of integrity,\u0026#39; \u0026#39;undermining security,\u0026#39; \u0026#39;incitement to hatred,\u0026#39; I got shivers down my spine from these terrible words. It would never have entered my mind ... to commit such acts.\u0026quot;\nA similar thought was expressed by Sergey Gobozev in his statement: \u0026quot;Throughout my entire life I have never broken any laws. I am a simple pensioner who honestly earned the title \u0026#39;Veteran of Labor\u0026#39; for my conscientious work for the benefit of the state. And today I am being held responsible for a crime against the foundations of the constitutional order and the security of the state.\u0026quot; He adds: \u0026quot;Without evidence the prosecution is trying to tarnish my hard earned, good reputation. There are no victims in the case, and I did not cause any harm to the state. As a believer, extremism in all its manifestations is alien to me.\u0026quot;\nThe case was launched in January 2021, when the homes of Gobozev and Potapov were searched. Sergey was detained in the hospital, where he took his wife for an appointment. The believers were interrogated, after which Potapov was placed in detention, where he spent almost 4 months, and Gobozev was placed under house arrest for the same period. Later, the preventive measure for the believers was replaced with a ban on certain actions.\nThis is not the only criminal case against Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in the Udmurt Republic. Five more believers are awaiting court decisions.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-03-25T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/03/261307/image_hu_75a2e54be1594563.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/03/261307/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/03/261307/image_hu_6acc991737fa9abe.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/03/261307/image_hu_c79737e7826661e8.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/03/261307.html","regions":["udmurtia"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","282.2-1","elderly"],"title":"Court in Votkinsk Gave Local Jehovah's Witnesses Sergey Gobozev and Mikhail Potapov Large Fines","type":"news"},{"body":"Liliya Dolinina's case is submitted to the Vyazemsky District Court of the Khabarovsk Territory. It will be considered by judge Ksenia Matviyevskaya.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dolinina in Dormidontovka","date":"2024-03-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dormidontovka.html#20240320","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["to-court","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A. Grigoriev, investigator for particularly important cases of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Yaroslavl Region, terminates the case against the believers and withdraws their recognizance not to leave. The ruling states: \"The investigation believes that the actions of E. I. Samoylova, O. V. Golovacheva, D. V. Lebedev and M. V. Ovchinnikov do not contain signs of a crime under part 2 of article 282 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\"\nIn addition, the very fact of participation of believers in the activities of the local religious organization \"Jehovah's Witnesses\" in the city of Rybinsk has not been reliably established. According to the Resolution of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of 28.06.2011 No. 11, to which the investigator refers, participation in the activities of an extremist organization is understood as \"the commission by a person of intentional actions directly related to the continuation or renewal of the activities of this organization.\"\n","caseTitle":"The case of Samoilova and Others in Rybinsk","date":"2024-03-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rybinsk.html#20240320","regions":["yaroslavl"],"tags":["case-dismissed","282.2-2","elderly","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On March 19, 2024, the Fourth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Krasnodar rejected the appeal of Sergey Korolev, Sergey Kosyanenko and Rinat Kiramov against the verdict of the court of first instance. The believers will remain in the penal colony.\nKorolev, Kosyanenko and Kiramov have already been imprisoned for more than two years for ordinary religious practices not related to extremist activity. Their lawyer emphasized this in the cassation appeal: \u0026quot;The court did not substantiate in its decisions why it regarded the peaceful way of expressing faith in God as a way of committing a crime.\u0026quot;\nThe defense also pointed out in the cassation appeal that the verdict and the appellate ruling \u0026quot;were issued with significant violations of the law,\u0026quot; namely: the court did not take into account that the religion of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses is not banned; did not indicate specific extremist actions of the defendants; did not provide evidence of unlawfulness; and did not establish motives for committing the crimes. In addition, the court did not assess the violations during the expert studies, in particular, the fact that the linguist N. V. Gromova encroached on the competence of a religious scholar and tried to \u0026quot;conduct her own religious study.\u0026quot;\nIrina and Galina, Rinat Kiramov\u0026rsquo;s mother and wife, in front of the court of cassation, March 2024 Professor Anatoliy Pchelintsev, an honorable Russian lawyer, said: \u0026quot;Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses as part of global Christianity are recognized and operate unhindered in most countries of the world and are only banned in some countries with a totalitarian regime ... Without guaranteed freedom of conscience, no state can be stable and prosperous.\u0026quot;\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-03-19T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/03/200944/image_hu_6d741bbc2aeb6f69.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/03/200944/image_hu_e35ed00639967ee2.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/03/200944/image_hu_4acaf783a31fbb5c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/03/200944/image_hu_2262827997aa8694.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/03/200944.html","regions":["astrakhan"],"subtitle":"They Will Continue to Serve Their Sentences in the Penal Colony","tags":["cassation","liberty-deprivation","282.2-1","282.3-1","elderly"],"title":"Court of Cassation Did not Change the Harsh Sentence of Three of Jehovah's Witnesses from Akhtubinsk for Their Faith.","type":"news"},{"body":"Sergey Gobozev and Mikhail Potapov give their last word in court.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gobozev and Potapov in Votkinsk","date":"2024-03-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/votkinsk.html#20240318","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The believer told about his life, that he is a simple pensioner who honestly deserved the title of veteran of labor. He asked the court: \"Is this the kind of life extremists lead? Extremism and my religious beliefs are incompatible.\"\n","date":"2024-03-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/436.html","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["elderly","final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Sergei Gobozev in Votkinsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"On March 15, 2024, the trial one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, Yuriy Yuskov, who will be 86 in less than a month, was completed in the Novocheboksarsk City Court of the Chuvash Republic. Judge Aleksandr Zubov gave him a 5-year suspended sentence with a 4-year probation period and 1 year and 4 months of restriction of freedom.\nAccording to the investigation, Yuriy Yuskov is guilty of participating in the activity of an extremist organization and involving others in it, as he \u0026quot;carried out the preaching activity, conducting conversations and teaching religious beliefs.\u0026quot; Without evidence he was accused of promoting the breakup of families. In response, the widower talked about his marriage to Lyudmila, who did not share his religious views: \u0026quot;My wife and I lived together for 59 years and 43 days. Your Honor, are many families today able to maintain their marriage for more than 1 year? I know for a fact that the Bible only strengthens family ties, not destroy them, even if family members practice different religions.\u0026quot;\nOn April 20, 2017, the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation liquidated the legal entities of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses but did not ban practicing this religion. This thought was emphasized by Yuriy Yuskov at one of the hearings: \u0026quot;The Russian authorities have repeatedly stated publicly that the ban applies only to legal entities and does not prevent believers from practicing their religion. And I understood that I had not lost the right to peacefully practice the religion of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\u0026quot;\nThe prosecution of pensioner Yuriy Yuskov began in November 2020, when they searched his home in the case of three believers from Cheboksary. The security forces returned for a second search in May 2023, when A. Mukhin, a senior investigator of the Investigative Department of the FSB of Russia for the Chuvash Republic, initiated a criminal case against him. The charge was based on the testimony of two secret witnesses; part of the court hearings was held behind closed doors, but the court allowed five listeners to attend the announcement of the verdict. About 30 more people who came to support the believer were waiting for the decision outside the courthouse.\nYuriy Yuskov intends to appeal the verdict.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-03-15T14:19:40+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/03/151419/image_hu_edfa9c78ce973ee1.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/03/151419/image_hu_3fa6f418ef5ae0ff.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/03/151419/image_hu_41581ecd2ae2a37d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/03/151419/image_hu_b79d8f2e773014d1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/03/151419.html","regions":["chuvashia"],"subtitle":"Yuriy Yuskov was given a 5-year suspended sentence","tags":["sentence","282.2-1.1","282.2-2","secret-witness","elderly","suspended"],"title":"Court in Chuvashia Announced the Verdict Against One of the Oldest Prisoners of Conscience for his Faith.","type":"news"},{"body":"\"I am proud to be one of Jehovah's Witnesses, and I will never deny it, no matter what I am threatened,\" Yuriy Yuskov delivered his final statement.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yuskov in Novocheboksarsk","date":"2024-03-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocheboksarsk.html#20240313","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["defense-arguments","final-statement","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The 85-year-old believer said in his last statement: \"I am not being judged because I committed some malicious crime. No. I am being judged for being one of Jehovah's Witnesses. But I'm proud of it and I will never deny it, no matter what I am threatened.\"\n","date":"2024-03-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/435.html","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement","elderly"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Yuriy Yuskov in Novocheboksarsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"Pavel Brilkov, one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses from Prokopyevsk, will serve a 2-year suspended sentence for his faith based on the March 12, 2024 decision of the Kemerovo Regional Court. Two months earlier, a lower court had sentenced him to 2 years and 10 months of forced labor, despite his disability and retirement age.\nAddressing the appeal panel, Brilkov said that he considers the case fabricated, and himself innocent. \u0026quot;My conscience is calm because I have not violated either the Criminal Code or the law of God \u0026ndash; my actions have not caused any harm to anyone,\u0026quot; he said in his final statement.\nThe criminal prosecution of Brilkov began in March 2023. Until the verdict was passed, he was under a recognizance agreement.\nIn the Kemerovo Region, 18 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses are being prosecuted, including three women.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-03-12T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/03/131340/image_hu_f4a9d7c939ef7661.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/03/131340/image_hu_e2c7a12c28aa0d13.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/03/131340/image_hu_ad170b4d82b609ac.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/03/131340/image_hu_2bd70dca897d728b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/03/131340.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"subtitle":"In Kemerovo, The Court of Appeal Changed the Sentence of a Pensioner","tags":["appeal","282.2-2","labor","suspended","elderly","disability","rosfinmonitoring"],"title":"Two Years Suspended Instead of Three Years of Forced Labor for Reading the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests 6 and a half years for Mikhail Potapov and Sergey Gobozev in a general regime colony with the appointment of an additional punishment in the form of deprivation of the right to engage in activities related to participation in the work of religious organizations for a period of 5 years, with restriction of freedom for a period of 1 year.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gobozev and Potapov in Votkinsk","date":"2024-03-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/votkinsk.html#20240311","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["punishment-request","elderly","282.2-1","liberty-deprivation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"One of the largest cases for faith of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Russia, in which the investigation and trial lasted almost 6 years, ended in a guilty verdict. On March 6, 2024, Tatyana Belayeva, judge of the Magadan City Court, gave suspended sentences to believers aged 31 to 73.\nSergey Yerkin, Konstantin Petrov and Ivan Puyda received 7 years, Yevgeniy Zyablov received 5 years, Sergey Agadzhanov, Viktor Revyakin, Mikhail and Oksana Solntsev, Irina Khvostova, Lyubov Asatryan, Galina Dergacheva, Inna Kardakova and Galina Pechko received 3 years — all suspended with a probation period of 2 to 5 years. As an additional punishment, believers were given a restriction of freedom from 10 months to 1 year.\nA criminal case was initiated in May 2018, followed by searches. Ivan Puyda was detained by the law enforcement officers in Khabarovsk, 1600 km from Magadan. He, as well as Petrov, Zyablov and Yerkin were behind bars between 2 and 4 months. As a result of the second wave of searches in March 2019, Lyubov Asatryan, Irina Khvostova, Mikhail and Oksana Solntsev, Inna Kardakova, Galina Dergacheva, Viktor Revyakin and Sergey Agadzhanov became defendants in the case. Galina Pechko was added to the list 2 years later.\nThe charges of organizing, financing and participating in the activity of an extremist organization was based on hidden recordings of meetings for worship, during which the believers discussed compassion and love for people and forgiveness and hope. The testimonies of witnesses, including the FSB officer who conducted operational work within the case, did not reveal any expression of extremism at these religious meetings. At court hearings, the defense has repeatedly noted that all 13 believers have a reputation of being decent, intelligent and hardworking people.\nThe support of relatives and friends helped the believers to cope with the difficulties caused by the criminal prosecution. Galina Pechko said: \u0026quot;I can reach out to them at any time. I hear so many words of encouragement that warm my heart and help me endure everyday difficulties.\u0026quot; According to Ivan Puyda, during his imprisonment his grandfather\u0026#39; example of resilience, who was also persecuted for his faith in Soviet times, strengthened him: \u0026quot;If he were alive, he would be proud of me ... His example inspired me to remain faithful and courageous.\u0026quot;\nThe convicted persons deny their guilt of extremism, as they said in their final statements.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-03-06T15:40:55+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/03/061540/image_hu_86ab41fe53aa9588.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/03/061540/image_hu_825778185ea6abcf.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/03/061540/image_hu_3a1ab65cb533f38b.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/03/061540/image_hu_fc2c61bb0bf26a25.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/03/061540.html","regions":["magadan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","282.2-1","282.2-2","282.3-1","suspended","elderly","families"],"title":"Court In Magadan Gave 13 Jehovah's Witnesses Suspended Sentences From 3 to 7 Years","type":"news"},{"body":"Referee: Andrey Slavinsky. Oktyabrsky District Court of Irkutsk (287 Baikalskaya St., room No. 312). Time: 10:00.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2024-03-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk.html#20240304","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["final-statement","sentence","sizo","recognizance-agreement","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A woman with whom Nadezhda Korobochko periodically talked about the Bible is being interrogated. She confirms that she communicated with the believer for two years only on religious topics. The woman explains that the defendant never invited her to worship, did not say anything about refusing blood transfusions or about the superiority of her religion over others. The prosecution witness herself gave the believer her phone number, as she was interested in communicating with her.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kononenko and Others in Nikolayevsk-on-Amur","date":"2024-03-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nikolayevsk_na_amure.html#20240304","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor asks the court to find the 85-year-old Yuskov guilty of extremism and sentence him to 5 years of suspended imprisonment with a probationary period of 2.5 years. As a mitigating circumstance, the prosecutor mentions the age of the defendant.\n13 people come to support the believer. Four people are allowed into the hall. Yuri reads out his written notes. He asks the court to stop his criminal prosecution. Judge Zubov refuses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yuskov in Novocheboksarsk","date":"2024-03-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocheboksarsk.html#20240304","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["punishment-request","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Early in the morning in Omsk, security forces armed with assault rifles conduct searches at least 7 addresses.\n7 law enforcement officers come to the apartment of the Rygaev spouses, accompanied by investigator Saltanat Zhansakova. At this time, Sergey is detained on the street on his way to work. According to the believer, three FSB officers beat him in a police van and pulled a bag over his head, demanding to give him the password for his phone. Then he is brought home. After the search, the spouses are taken to the Investigative Committee for interrogation.\nDuring a search in the Pyzhovs' apartment, the security forces hit Leonid in the face, demanding to name the password from the smartphone. The spouse is at work at this time.\nThe security forces break into the house of two other women. They, as well as their elderly parents, become ill, they are allowed to drink medicine. After the search, the whole family is taken for interrogation.\nIn the apartment of a 52-year-old believer, the security forces, among other things, tear up children's crafts and check their contents. The woman is taken away for interrogation, later released. Her passport is confiscated, which is why she cannot seek medical help and restore her SIM card.\nIn another case, at least 10 security officials searched the apartment of a 62-year-old believer.\nIn total, on this day, about 15 believers and their families are taken to the Investigative Committee for interrogation. After interrogation, the 67-year-old woman becomes ill, she asks to call an ambulance, but instead she is taken home.\nLeonid Pyzhov and Sergey Rygaev are placed in a temporary detention facility.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rygaev and Pyzhov in Omsk","date":"2024-03-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/omsk3.html#20240304","regions":["omsk"],"tags":["search","interrogation","health-risk","elderly","siloviks-violence","ivs"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Using historical facts, the believer showed the court that Jehovah's Witnesses are not guilty of what they are accused of. \"Being subjected to illegal persecution and accusation of extremism,\" Yelena said, \"I have absolutely no resentment, no anger, no thirst for revenge towards my accusers.\"\n","date":"2024-03-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/432.html","regions":["samara"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement","elderly"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Elena Kozhevnikova in Togliatti","type":"docs"},{"body":"The believer has repeatedly stressed that there is no evidence of his guilt in any of the 36 volumes of the case: \"On what basis did they decide that I am an extremist, that I call for religious hatred, that I tower over someone? Not a single remark, there is not a single witness who would confirm this.\n","date":"2024-03-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/433.html","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement","elderly"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Sergey Kosteev in Irkutsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"Stanislav Martyn is being interrogated. He states that he knew A. Kocherov at work; In the fall of 2019, he asked him to give driving lessons to his wife. According to him, during the classes they talked several times with Lyubov about the Bible, after which he turned to the FSB and began to record their conversations.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kocherova and Ovchinnikova in Knyaze-Volkonskoye","date":"2024-03-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/knyaze-volkonskoe2.html#20240301","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Tatyana Piskareva, a pensioner from Oryol, was found guilty of participating in the activity of an extremist organization because of her faith. On March 1, 2024, Dmitriy Sukhov, judge of the Sovetskiy District Court of Oryol, sentenced her to 2 years and 6 months of forced labor.\nThe believer\u0026#39;s case continues the trend of prosecuting several family members at once: Tatyana\u0026#39;s husband, Vladimir, received 6 years in a penal colony under an article for extremism and is now awaiting an appeal. He was arrested after searches in December 2020 and has been behind bars ever since. There he suffered several hypertensive crises and a stroke; he was diagnosed with coronary artery disease. Tatyana said: \u0026quot;I wanted to help my husband when he had a crisis, but I could not help in any way. It was painful to watch the inactivity of the pretrial detention center.\u0026quot;\nThe RF Investigative Committee initiated a case against Piskareva in October 2021. She was accused of participating in meetings for worship via video conferencing. A year and a half later, the trial began. At the hearing, it turned out that 11 of the 13 prosecution witnesses did not know the believer.\n\u0026quot;I love all people regardless of their nationality, race, skin color and language, religion and other beliefs. I hate extremism in any form,\u0026quot; Tatyana said during the trial. \u0026quot;I am a believer, one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, and this is not a crime.\u0026quot; The decision of the court may be appealed in higher instances.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-03-01T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/03/041031/image_hu_cbe031a6096731a3.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/03/041031/image_hu_88f06cf3a12aad0f.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/03/041031/image_hu_b0cf6c43cf02ff8c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/03/041031/image_hu_ad59171e7613e710.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/03/041031.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":"Earlier, her Husband Had Received 6 Years in a Penal Colony for Similar Charges","tags":["sentence","labor","282.2-2","families","elderly"],"title":"A Court in Oryol Sentenced Tatyana Piskareva, 67, to 2.5 Years of Forced Labor for Participating in Peaceful Worship.","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 29, 2024, Sergey Kochetkov, judge of the Teykovo District Court of the Ivanovo Region, sentenced Vladimir Spivak, Aleksandr Vasichkin, Sergey Galyamin and Anatoliy Lyamo to large fines for practicing their faith.\nNone of the convicted persons pleaded guilty. They can appeal the verdict. The state prosecutor requested fines between 700,000 and 1,200,000 rubles be imposed on the men. The court fined the believers slightly less: Vladimir Spivak 600,000, Sergey Galyamin 650,000, Aleksandr Vasichkin and Anatoliy Lyamo 1,100,000 rubles each.\nFriends came to the courthouse to support the believers, February 29, 2024. Vasichkin and Spivak first encountered searches back in 2015; Vladimir and his wife were under surveillance by security forces. Later, in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic in April 2020, the homes of the believers were again searched, and a criminal case was initiated. It went to court in January 2023 and was examined for just over a year. Throughout this time, the men were under recognizance agreements.\nTwo secret witnesses who had attended meetings of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses\u0026#39; several times in the past, testified in court. They explained that they had not heard any calls for violence, religious hatred or overthrow of the government; they also could not confirm the accusations against the believers and admitted they had not been threatened by them. Other witnesses for the prosecution described the defendants positively.\nThe charges were based, among other things, on the expert study of Tatyana Belova, PhD in Philosophy. She allegedly identified the voice of Sergey Galyamin on one of the recordings and made her conclusions based on this. However, a phonetic expert study conducted by another expert proved that it was not Galyamin\u0026#39;s voice.\nDespite their own difficulties, the four believers try to support their fellow believers who find themselves in similar circumstances. Aleksandr Vasichkin said: \u0026quot;I try to attend court hearings of other believers. I went to help one of my friends rebuild their house after a fire.\u0026quot;\nIn the Ivanovo Region, 13 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses are currently being prosecuted for their faith in 5 criminal cases.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-02-29T09:29:54+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/03/010929/image_hu_1dfa1b6ecf9381f0.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/03/010929/image_hu_dbe2a866baf22d5f.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/03/010929/image_hu_23810b52005db508.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/03/010929/image_hu_6e05ccba0f8645ac.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/03/010929.html","regions":["ivanovo"],"subtitle":"Four Believers Were Ordered to Pay Between 600,000 and 1,100,000 Rubles for Their Beliefs","tags":["elderly","sentence","282.2-1","282.2-2","fine","282.3-1"],"title":"Court in Teykovo Considered the Common Religious Practice of Jehovah's Witnesses to Be Extremism.","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 28, 2024, Valentina Samus, 74, appeared before the court of appeal for her faith. The chamber of the Kostroma Regional Court upheld the sentence of the court of first instance \u0026ndash; 6 years suspended. The believer can appeal this decision to the court of cassation.\nAccording to Samus, her actions were peaceful, and the charge does not contain any indication of any calls for violence or religious hatred and enmity. \u0026quot;The court found me guilty not for committing a crime, but for my religious beliefs, for my peaceful and law-abiding way of life, for a sincere desire to selflessly help other people, talking about what I myself learned from the Bible,\u0026quot; Valentina said in her final statement. \u0026quot;In fact, the court forbade me to practice the unforbidden religion of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses and to worship God according to the canons of the Bible.\u0026quot;\nIn the Kostroma Region, 4 of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have already been convicted for their religious views. One of them, Dmitriy Terebilov, is serving his sentence in a strict regime penal colony.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-02-28T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/02/280912/image_hu_b818623527de5858.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/02/280912/image_hu_db90c4cf021d0703.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/02/280912/image_hu_20471028de089a7e.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/02/280912/image_hu_eac85c890e8bdb63.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/02/280912.html","regions":["kostroma"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","282.2-1","elderly"],"title":"Regional Court Upheld Suspended Sentence Against Elderly Believer from Kostroma for Bible Conversations","type":"news"},{"body":"The court is considering the issue of extending the period of detention of defendants in the pre-trial detention center until June 22. By this time, the believers will have been detained for 21 months.\nAnatoly Lee objects to this. He emphasizes that he voluntarily appeared in the investigating authorities and by his actions showed that he was not going to hide. The defense draws the court's attention to the fact that he has been in jail for almost a year and a half, although Russian law prohibits keeping a person in custody for so long only on the basis of the severity of the charge. In addition, the guilt of the defendant has not been proven, and Anatoly himself never tried to influence the course of the investigation.\nNatalia Sharapova declares: \"I have no need to escape. Moreover, I live with my elderly mother, who is already 82 years old. My mom broke her leg and can't walk. I really want to help her, to be there for her. I obey God's laws, which speak only of love. And psycholinguistic examinations confirm that there was no extremism in my actions.\"\nNataliya's lawyer notes: \"Of course, the court will decide whether joint prayers are a crime, but [even in the case of accusations of] serious crimes, people are given a mitigated measure of restraint. It is unwise to keep people under the strictest measure of restraint for so long for drinking tea and discussing the Bible.\"\nSharapova and Lee separately ask the court to release Boris Andreev from the pre-trial detention center, as his health is deteriorating. Boris's defenders add that, on the recommendation of an oncologist, a believer needs to undergo regular medical examinations. In addition, they draw attention to the fact that Andreev is more than 72 years old (he is one of the oldest Jehovah's Witnesses behind bars - Ed.).\nDespite the arguments voiced, the judge leaves all three behind bars. Then the court proceeds to the study of the case materials.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Andreyev and Others in Yaroslavskiy","date":"2024-02-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavskiy.html#20240227","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","sizo","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"FSB operative A.A. Ogienko is being interrogated, who forced Kocherov to introduce his wife, Lyubov Kocherova, to Martyn. Martyn's recorded conversations about the Bible were submitted for examination to a religious scholar, who concluded that the topics discussed were characteristic of Jehovah's Witnesses. When asked by the lawyer whether the defendants had talked about the Bible with other people, the witness answered in the negative.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kocherova and Ovchinnikova in Knyaze-Volkonskoye","date":"2024-02-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/knyaze-volkonskoe2.html#20240226","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The believer explained his feelings to the court: \"It is terrible that in our democratic country in the XXI century there are medieval judgments against people whose guilt lies only in the fact that they believe in God and live according to biblical laws.\"\n","date":"2024-02-22T13:41:11+02:00","permalink":"/en/docs/430.html","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement","elderly"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Vladimir Spivak in Teikov","type":"docs"},{"body":"Speaking before the court, the believer quoted the words of Jesus Christ that his followers would be persecuted. Anatoliy continued: \"Even criminal prosecution can be called an element of the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, and creeds cannot be the subject of trial.\"\n","date":"2024-02-22T13:38:33+02:00","permalink":"/en/docs/429.html","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement","elderly"],"title":"Anatoliy Lyamo's last word in Teikovo","type":"docs"},{"body":"\"What threat can come from people who learn to love others on the basis of the Bible?\" Alexander Vasichkin, Anatoliy Lyamo and Vladimir Spivak speak in court with their last word.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vasichkin and Others in Teykovo","date":"2024-02-22T13:37:28+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/teykovo.html#20240222","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor is requesting a three-year suspended sentence for Pavel Sidorenko.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sidorenko in Krasnodar","date":"2024-02-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnodar2.html#20240221","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["punishment-request","suspended","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"State prosecutor Oksana Slobodyannik, speaking in the debate, asks the court to sentence Tatyana Piskareva to 5 years in prison.\nThe defendant's lawyer objects: \"During the investigation, it was revealed that there were no grounds for punishment. The accusations are unfounded and unsubstantiated. Piskareva peacefully practiced her religion, according to Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation. I ask the court to acquit the client.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Piskareva in Oryol","date":"2024-02-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orel4.html#20240221","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["punishment-request","defense-arguments","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On February 21, 2024, Vladimir Baykalov\u0026#39;s sentence — 6 years suspended for talking about the Bible — entered into force by the decision of Natalya Vorobyeva, judge of the Kemerovo Regional Court. The believer still insists he is innocent of extremism.\nDuring the trial, Vladimir Baykalov stated: \u0026quot;It became obvious that I was convicted not for any extremist actions or statements, but for my peaceful religious beliefs, for faith not prohibited by law, which I express by praying to God, reading, studying and applying the Holy Scriptures in my life for the benefit of people and society.\u0026quot; In his appeal, Baykalov pointed out that reading sacred texts, participating in joint meetings for worship and the life of the community are ways of expressing faith and cannot be considered a crime in themselves.\nIn the Kemerovo Region, 18 of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have already faced prosecution for their faith.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-02-21T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/02/221146/image_hu_b0916d6240d4efde.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/02/221146/image_hu_1489ad7ec7fd1109.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/02/221146/image_hu_2dea8e5e6743317d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/02/221146/image_hu_947c32d2b0cfed48.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/02/221146.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","282.2-1","elderly"],"title":"Court of Appeal in Kemerovo Upheld Suspended Sentence Against 60-year-old Vladimir Baykalov for his Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"The head of the FSB department , Gvardeev, is being interrogated. He says that in 2019 he received a message from an embedded FSB agent Stanislav Martyn that they were talking to him on biblical topics. After that, the believers were monitored and subsequently the information was transferred to the Investigative Committee.\nProsecution witness Romanov explains that Lyubov Kocherova is the wife of his colleague, and he knows Ovchinnikova only outwardly. Romanov cannot confirm whether the local community of Jehovah's Witnesses held services after the liquidation of their legal entities in 2017.\nAnother witness says that she has friendly relations with Ovchinnikova and Kocherova. According to the woman, shortly before the interrogation, she underwent eye surgery and could not see well. However, the interrogation protocol was not read to her, and she signed it, trusting the investigator.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kocherova and Ovchinnikova in Knyaze-Volkonskoye","date":"2024-02-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/knyaze-volkonskoe2.html#20240220","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge postpones the hearing for several reasons: Andrey Kharlamov continues treatment after surgery; Lydia Nekrasova's husband died.\nAt the next hearing, the state prosecutor plans to continue reading out the case materials.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kruglyakov and Others in Syktyvkar","date":"2024-02-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/syktyvkar.html#20240220","regions":["komi"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Nikolay Egorov refuses to soften Lyubov Galitsyna's preventive measure to a ban on certain actions and extends her house arrest.\nThe prosecutor continues to present evidence. The defense draws attention to the fact that one of the three questions posed to the experts is legal. The experts' conclusions say that the video recordings recorded meetings of followers of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses and there were no extremist statements there.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yeritsyan and Others in Novocherkassk","date":"2024-02-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocherkassk.html#20240219","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["first-instance","house-arrest","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sakun is given a recognizance not to leave and proper behavior.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sakun in Kovrov","date":"2024-02-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov6.html#20240216","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court examines the written materials of the case. The defendants ask the prosecutor to read out the examinations in full so that the court understands what happened at the services.\nAmong the materials of the case are books that the investigator recognized as material evidence, although these publications are not included in the list of extremist materials and are freely available.\nThe general condition of Khachaturyan and Yeritsyan, who have been in pre-trial detention for more than a year and a half, is satisfactory. Gevorg keeps fit by playing sports.\nLyubov Galitsyna recovers after a stay in a pre-trial detention center.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yeritsyan and Others in Novocherkassk","date":"2024-02-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocherkassk.html#20240215","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["first-instance","sizo","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests punishment in the form of fines for believers: for Alexander Vasichkin and Anatoly Lyamo - 1,200,000 rubles each, for Vladimir Spivak and Sergey Galyamin - 700,000 rubles each.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vasichkin and Others in Teykovo","date":"2024-02-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/teykovo.html#20240215","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["punishment-request","defense-arguments","fine","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Tatyana Galkevich, 64, and Valentina Vladimirova, 67, Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses from Smolensk, were each given a 2-year suspended sentence with restriction of freedom for a year for their faith. This decision was made by the Promyshlennyy District Court of Smolensk on February 14, 2024. The believers deny being guilty of extremism and consider the verdict groundless.\n\u0026quot;Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, as law-abiding citizens, have stopped using their buildings for worship, but they cannot stop worshiping God and keep silent about the beautiful Bible truths,\u0026quot; Vladimirova said. Galkevich commented on the trial as follows: \u0026quot;The example of Jesus Christ himself helps me ... not to be embittered under these circumstances, when I am prosecuted without grounds and given the dreadful label of an extremist.\u0026quot;\nAfter searches in May 2019, both believers ended up behind bars. They spent 6 months in a pretrial detention center, then they were placed under house arrest: Tatyana for 9 months, and Valentina for 2 years and 4 months. The believers were accused of participating in the activity of an extremist organization. The investigation was conducted by the Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Smolensk Region.\nThe Promyshlennyy District Court returned the case to the Prosecutor\u0026#39;s Office twice because of violations. The final hearing began in April 2023 and the trial was led by Judge Lyudmila Kovaleva. During the proceedings, Galkevich and Vladimirova repeatedly stressed that the case materials only indicate their religious affiliation with Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. However, they do not mention any extremist actions or statements. The believers were also baffled by a religious expert study carried out by a graduate of the Orthodox Theological Academy, PhD in Theology, specializing in the \u0026quot;elders of Valaam ascetics.\u0026quot;\nValentina Vladimirova and Tatiana Galkevich can appeal the verdict in the court of appeal.\nIn the Smolensk Region, six more of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have faced prosecution by the authorities. Five of them were given suspended sentences ranging from 6 to 6.5 years.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-02-14T14:20:47+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/02/161420/image_hu_6200556dded49837.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/02/161420/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/02/161420/image_hu_ab6f9c342472b904.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/02/161420/image_hu_5cde6df92f321058.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/02/161420.html","regions":["smolensk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","282.2-2","elderly","suspended"],"title":"Court in Smolensk Gave Two Elderly Women a 2-year Suspended Sentence — They \"Participated in Joint Prayers to Jehovah and Discussion of Bible Interpretations\"","type":"news"},{"body":"In the last word, the believer told how the Bible affects her life: she pays taxes, obeys the laws and works conscientiously. She said, \"Giving up my faith is not an option for me... I can say with a clear conscience that I am not guilty of extremism.\"\n","date":"2024-02-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/426.html","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Tatyana Galkevich in Smolensk","type":"docs"},{"body":"Speaking before the court, the believer stated that she had never been a member of any banned organization, had nothing to do with extremism and her conscience before God was clear.\n","date":"2024-02-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/425.html","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The Last Word of the Defendant Valentina Vladimirova in Smolensk","type":"docs"},{"body":"Aleksandr Gaitur is a third-generation Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witness. He was born and raised in Siberia, where his parents were exiled in 1949 along with their families from the Moldavian SSR for being Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. In 1989, the Gaitur family was rehabilitated, having received the status of victims of political repression. But 34 years later, Aleksandr faced criminal prosecution for his faith.\nHe was born in 1962 in the village of Voroshilovo (Kurgan region). By this time, the family already had a son and a daughter. Later, Aleksandr had another brother and sister.\nAs a child, the boy was fond of sports and fishing. In 1969, the family was allowed to return to Moldova. There, Aleksandr graduated from a construction school with a degree in carpentry. At the same time, he studied at the Kishinev football school and for some time played in the youth national football team of the MSSR. He also played for district teams in hockey, basketball and volleyball.\nAleksandr has worked as a builder all his life. In the early 1980s, he moved to Kurgan for work, and later settled in the village of Novoberyozovo, Petukhov district. In 1989, Aleksandr met his future wife Svetlana, and in 1992 they got married. The following year, they embarked on the Christian path. \u0026quot;I have always considered myself one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses,\u0026quot; recalls Aleksandr. \u0026quot;I was attracted to the truth by the example of my parents: serving God was the main goal of their lives, and they tried to instill in us, children, love for God and neighbors. I have also always been amazed at the accuracy of Bible prophecy fulfillment.\u0026quot;\nThe couple raised three children, they already have three grandchildren. Recently, Aleksandr has been fond of fishing and beekeeping. Svetlana is a housewife, she likes to garden, run a farm in which there are chickens and a goat.\nThe criminal prosecution of Aleksandr had a negative impact on the life of his family. \u0026quot;I started having problems with my work, several clients refused my services,\u0026quot; the believer said. The search and interrogation were stressful for his wife and 86-year-old mother. What was happening to Aleksandr made her remember the severity of the repression that she herself had to endure many years ago. She wonders: \u0026quot;Why, after the rehabilitation of our family, do my children and grandchildren have to face persecution again?\u0026quot;\nNumerous relatives of Aleksandr and Svetlana worry about them and consider the criminal case against the believer unfair.\n","date":"2024-03-21","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/gaytur/photo_hu_8daa3b54bbbe172c.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/gaytur/photo_hu_3d1d503b47976f3c.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/gaytur/photo_hu_b3169453c974a10a.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/gaytur/photo_hu_85c7f98d250a7b57.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/gaytur.html","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["ussr","elderly","families"],"title":"Aleksandr Gaytur","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"The believer spoke about her spiritual quest and how studying the Bible has changed her life for the better: \"I am accused of hatred and extremism. This is a mistake! My God, Jehovah, loves people and teaches me that.\" She added that the accusations against her only strengthened her faith and confirmed the correctness of the choice made.\n","date":"2024-02-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/423.html","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement","elderly"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Galina Dergacheva in Magadan","type":"docs"},{"body":"The 70-year-old believer said that she lives a peaceful life and is innocent of anything. \"I have not heard any reasoned evidence of my \"serious\" crime. Tell me, please, what article of the Constitution of the Russian Federation says that being a Witness of God is a crime?\" she asked.\n","date":"2024-02-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/418.html","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement","elderly"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Galina Pechko in Magadan","type":"docs"},{"body":"Explaining her position to the court, the believer noted: \"Millions of people in our country go to churches, mosques, practice their religion, talk about God among themselves and with others. I also worshipped the living God Jehovah at meetings. And I'm being judged for it.\"\n","date":"2024-02-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/424.html","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement","elderly"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Lyubov Asatryan in Magadan","type":"docs"},{"body":"The believer explained how and why he became Jehovah's Witness: \"A person needs faith in a happy future, hope for the best, because we are so created by our Creator.\"\n","date":"2024-02-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/422.html","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement","elderly"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Mikhail Solntsev in Magadan","type":"docs"},{"body":"The defendant explains why there is no evidence of his extremist motives in the case: \"I have the same motive: I wish good to all people, to everyone without exception and to those who acted as witnesses for the prosecution too.\"\n","date":"2024-02-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/416.html","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement","elderly"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Sergey Agadzhanov in Magadan","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his speech, the believer said: \"The term 'extremism' and this concept itself are not only not to my heart, but even disgusting in its essence. It does not lead to peace and harmony not only between people, but also with God... It is God who makes me a peacemaker and a good citizen, not a criminal.\"\n","date":"2024-02-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/417.html","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement","elderly"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Viktor Revyakin in Magadan","type":"docs"},{"body":"Ivan Puida, Sergey Yerkin, Konstantin Petrov and Evgeny Zyablov deliver their closing remarks.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2024-02-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan.html#20240209","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In his final statement, 70-year-old Sergey Yerkin said: \"How can I not worship Jehovah God? Not only the Bible, but also the environment, nature teaches me that it would not be reasonable.\"\n","date":"2024-02-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/413.html","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement","elderly"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Sergey Yerkin in Magadan","type":"docs"},{"body":"On February 9, 2024, Vilen Avanesov was released from Penal colony No.3 in Dimitrovgrad, having served his sentence imposed by the court. For talking about God with friends at home, the elderly believer spent 2.5 years in a detention center and more than 2 years in a penal colony.\nVilen served his sentence in the penal colony together with his son Arsen, who will have to spend another year in prison. Both worked in the sewing department. They received several rewards for their hard work. Largely due to Vilen\u0026#39;s love for people, he developed friendly relations with his cellmates and the administration. \u0026quot;He was respected in the detention center and respected in the colony,\u0026quot; said Vilen\u0026#39;s wife, Stella.\nThe most difficult thing for Vilen was the being separated from his loved ones. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the believer could not see his wife for 1.5 years. \u0026quot;He always tried to maintain a positive attitude, to look cheerful, and this comforted me a lot,\u0026quot; said Stella.\nDuring imprisonment, Vilen received many letters, photographs and postcards from all over the world. His wife received also practical assistance. \u0026quot;Our friends proved to be a real protection during times of distress. Nothing stopped them from showing care, love and kindness,\u0026quot; she says. \u0026quot;Fellow believers from the city where the penal colony is located became a great support. They took me into their home when I came to visit; every month they took food and medicine to the penal colony, their help is priceless\u0026quot;.\nIn August 2024, the sentence of another defendant in this criminal case, Aleksandr Parkov, who is in penal colony No.10 in the Rostov Region, ends.\n","category":"sentence","date":"2024-02-09T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/02/121547/image_hu_8150018233865fea.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/02/121547/image_hu_9742cabdf4ee8539.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/02/121547/image_hu_70db735c9db11da9.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/02/121547/image_hu_b18ed0ad75b5f1b0.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/02/121547.html","regions":["rostov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["release","elderly","families","letters"],"title":"Vilen Avanesov, Convicted for his Faith in Jehovah God, Was Released After Almost 5 Years Behind Bars","type":"news"},{"body":"Publications published by Jehovah's Witnesses, as well as books by Russian religious scholars Nikolai Gordienko, Mikhail Odintsov and Sergey Ivanenko, are examined.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lubin in Shadrinsk","date":"2024-02-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shadrinsk.html#20240208","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["first-instance","disability","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Skvortsov's chronic diseases have worsened, and there is no way to receive the necessary medical care in the colony.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skvortsov and Others in Taganrog","date":"2024-02-07T13:53:54+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/taganrog.html#20240207","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["life-in-prison","prison-treatment","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On February 6, 2024, at least 7 addresses of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses and their relatives were searched in the cities of Shakhunya and Gorodets, and the village of Vakhtan (Nizhny Novgorod Region). Those affected included elderly and families with children. Some were interrogated and later released.\nThe searches began around 6 a.m. and lasted between 2 and 5 hours. They were conducted by law enforcement officers — local and from Nizhny Novgorod. They seized electronic devices, personal notes, data storage and Bibles. In most cases, the law enforcement officers behaved properly. One of the believers, an elderly man, repeatedly lost consciousness during the search; an ambulance was called for him twice and eventually he was taken to the hospital, from where he was discharged later.\nThe interrogations of the believers were led by T.A. Smirnova, senior investigator of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for the city of Shakhunya.\nThis is not the first wave of prosecutions of believers in the Nizhny Novgorod Region. Already 13 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in the region have been sentenced for practicing their religion.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2024-02-06T08:50:40+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/02/090850/image_hu_29d53cd570fdc56e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/02/090850/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/02/090850/image_hu_c5fd6cb37fc18e5f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/02/090850/image_hu_6aa259dc26744bd6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/02/090850.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"subtitle":"One of Them Ended up in Hospital","tags":["search","interrogation","elderly","minors"],"title":"In the Nizhny Novgorod Region, Searches Were Carried Out at the Homes of Believers.","type":"news"},{"body":"The Investigative Committee is conducting searches in the apartments of both believers. Alexander Krushevsky's investigative actions are led by I. Y. Nenko, Anatoly Artamonov's — senior investigator D. V. Emelianenko. Later, Krushevsky was taken to the Investigative Committee and interrogated. The believer explains to the investigator that he is a person with hearing disability of group III.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Krushevskiy and Artamonov in Birobidzhan","date":"2024-02-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan21.html#20240206","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["search","interrogation","disability","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The deputy head of the investigation department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Lieutenant Colonel of Justice S. N. Galyamov, initiates a criminal case against unidentified persons for participation in the activities of an extremist organization.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Serdtseva and Others in Shakhunya","date":"2024-02-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shakhunya.html#20240206","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["search","interrogation","new-case","282.2-2","elderly","minors","health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Olga Panyuta is still being held in strict conditions and in need of dental treatment. During the day, the believer is in a common room with 11 prisoners, and at night everyone is divided into 4-bed cells. A woman is allowed daily walks for 1.5 hours.\nPanyuta has a good relationship with others. Letters of support, as well as visits with her husband, help her maintain a positive attitude.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malevaniy and Others in Spassk-Dalniy","date":"2024-02-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/spassk-dalny.html#20240206","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["life-in-prison","elderly","strict-conditions","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Birobidzhan District Court Olga Klyuchikova, who previously handed down guilty verdicts in three cases of Jehovah's Witnesses, allows searches of 71-year-old Anatoly Artamonov and 45-year-old Aleksandr Krushevskiy. Both men are hard of hearing.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Krushevskiy and Artamonov in Birobidzhan","date":"2024-02-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan21.html#20240205","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["search","disability","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The believer is held in the barracks along with 30 other prisoners. He works in a sewing workshop and feels the joy of being able to sew neatly.\nVladimir suffers from a serious neurological disease, the neurologist prescribed him the necessary medications. He has no problems receiving medical care in the colony.\nVladimir's relations with the administration and cellmates are neutral, without conflicts. He regularly receives broadcasts, and he also has a schedule of visits with his wife, the last one was in December 2023.\nThe believer is grateful to those who support him in this difficult time for him. He receives letters regularly and has the opportunity to read the Bible.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skachidub in Pavlovskaya","date":"2024-02-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya3.html#20240205","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense files a motion to return the case to the prosecutor due to the absence of victims in the case, as well as evidence of guilt. Kocherova also asks the court to join their case with the case of Valery Rabota. The court rejected both motions.\nThe prosecutor reads out the charges, after which the interrogation of witnesses begins. The first to be interrogated is A. Kocherov, the wife of Lyubov Kocherova. The witness declares that he was sick at the time of giving the written testimony, so he refuses it.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kocherova and Ovchinnikova in Knyaze-Volkonskoye","date":"2024-02-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/knyaze-volkonskoe2.html#20240202","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Due to the fact that the hearing is planned to interrogate prosecution witnesses, 2 of whom are classified, the prosecutor requests a closed hearing. The judge grants the petition.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yuskov in Novocheboksarsk","date":"2024-02-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocheboksarsk.html#20240202","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On January 29, 2024, Anton Mokin, judge of the Shuya City Court of the Ivanovo Region, sentenced Aleksey Arkhipov, Svetlana Ryzhkova, Svetlana Shishina, and the couple Dmitriy and Yelena Mikhaylov to large fines for their faith in Jehovah God.\nAleksey Arkhipov was fined 380,000, Svetlana Shishina 400,000, Svetlana Ryzhkova 480,000, Yelena Mikhaylova 560,000, and her husband Dmitriy Mikhaylov 950,000 rubles. The prosecution requested a fine of 1,200,000 rubles for Mikhaylov, taking into account the time of detention; for Mikhaylova and Ryzhkova — 600,000 rubles; for Shishina and Arkhipov — 400,000 rubles. The believers insist on their innocence and have the right to appeal.\n\u0026quot;Actually, I am accused of believing in God,\u0026quot; commented Dmitriy Mikhaylov on the accusation. \u0026quot;I am charged with discussing religious topics with my friends.\u0026quot; He also emphasized that the linguistic forensic expert study did not reveal signs of extremism in the materials examined. His wife Yelena said: \u0026quot;The charges against me are serious, but there is no concrete evidence.\u0026quot;\nSvetlana Shishina, a mother of two, said: \u0026quot;I have always respected people of different religious denominations, and I teach my children to do the same.\u0026quot; \u0026quot;The charges against me are far-fetched, unfounded and not lawful,\u0026quot; said Svetlana Ryzhkova. Aleksey Arkhipov, in turn, emphasized: \u0026quot;I have never plotted or intended to commit any illegal actions against the authorities, nevermind undermining the foundations of the constitutional order and state security, as this contradicts my beliefs as a Christian and a God-fearing person.\u0026quot;\nCriminal prosecution of the believers began in 2018; their homes were searched. Later it turned out, that prior to that, a hidden video camera had been installed at least at one of the addresses, and one person, on the instructions of the special forces, feigned interest in the Bible. After his arrest, Dmitriy Mikhaylov spent 6 months in a pretrial detention center. His wife, together with other women whose husbands were imprisoned for their faith in God, sent an open letter to the Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights. In response to this letter, a request was sent to the General Prosecutor\u0026#39;s Office to check the legality and validity of the criminal prosecution of citizens professing the religion of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. However, the criminal prosecution did not stop. The case was returned twice to the investigator for revision and after 4 years it was re-submitted to the court, which considered the case for 1.5 years.\nOn April 26, 2019, the UN Human Rights Council Working Group on Arbitrary Detention issued an opinion on Dmitriy Mikhaylov\u0026#39;s complaint, calling on the Russian authorities to stop his criminal prosecution and grant him the right to compensation and reparation.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-01-29T16:05:39+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/01/291605/image_hu_464d21afa0cbca3.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/01/291605/image_hu_62caa440d5cf91ac.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/01/291605/image_hu_21cbf01b0d179eab.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/01/291605/image_hu_e802f11bac914334.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/01/291605.html","regions":["ivanovo"],"subtitle":"They Must Pay the State From 380 to 950 Thousand Rubles","tags":["282.2-1","282.2-2","282.3-1","sentence","secret-witness","hidden-surveillance","fine","minors","elderly","families"],"title":"Court in Shuya Fined 5 Jehovah's Witnesses for Reading the Bible Together.","type":"news"},{"body":"The defendants Martynov, Sarazhakov, Moish and Popov deliver their final statements.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2024-01-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk.html#20240125","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The retrial of the case of Lyubov Kocherova and Lyubov Ovchinnikova begins. It was appointed to Judge Kira Kirina.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kocherova and Ovchinnikova in Knyaze-Volkonskoye","date":"2024-01-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/knyaze-volkonskoe2.html#20240125","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["retrial","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Speaking before the court, the believer said: \"The investigation and the prosecutor's office, not finding corpus delicti, without bothering themselves, took some excerpts from the decision of the Plenum of the Supreme Court and attached them to the case file, including them in the charge. True, this accusation sounds ridiculous.\n","date":"2024-01-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/405.html","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement","elderly"],"title":"The Last Word of the Defendant Nikolay Martynov in Irkutsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"According to the decision of the Orenburg Regional Court, on January 24, 2024, the verdict entered into force for five Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses — Vladislav Kolbanov, Vladimir Kochnev, Pavel Lekontsev, Nikolay Zhugin, and Sergey Logunov received suspended sentences from 2.5 to 3.5 years for friendly meetings with fellow believers.\nThe state prosecutor requested that the court of appeal uphold the verdict. The believers\u0026#39; lawyer called the prosecution\u0026#39;s demands groundless, stressing that in the verdict the court specifically noted: \u0026quot;Actions aimed at inciting hatred and enmity, calls for violence... the defendants are not charged.\u0026quot;\nThe believers themselves once again stated that they consider any guilty decision unjust and infringing on their right to freedom of religion. \u0026quot;It is impossible to establish from the appealed verdict on what basis the court refused to consider the actions imputed to me as exercising my right to freedom of religion within the framework of the religion of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses,\u0026quot; Nikolay Zhugin noted in his appeal. Vladimir Kochnev emphasized: \u0026quot;The court did not establish the presence of motives of religious hatred or enmity in my actions. All my actions were completely peaceful.\u0026quot;\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-01-24T17:10:21+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/01/241710/image_hu_ff76852310fdac57.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/01/241710/image_hu_bf25f7a2d19fa421.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/01/241710/image_hu_f5d6b95d2a0fcb6c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/01/241710/image_hu_982c039cf3ba2063.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/01/241710.html","regions":["orenburg"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","elderly","282.2-2","282.3-1","282.2-1","suspended"],"title":"Court of Appeal in Orenburg Upholds the Suspended Sentence of Five Believers","type":"news"},{"body":"The defendants Vasiliev, Tolmachev, Solnechny and Kalin make their final statements.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2024-01-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk.html#20240124","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendants address the court with the last word.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Mikhaylovs and Others in Shuya","date":"2024-01-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shuya.html#20240124","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["final-statement","families","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In his appeal to the court, the believer asked: \"What about my constitutional right to profess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, which is not prohibited in our state? How can we believe in God so as not to be criminally prosecuted?\"\n","date":"2024-01-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/398.html","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement","elderly"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Alexei Arkhipov in Shuya","type":"docs"},{"body":"Sergey Vasilyev, addressing the court, said: \"With the help of the Bible, I try to show love for all people and respect state authorities ... I'm sure there's nothing wrong with people getting better by studying the Bible. The Bible has helped me, and I want it to help many more people.\"\n","date":"2024-01-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/402.html","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement","elderly"],"title":"The Last Word of the Defendant Sergey Vasiliev in Irkutsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"The 70-year-old believer said: \"The accusations against me are unsubstantiated, unfounded and groundless.\" She said that she worked in health care for 52 years, showing kindness to people, but now that she herself suffers from serious illnesses, she has been deprived of many social benefits.\n","date":"2024-01-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/401.html","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement","elderly"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Svetlana Ryzhkova in Shuya","type":"docs"},{"body":"Yuriy Yuskov reads out his attitude to the charges against him. He considers it far-fetched and contradictory: \"I have the impression that in order to avoid criminal liability, I must renounce my religious beliefs or stop expressing them. But this is nothing less than discrimination.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yuskov in Novocheboksarsk","date":"2024-01-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocheboksarsk.html#20240123","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The debate of the parties is taking place. Prosecutor R. G. Magomedgadzhiyeva requests 5 years probation and 4 years of restrictions for believers.\nValentina Vladimirova, speaking in the debate, draws the court's attention to the fact that \"the prosecution, believing that all Jehovah's Witnesses as a religion, as well as all publications of Jehovah's Witnesses, are banned in general,\" considered that \"the usual holding of worship ceremonies ... is nothing more than a crime of an extremist nature, that is, a continuation of the activities of the liquidated organization of Jehovah's Witnesses.\"\nThe defendant also notes that the operational-search measures were carried out with violations, without the permission of the court, and the expert opinions were carried out by specialists who do not have qualified knowledge.\nThe defendant concludes: \"The Supreme Court of the Russian Federation did not forbid either me or Tatyana Galkevich, together with my friends or with my family, to discuss biblical issues and thus to perform worship services. And this constitutional right does not depend on the presence or absence of a legal entity or any registration. Discussion of the Bible by a group of people is not included in the list of extremist activities.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vladimirova and Galkevich in Smolensk","date":"2024-01-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/smolensk.html#20240123","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["first-instance","defense-arguments","punishment-request","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Egorov refuses the defendants to disclose the identity of the classified witness. This woman says that she had previously attended services of Jehovah's Witnesses, and admits that they \"were friendly, I did not fear for my life.\" She clarifies that when she decided not to attend services anymore, no one forced her to return and did not put pressure on her. Of the three defendants, the witness recognizes Khachaturian and Galitsyna. It characterizes them as peaceful believers; I have not heard any extremist appeals or statements about religious superiority from them.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yeritsyan and Others in Novocherkassk","date":"2024-01-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocherkassk.html#20240122","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On January 16, 2024, a panel of judges of the Kemerovo Regional Court upheld the sentence of 64-year-old Tatyana Sushilnikova from Novokuznetsk — a 4-year suspended sentence for participating in the activity of an extremist organization.\nAccording to the believer, the verdict of the court of first instance was reached with gross violations of the law and should be canceled. In her appeal, Sushilnikova noted that the court\u0026#39;s decision does not contain a description of the illegal actions of which she was accused or specific dates and places when they were committed. Witnesses interrogated by the court admitted that they did not know Tatyana, did not talk to her on religious topics, and did not receive Bible literature from her. A sample of the believer\u0026#39;s voice for forensic audio analysis was taken in violation of procedural norms.\n\u0026quot;More than 200 pieces of evidence are listed in the verdict... [however] the court does not provide information on how they confirm my guilt. In particular, there are numerous references to personal notebooks, notepads, documents, etc., seized from third parties, in which I am not mentioned and which I have nothing to do with,\u0026quot; Sushilnikova stated. Thus, the court considered telephone conversations with her husband to be part of the \u0026quot;evidence\u0026quot; of guilt, while audio recordings were not provided and, accordingly, the content of the conversations was not established.\nTatyana Sushilnikova said that the decision of the court of first instance in reality means the introduction of a ban on religion. She noted: \u0026quot;All my numerous references to the Bible, which requires Christians to worship God together, and was the real motive for my behavior, were not evaluated.\u0026quot; By passing the verdict, the court ignored the explanation of the RF Supreme Court that the Russian legal entities of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses had been liquidated, and not the actual teachings. At the same time, the expressions mentioned in the verdict \u0026quot;Religious Organization of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses\u0026quot;, \u0026quot;International Religious Organization of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses\u0026quot; and \u0026quot;Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses\u0026quot; are not legal entities and have not been liquidated by the Supreme Court.\nThe court of appeal refused to take Tatyana\u0026#39;s arguments into account. A similar decision was made by the same court in March 2023 against the the believer\u0026#39;s hudband, 67-year-old Sergey Sushilnikov, upholding his 6-year suspended sentence. Judge Zinovyev earlier also declared the detention of the Sushilnikovs\u0026#39; fellow believers, Maksim Morozov and Yuriy Usanov from the town of Taiga, as lawful.\nSince the ban on the activity of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in 2017, more than 2,000 homes of believers have been searched, about 400 people have been imprisoned, and more than 730 believers have been charged with extremism.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-01-17T14:14:07+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/01/171414/image_hu_1f0f6d11c31a9288.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/01/171414/image_hu_c6e0ca0564e7a19f.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/01/171414/image_hu_fd67a64bf829db5c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/01/171414/image_hu_3a1f2b3e609188ce.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/01/171414.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","suspended","282.2-2","elderly","families"],"title":"Court of Appeal in the Kemerovo Region Upheld the Verdict Against Pensioner Tatyana Sushilnikova — a 4-Year Suspended Sentence for Her Faith in Jehovah God","type":"news"},{"body":"The defendants address the court with the last word.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ponomarenko and Others in Luchegorsk","date":"2024-01-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/luchegorsk2.html#20240117","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court hears the testimony of Sergei Gobozev and Mikhail Potapov. The defendants explain that the meeting of a local religious organization and the worship services of believers are two different things.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gobozev and Potapov in Votkinsk","date":"2024-01-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/votkinsk.html#20240117","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In his last speech, the believer said: \"One thing I regret is that only at the age of 40 did I become one of Jehovah's Witnesses and learn the truth that saved me from many rash actions. Now I can say with confidence: my conscience is clear both before God and people, and before the law.\"\n","date":"2024-01-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/394.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement","elderly"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Nikolay Dikhtyar in Luchegorsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"The believer drew the court's attention to the fact that he was being tried only for talking about God. He said: \"I cannot help but talk about what a loving God Jehovah is. I was only exercising my constitutional right to tell others about my beliefs.\"\n","date":"2024-01-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/391.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement","elderly"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Yuriy Ponomarenko in Luchegorsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"The defense reads out a number of materials, including a motion to terminate the criminal case.\nThe lawyer draws attention to the state of health of Aleksandr Lubin, who needs medical care.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lubin in Shadrinsk","date":"2024-01-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shadrinsk.html#20240115","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["first-instance","disability","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On January 15, 2024, Alena Novoselova, judge of the Central District Court of Prokopyevsk, found Pavel Brilkov, 65, who has a disability, guilty of participating in the activity of an extremist organization and sentenced him to 2 years and 10 months of forced labor only because of his faith.\nIn November 2021, the home of Pavel Brilkov and his wife was searched as part of the case of Andrey Vlasov, a disabled person who is serving a sentence in a penal colony for his faith. In March 2023, Brilkov himself became a defendant in a criminal case. Testimony against the believer was given by two men recruited by the FSB, one of whom once talked with Pavel about the Bible, and a second, who said that he saw the believer at a meeting for worship.\nPavel Brilkov with his wife and friends on the day of the verdict The case went to court at the end of April 2023. Brilkov pleaded not guilty. In his final statement, he said: \u0026quot;My faith in God is based on love, not hatred or extremism. What danger do I pose to the public? Who have I harmed? Where are the people or families who have suffered through my fault? What irreparable damage have I done to our country? Are conversations on topics such as family happiness, consolation for those who mourn, or the future earthly paradise so dangerous that a person is tried under a serious article and can be thrown into prison? \u0026quot; Despite, the age and disability of the defendant, the prosecutor requested the court to impose 3 years of forced labor. The convicted person intends to appeal the verdict.\nEarlier, Judge Novoselova convicted another Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witness from Prokopyevsk, Yuriy Chernykh. He, like Brilkov, was a witness in the case of Andrey Vlasov. The Tsentralnyi District Court of Prokopyevsk is also hearing the case of Yuriy Chernykh\u0026#39;s wife, Yelena. A total of 18 believers are facing criminal prosecution for their faith in the Kemerovo Region.\nThe August 2022 ECHR ruling in favor of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Russia notes that believers have the right to practice their religion \u0026quot;individually or in community with others\u0026quot; and this right \u0026quot;has always been considered an integral part of freedom of religion\u0026quot; (§ 268).\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-01-15T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/01/120859/image_hu_5ed62ae2a08f1069.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/01/120859/image_hu_cb1d342f5097ec03.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/01/120859/image_hu_48a7652bb41d42.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/01/120859/image_hu_8cea5863e5a1c1fa.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/01/120859.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"subtitle":"Pavel Brilkov Received 2 Years and 10 Months of Forced Labor for Talking About the Bible","tags":["sentence","disability","282.2-2","elderly","labor"],"title":"Court in the Kemerovo Region Sentenced Yet Another Jehovah's Witness.","type":"news"},{"body":"The prosecutor shall request the examination of two prosecution witnesses not named in the indictment. Despite the objections of the defense, the court grants the petition.\nOne of the witnesses says that for about 7 years she spoke on the phone with Korobochko exclusively on religious topics. Basically, Nadezhda read her verses from the Bible. The witness says that she did not talk to the believer under duress and that the conversations stopped before 2017.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kononenko and Others in Nikolayevsk-on-Amur","date":"2024-01-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nikolayevsk_na_amure.html#20240112","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Pavel Brilkov speaks in the debate and with the last word, without admitting his guilt in extremism.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Brilkov in Prokopyevsk","date":"2024-01-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopevsk3.html#20240112","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Pavel Brilkov described his feelings about the criminal prosecution: \"Believing for me is the same as breathing. If I am not allowed to exercise my faith in peace... I feel like I've been cut off from oxygen.\"\n","date":"2024-01-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/390.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement","elderly"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Pavel Brilkov in Prokopyevsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"The court attaches to the criminal case documents on the presence of Nadezhda Korobochko's diseases, on awarding her with the medal \"Children of War\", as well as her pension certificate.\nIgor Kletkin reads out his written notes.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kononenko and Others in Nikolayevsk-on-Amur","date":"2024-01-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nikolayevsk_na_amure.html#20240111","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case goes to the Novocheboksarsk City Court of the Chuvash Republic, it will be considered by judge Alexander Zubov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yuskov in Novocheboksarsk","date":"2024-01-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocheboksarsk.html#20240111","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["to-court","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the court session, the defense announces the evidence in the case contained in 24 volumes.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lubin in Shadrinsk","date":"2024-01-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shadrinsk.html#20240111","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["first-instance","disability","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On January 11, 2023, the Primorye Territory Court upheld the verdict of Valeriy Vyaznikov, a 60-year-old resident of Luchegorsk, \u0026ndash; a 2.5-year suspended sentence for participating in the \u0026quot;activity of a banned organization.\u0026quot; The believer considers this decision unjust.\nThe court considered the fact that Vyaznikov is one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses to be evidence of extremism. The defendant noted: \u0026quot;I was convicted only for peacefully practicing my religion, which was demonstrated by the fact that I once talked about my beliefs and the teachings of the Bible with a young man who turned out to be a law enforcement officer.\u0026quot;\nThe book \u0026quot;The People Who Are Steadfast Under Persecution,\u0026quot; published in 2023 by religious scholar Sergei Ivanenko, PhD in Philosophy, and Elena Volkova, PhD in Cultural Studies, notes: \u0026quot;Russia is the only country where they [Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses] are accused of extremism.\u0026quot;\nIt is noteworthy that about 26% of the nearly 800 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses prosecuted in Russia for their faith are over 60 years old.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-01-11T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/01/120854/image_hu_32c80c71cfeebdc7.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/01/120854/image_hu_d03eacbf9166b00b.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/01/120854/image_hu_4b817093ce3874b2.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/01/120854/image_hu_b8a9d03b0d4a000c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/01/120854.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":"Court of Appeal Upheld the Suspended Sentence for Valeriy Vyaznikov","tags":["appeal","282.2-2","suspended","elderly"],"title":"\"I Was Found Guilty Only for Being One of Jehovah's Witnesses.\"","type":"news"},{"body":"Nadezhda Korobochko testifies and reads out her written notes. She does not admit her guilt in extremism and states that it is alien to her beliefs and in fact she is being persecuted for her religious views. The believer draws the court's attention to the fact that the materials of the criminal case contain numerous errors and violations, and no evidence of her guilt was presented to the court; The testimonies of prosecution witnesses are contradictory, and most of those questioned in court retracted their testimony given during the preliminary investigation. Moreover, during the hearings it turned out that the investigator had distorted the testimony of witnesses. Therefore, Nadezhda Korobochko asks her to fully justify.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kononenko and Others in Nikolayevsk-on-Amur","date":"2023-12-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nikolayevsk_na_amure.html#20231229","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"62-year-old Mariya Ogoreva and her daughter Svetlana are searched by an investigator accompanied by the head of the CPE. The women call the district police officer, who conducts the search in a calmer atmosphere. However, Maria becomes ill and an ambulance is called for her. During the 4-hour search, law enforcement officers seized Bibles, electronic devices and personal records.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mariya Ogoreva in Mednogorskiy","date":"2023-12-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy6.html#20231228","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["search","elderly","families","health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In 2023, the number of Russian Jehovah’s Witnesses criminally prosecuted for their faith reached almost 800, and the number of searches exceeded 2,000. Cases are fabricated against the elderly, women and the disabled. More than a quarter of all prosecuted are persons over 60 years of age. By the end of the year, there were already six Jehovah’s Witness women in penal colonies. The tendency to prosecute entire families has increased. The length of imprisonment requested by prosecutors has reached 10 years. Statistics and details are included in this article. The Year in Numbers As of December 25, 2023, the total number of homes of Russian Jehovah’s Witnesses searched is 2,058. In 2023, law enforcement officers raided 183 addresses, 43 people were detained, 15 of whom have been or are still in pretrial detention. During the year, Russian courts issued rulings regarding 147 Jehovah’s Witnesses, 47 of whom were sentenced to imprisonment for a cumulative term of more than 257 years (the previous year 44 people were sentenced to a cumulative term of 244 years in penal colonies). Thirty-three people received sentences in penal colonies of 6 years or more. Of these, the longest term of 8 years in a penal colony was given to Dmitriy Barmakin, whose story will be discussed below. On December 22, 2023, the court sentenced Aleksandr Rumyantsev from Moscow to 7.5 years in penal colony (Sean Pike, a citizen of Guyana, and Eduard Sviridov from Moscow, are in the same case and were sentenced to 7 and 6.5 years in a penal colony, respectively). Astrakhan residents Rinat Kiramov, Sergey Korolev and Sergey Kosyanenko, as well as Aleksandr Skvortsov from Taganrog and Evgeniy Bushev from Chelyabinsk received 7 years of imprisonment. In the Bushev case, it took the court just five sessions to conclude that talking about a Bible topic is such a serious crime. Later, it turned out that an officer of the National Guard had participated in the conversation, pretending to be interested in the Bible. On December 19, 2023, a court in Novosibirsk sentenced Marina Chaplykina to 4 years in a penal colony. She became the sixth woman from among Russian Jehovah’s Witnesses to receive a prison sentence for their faith.\nEight of Jehovah’s Witnesses were released from prison this past year. Seventy-nine people remain in penal colonies.\n\"The believers trials do not end with being released from the penal colony,\" explains Yaroslav Sivulskiy, a representative of the European Association of Jehovah’s Witnesses. \"The believers continue to serve additional punishments. For example, during a period appointed by the court, they cannot leave their place of residence. An electronic tracking bracelet is put on the ankle of some for many months, by which the authorities track the location of the person. This device must not be removed. After serving their sentences many are forbidden from working in certain areas, such as education.\"\nThe total number of criminal cases initiated against believers since 2017 has reached 376. The defendants amount to 789 people; 444 believers were convicted, 141 of whom received imprisonment. In all cases, there are no victims, actual crimes or evidence of illegal actions. The cases are initiated for ordinary religious activities: praying, reading the Bible, singing religious songs, etc. Most of the Jehovah’s Witnesses who are prosecuted for their faith are included in the list of extremists and terrorists maintained by the Federal Financial Monitoring Service (Rosfinmonitoring). The state imposes a number of serious economic restrictions on those who are listed on it; for example, their bank accounts are blocked, which makes it difficult to receive salaries, pensions and complete other transactions. At the time of publication of this article, there are 521 believers on the list, 72 of whom were added to the list in 2023.\nTerms are Breaking Records In Magadan, the case of 13 believers, including Ivan Puyda, the son and grandson of Jehovah’s Witnesses who had been repressed under Soviet rule, reached its conclusion. Now he too could receive a lengthy sentence – 10 years. That is how much the prosecutor requested in the closing arguments on November 24, 2023.\nIf Puyda gets 10 years in prison, it will be a unprecedented record in the cases of Russian Jehovah’s Witnesses. Currently, the maximum term in a penal colony is 8 years, and five believers are serving this: Aleksey Berchuk, Rustam Diarov, Yevgeniy Ivanov and Sergey Klikunov.\nOn December 4, 2023, in Irkutsk, the prosecutor requested terms ranging from 3 to 7 years for a group of nine Jehovah’s Witnesses, the longest for Yaroslav Kalin, Nikolay Martynov, Aleksey Solnechny and Sergey Kosteyev. Yaroslav Kalin also comes from a family of those repressed for their faith. Kalin’s lawyer said: \"My client is being tried for the same thing for which his parents were exiled to Siberia, more than 70 years ago.\" Ironically, Kalin’s parents have been officially exonerated, but their son is now being tried for the same \"crime\".\nNew Regions In 2023, the territory affected by prosecutions has expanded. In February, the first searches in the Leningrad Region took place in the cities of Kingisepp and Slantsy, five people were detained and a criminal case was initiated. On April 4, 2023, searches were carried out for the first time in St. Petersburg.\nAt the end of February, searches in at least three addresses took place in Elista, the capital of Kalmykia. Kishta Tutinova, 62, was detained, and after 2 days behind bars she was placed under house arrest.\nIn total, Jehovah’s Witnesses are already being prosecuted in 74 regions of the Russian Federation.\nVladimir Piskarev, Vladimir Melnik and Artur Putintsev were kept in a cage during their trial in Oryol Aleksandr Skortsov and Valeriy Tibiy did not lose heart despite unjust prosecution Konstantin Sannikov in the so-called \u0026#34;aquarium\u0026#34; — an enclosure where usually especially dangerous criminals are held during the trial During the announcement of the verdict, the bailiff handcuffs the seriously ill Vladimir Balabkin Sergey Klimov with his wife immediately after his release from the penal colony Defendants in the case of Tchaikovsky and others in Moscow are taken into custody after the verdict is announced Aleksandr Nikolayev with his wife and daughters after his release from the penal colony Convicted residents of Gukovo communicate via video call from the pretrial detention center with the group of supporters that came to the cassation hearing On the day of Yuriy Savelyev’s release from the penal colony, he was met by a large group of supporters Rustam Seidkuliev’s wife and friends are taking pictures with him after his release from the penal colony in Saratov From left to right: Sergey Kosyanenko, Rinat Kiramov and Sergey Korolev behind bars in the courtroom Muscovites Anatoliy Marunov, Sergey Tolokonnikov and Roman Mareyev were sentenced to long terms for their faith In Surgut, friends came to the courthouse to support their convicted fellow believers, on the day of the verdict. Outdoor temperature was -29°C Marina married Sergey Shulyarenko, convicted for his faith, right in the penal colony Prosecution of the Elderly and Disabled Almost 26% of Russian Jehovah’s Witnesses who have been prosecuted for their faith since 2017 (205 people) are over 60 years old. Criminal cases were initiated against 17 believers in this category in 2023. The oldest of them is 85 years old (the youngest is 19 years old).\nLaw enforcement officers and judges are not troubled by the age, serious illnesses or disabilities of those they accuse. So, on September 13 of this year, a court in the Amur Region sentenced Vladimir Balabkin, 71, suffering from cancer, to 4 years in a penal colony (the prosecutor had requested 2.5 times longer). Immediately after the verdict, he was taken into custody. About three months later, on December 19, 2023, the court of appeal replaced the sentence with a a 1-year suspended sentence, and the believer was released.\nOn September 14, 2023, the Maykop City Court sent 68-year-old Nikolay Voishchev to a penal colony. Even before his arrest, he was diagnosed with a tumor that required immediate treatment. While in prison he is not receiving the adequate medical care he still needs.\nIn the Novosibirsk Region, Andrey Vlasov, a 54-year-old disabled person, continues to serve his sentence for his faith. He suffers from serious illnesses, including deforming arthrosis of both hip joints, which makes it impossible for him to take care of himself. But both the court of appeal and the court of cassation upheld the guilty verdict.\nRepression of Entire Families By the end of the year, more than 70 families in 35 regions of the Russian Federation had become easy prey for law enforcement officers, for whom this is often an easy way to improve their performance and move up the career ladder. In some cases, the husband and wife were sent to prison at the same time, for example, Yelena and Georgiy Nikulin from Saransk. Both received more than 4 years in a penal colony.\n\"Other family members who are not under investigation are also subjected to direct or indirect pressure. After the searches, the security forces interrogate them, threaten to imprison them or a relative if they do not begin to give the investigation the testimony requested against their relative and fellow believers. Simply put, they are invited to become secret agents, to conduct covert audio and video recordings of how believers discuss Bible teachings, pray and sing religious songs together, in order to later call it \"the activity of a banned religious organization,\" says Yaroslav Sivulskiy. \"Another form of indirect pressure on relatives is denying visits to imprisoned family members.\"\nReversal of Acquittals One of the significant trends of 2023 was canceling the acquittals of Jehovah’s Witnesses. This happened on July 6, 2023, with the case of Aleksandr Pryanikov and Venera and Darya Dulova; the case reached the Supreme Court, which overturned the acquittal, although before that the Sverdlovsk Regional Court had twice overturned the guilty verdicts.\nIn the case of Ivan Sorokin and Andrey Zhukov in Yugorsk, Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Region, the acquittal was overturned on November 20, 2023.\nDmitriy Barmakin from Vladivostok became the first Russian Jehovah’s Witness to be acquitted in a criminal case for his faith on November 22, 2021. This decision lasted only until April 27, 2023, when the same court, the Pervorechensky District Court of Vladivostok, sentenced the believer to 8 years in a penal colony. However, later, on August 8, 2023, the Primorsky Regional Court overturned this decision and sent the case for review.\nAleksey Khabarov from Porkhov, Pskov Region, who was initially acquitted, was sentenced at the third trial on October 25, 2023, to 2 years and 6 months in a penal colony. The court of appeal reduced the term by only 2 months.\nThe Supreme Court Does Not Comply With Its Own Judgement It seems paradoxical that acquittals of Jehovah’s Witnesses are consistently overturned by the Supreme Court, whose position is that meeting for worship in itself cannot be considered a crime (in the cases of Jehovah’s Witnesses, this is the only corpus delicti). On October 28, 2021, the Plenum of the Supreme Court published a ruling stating: \"If a court adopts a decision, which enters into force, to liquidate or ban the activity of a public or religious association or other organization regarding extremist activity, subsequent actions of persons that are not related to the continuation or resumption of the activity of the relevant extremist organization and consist solely in exercising their right to freedom of conscience and freedom of religion, including through individual or joint practice of religion, meetings for worship or other religious rites and ceremonies, in themselves, if they do not contain signs of extremism, do not constitute a crime\" (emphasis added).\nHowever, in practice, some judges of the Supreme Court do not consider it necessary to follow this position. They simply repeat the prosecution’s narrative that any collective practice of worship by Jehovah’s Witnesses is \"extremist.\"\nIn total, the Supreme Court has already overturned two acquittals of Jehovah’s Witnesses. In addition to the above-mentioned case of Pryanikov and the Dulovs, a similar decision was made on December 15, 2022 in the case of the Bazhenovs and Vera Zolotova.\nJudgments of the European Court of Human Rights On January 31, 2023, the European Court of Human Rights considered seven applications by Jehovah’s Witnesses from Russia relating to events from 2010 to 2014. In all of them, the court sided with the applicants and ordered Russia to pay compensation in the amount of 345,773 euros and another 5,000 euros as legal costs.\nThis is the second judgement of the ECHR in the case of Russian Jehovah’s Witnesses in the last 2 years. In the summer of 2022, the ECHR also exonerated believers in a larger lawsuit related to the illegal liquidation of all legal entities of the Witnesses and the seizure of their property. The total amount of compensation under this decision exceeds 63 million euros.\nAlas, so far the decisions of the ECHR have no visible impact on the practice of the Russian law enforcement system. The Russian authorities are in no hurry to pay compensation to exonerated believers, and continue to sentence them to long prison terms.\nExactly on the day of the decision of the ECHR, June 7, 2022, the State Duma of the Russian Federation adopted laws under an accelerated procedure, according to which ECHR judgments issued after March 15, 2022 are not enforceable in Russia.\n\u0026quot;The Case of the Eighteen\u0026quot; in Surgut: Faith is a Crime, Torture is Heroism In 2023, a high-profile case in Surgut approached its conclusion, which received wide publicity because the believers were tortured. The case against 18 men and one woman from Surgut, including a man whom the investigation mistakenly mistook for one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, has been dragging on since February 2019. Seven defendants went through severe torture during interrogation, and one of them, Timofey Zhukov, was forcibly placed in a psychiatric hospital and later obtained compensation for this. The torture in Surgut was widely covered in the Russian media; the believers met with the Human Rights Ombudsman for the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Region and employees of the offices of the Human Rights Ombudsman of the Russian Federation and conferences were held with the participation of human rights defenders.\nIn November 2023, the prosecutor requested harsh terms for the believers \u0026ndash; up to 9.5 years in a penal colony (for Sergey Loginov). On December 5, 2023, all the defendants in the Surgut case were given suspended sentences ranging from 4 to 7 years. Sergey Loginov and Timofey Zhukov were given the longest sentences of 7 years.\nAt the same time, not a single criminal case has been initiated for the torture of the believers. Moreover, later the head of the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee, where Jehovah’s Witnesses were tortured, Vladimir Yermolaev and his subordinate Sergey Bogoderov received awards, and the soldiers of the National Guard of Russia who participated in the operation were rewarded.\n\"Have They Succeeded in Intimidating Jehovah’s Witnesses?\" Sergei Ivanenko, Ph.D. in Philosophy, a religious scholar who attended as an expert at 14 judicial trials against Jehovah’s Witnesses in different regions of Russia, writes his impressions in his book \"The People Who Are Steadfast in Persecution\" published in 2023: \"Jehovah’s Witnesses... consider it their religious responsibility to preach Christianity to law enforcement officials, judges, and also to prisoners... Have they succeeded in intimidating Jehovah’s Witnesses? No, they have not. They continue to preach, to help each other, and to support prisoners of conscience. According to the believers, persecution strengthens their faith in Jehovah, and strong faith brings inner peace... Those who know the history of Jehovah's Witnesses understand that they have endured the most severe persecution and have not forsaken their faith. Nor does persecution in today's Russia frighten them.\"\n","category":"analytics","date":"2023-12-27T13:08:20+02:00","duration":"1:56","image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/12/271308/image2_hu_e2a90f85aa570cad.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/12/271308/image2_hu_68874ed2f1b497cf.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/12/271308/image2_hu_6db1e95937fbfe91.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/12/271308/image2_hu_3c6973417d0e8831.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/12/271308.html","regions":[],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","elderly","disability","video","rosfinmonitoring","medical-rights","siloviks-violence","torture","international","supreme-court","echr","international-community","expert-conclusions","fabrications","statistics","analytics","review"],"title":"Jehovah’s Witnesses Under the Yoke of Repression — 2023 Overview","type":"video"},{"body":"Pavel Chemrov from Nazarovo was involved in a criminal case for his belief in Jehovah God. Two years earlier, the man underwent heart surgery.\nPavel was born in October 1964 in the village of Progress, Krasnoyarsk Territory. He has two sisters. Later, his family moved to Nazarovo, where Pavel still lives. Since childhood, he was fond of technology.\nPavel studied at vocational school as a tractor driver. Upon graduation, he served in the army. Then he worked for 10 years on a bulldozer, in recent years as a driver in a technical school. For a high degree of responsibility and professionalism in 2023, he was awarded a letter of thanks. In his spare time, Pavel enjoys fishing and gardening.\nThe man decided to take the Christian path in 2015. He was motivated to do so by what he learned from the Bible about God\u0026#39;s attributes—justice, love, and mercy. Pavel was also impressed by the love and warm atmosphere among Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\nPavel\u0026#39;s wife and daughter do not share his religious views, but his wife endures new difficulties with him. The adult daughter also worries about her father and is constantly in touch with him. Paul remains calm and does not lose heart, no matter what.\n","date":"2024-02-29","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/chemrov/photo_hu_411533dc9eba6364.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/chemrov/photo_hu_6979ded3ea266756.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/chemrov/photo_hu_aea56866e094d210.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/chemrov/photo_hu_560ef38c47c47095.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/chemrov.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Pavel Chemrov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"The volumes of the case are examined. At the request of the prosecutor, the court decides to announce some of the materials from them at a closed court session.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lubin in Shadrinsk","date":"2023-12-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shadrinsk.html#20231221","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["first-instance","disability","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecution is requesting punishment for believers in the form of large fines: Dmitry Mikhailov - 1,200,000 rubles, taking into account the time of detention; Elena Mikhailova and Svetlana Ryzhkova — 600,000 rubles each; Svetlana Shishina and Alexei Arkhipov — 400,000 rubles each. Prior to the entry into force of the verdict, the prosecutor asks the court to take a written undertaking not to leave the place from the believers.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Mikhaylovs and Others in Shuya","date":"2023-12-19T16:15:20+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/shuya.html#20231219","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["defense-arguments","punishment-request","fine","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On December 19, 2023, the Amur Regional Court released 71-year-old Vladimir Balabkin from custody. The court reclassified his actions from Part 1 (organizing extremist activity) to Part 2 (participating in such) of Article 282.2 of the RFCrC and imposed a 1-year suspended sentence. Before that he had spent 96 days in a pretrial detention center.\nA panel of three judges chaired by Natalya Trofimova considered an appeal against the verdict of the court of first instance, which found Vladimir Balabkin guilty under Article 282.2(1) of the RFCrC. The more lenient second part of the same article allowed for the actions of the believer to be reclassified and for him to be released from custody in the courtroom. His sentence is suspended.\nThree months earlier, Natalya Kramar, judge of the Belogorsk City Court of first instance, sentenced the elderly believer who has a hearing impairment and a serious stomach issue to 4 years in a penal colony. Immediately after the verdict was announced, Vladimir was arrested in the courtroom, and before the appeal he was in pretrial detention center No.1 in the Amur Region.\nThe believer disagreed with the guilty verdict, found many violations in it and appealed. He drew attention to the fact that it was impossible to establish from the verdict on what basis the court considered the usual worship of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses as a continuation of the activity of an extremist organization. According to the explanation of the Supreme Court practicing the religion of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses is allowed in Russia.\nBalabkin also stressed that the verdict was passed in violation of international law: \u0026quot;For example, the court did not apply the provisions of Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, according to which everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. This right includes ... freedom to practice one\u0026#39;s religion and belief, either individually or jointly with others and in public or private.\u0026quot;\nIn the Amur Region, 13 of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have already received from 6 to 8 years in a penal colony for participating in meetings for worship.\n","category":"other","date":"2023-12-19T10:48:27+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/12/191048/image_hu_1a28bfdc98270975.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/12/191048/image_hu_e27bb1adff51129a.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/12/191048/image_hu_285b3a2f1b743b68.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/12/191048/image_hu_62a3384eb3d23632.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/12/191048.html","regions":["amur"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","elderly","282.2-2","suspended","mitigation"],"title":"Court of Appeal in Blagoveshchensk Mitigated the Punishment for Pensioner Vladimir Balabkin and Released Him from Custody","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 19, 2023, the court in Kostroma gave Valentina Samus a 6-year suspended sentence for talking about the Bible. Judge Maria Zaikina classified the pensioner as a criminal for \u0026quot;helping people to learn about Bible teachings, principles and norms.\u0026quot; The believer considers the verdict unjust.\nThe criminal case against Valentina Samus was initiated in February 2022 by the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Kostroma Region, and in December a recognizance agreement was imposed on her as a preventive measure. Valentina said what supported her all that time: \u0026quot;I received many warm wishes, and some fellow believers even dare to come to the hearing. Face-to-face conversations are very encouraging for us. The videos and postcards with Bible verses are very moving.\u0026quot;\nThe prosecutor requested that the elderly woman be sentenced to 7 years in a penal colony, without presenting a single fact proving that the defendant had harmed anyone. Witnesses for the prosecution described Samus as a pleasant person to talk to. According to them, Valentina did not express calls for violence, the overthrow of the constitutional order or disrespect toward the state authorities.\nIn her final statement, Valentina said: \u0026quot;I am an elderly person, a health worker and far removed from jurisprudence. But in the course of this trial, I realized that I was being prosecuted not for committing a crime, but for my religious beliefs, for my peaceful and law-abiding way of life, for my sincere desire to selflessly help other people by telling them about what I myself learned from the Bible.\u0026quot;\n\u0026quot;All my life I have respected members of different religions, nationalities, age groups and professions. Whenever, I attended calls, my main goal was to provide the person with emergency medical care to save his life, and for him to recover as quickly as possible. Therefore, I have never shown hatred, enmity or violence to anyone. And the Bible taught me even more -- to respect a person\u0026#39;s right to choose and his dignity,\u0026quot; Valentina said in court.\nThe text of the decision of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention drew attention to the fact that \u0026quot;the actions of the state [of the Russian Federation] were motivated by a discriminatory goal: to stop the religious practice of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Russia. [...] [Such treatment] violates \u0026quot;the State\u0026#39;s duty of neutrality and impartiality\u0026quot; regarding religious beliefs and practices\u0026quot; (para. 47).\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-12-19T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/12/201343/image_hu_405f810a27eb24ad.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/12/201343/image_hu_c9bfa20efced334b.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/12/201343/image_hu_6ee1b79f854b9695.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/12/201343/image_hu_796a18d666e6444d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/12/201343.html","regions":["kostroma"],"subtitle":"The Pensioner Received a 6-year Suspended Sentence for Her Faith","tags":["sentence","elderly","282.2-1","suspended"],"title":"Court in Kostroma Found Valentina Samus, 74, Guilty of “Organizing the Activity of an Extremist Organization”.","type":"news"},{"body":"The measure of restraint for a believer is changed to a ban on certain actions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sakun in Kovrov","date":"2023-12-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov6.html#20231218","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Referee: Alyona Novoselova. Central District Court of Prokopyevsk (Karl Liebknecht St., 9, Prokopyevsk).\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Brilkov in Prokopyevsk","date":"2023-12-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopevsk3.html#20231218","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["punishment-request","labor","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The first court hearing in the case of Galina Komissarova. 5 people are allowed into the courtroom. The defendant makes several motions, three of which the court satisfies: for additional acquaintance with the case materials, for the admission of evidence of the defense, for familiarization with the protocol. The believer explains that she wants to get acquainted with the materials of the case, since they do not contain a certain disk, which the expert refers to in his conclusion.\nThe prosecutor announces the charge, the believer expresses her attitude towards it.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Komissarova in Tolyatti","date":"2023-12-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti6.html#20231218","regions":["samara"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The believer noted: \"All my life I have respected representatives of different religions, nationalities, ages and professions.\" And about her religion, she said: \"It's a part of my life that has a positive effect on my character, my family and those around me, makes me happy.\"\n","date":"2023-12-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/383.html","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement","elderly"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Valentina Samus in Kostroma","type":"docs"},{"body":"The prosecutor requested suspended term for the defendants: Yuriy Ponomarenko — 4 years, Oleg Sergeyev — 3 years and 6 months, and Nikolay Dikhtyar — 2 years.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ponomarenko and Others in Luchegorsk","date":"2023-12-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/luchegorsk2.html#20231215","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["punishment-request","defense-arguments","elderly","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Prosecution witness A. S. Zaikin is being questioned. He says that Jehovah's Witnesses study the regular Bible in a modern translation, and that they are normal people. The witness informs the court that he communicated with the defendant Igor Kletkin, but does not know Nikolai Kononenko and Nadezhda Korobochko. He also confirms that Kletkin did not continue the activities of the local religious organization after 2017.\nThe court examines material evidence - items seized during the search of Nadezhda Korobochko.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kononenko and Others in Nikolayevsk-on-Amur","date":"2023-12-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nikolayevsk_na_amure.html#20231215","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anatoliy Marunov has the opportunity to read the Bible again. He has normal relations with other prisoners and the administration of the pre-trial detention center. The believer regularly receives letters of support. He had two dates with his wife.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mareyev and Others in Moscow","date":"2023-12-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow4.html#20231214","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo","elderly","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladimir Maladyka is taken to a penal colony in the Tambov region, 1,600 km from home. The believer is quarantined.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zhukov and Others in Sevastopol","date":"2023-12-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol2.html#20231214","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["transfer","elderly","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor asks to imprison 74-year-old Valentina Samus in a colony for 7 years.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Samus in Kostroma","date":"2023-12-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma3.html#20231211","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["punishment-request","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A new series of searches. This time, one believer is beaten, and the other, 19-year-old Kirill Chekolaev, is taken into custody.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Byche and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2023-12-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok12.html#20231207","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["search","siloviks-violence","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The criminal prosecution changed the life of Aleksey Yefremov from Saratov, a Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witness with diabetes mellitus of the II degree. At one time, he suffered three heart attacks. His wife Anetta has cancer, had two operations and a course of radiation therapy. Due to her husband\u0026#39;s house arrest, all the worries about the house and family fell on her shoulders.\nAleksey was born in February 1964 in the city of Saratov. He has an elder sister, Svetlana. The parents are no longer alive.\nSince childhood, Aleksey was fond of collecting stamps. He studied in a biathlon sports class. In 1983 he graduated from the Aviation College with a degree in aircraft engineering. After graduation, he was drafted into the army, where he served in a special unit. He took advanced training courses for officers. He served in the GDR in the cities of Lerz and Verneuchen, then in Saratov, where he worked as a special forces instructor.\nAleksey met his future wife Anetta in his second year of college. They married in 1984. Anette is a math teacher. The couple have an adult daughter and a schoolgirl granddaughter who lives with her grandparents. The Yefremovs love to travel when they can.\nAnetta was the first to get acquainted with the Bible. Then Aleksey\u0026#39;s mother and sister began to research this book. He himself was attracted by the biblical teachings because of their clarity and logic. He later left military service because of his peaceful religious views. After that, in 1994, he and his wife embarked on the Christian path together.\nDue to criminal prosecution, Aleksey lost his job and proper treatment. While under house arrest, he can only use emergency medical care. Also, he cannot accompany his granddaughter to school and take him to other classes. Aleksey\u0026#39;s sister also suffered from the searches.\nRelatives and friends are perplexed because of the persecution of a peaceful believer and worry about him.\n","date":"2024-01-04","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/yefremov/photo_hu_9d6116a5488cc39d.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/yefremov/photo_hu_fbd7be3b8a599e80.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/yefremov/photo_hu_16e13bad44ecbddf.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/yefremov/photo_hu_d10eb6b177b3514c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/yefremov.html","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["health-risk","elderly"],"title":"Aleksey Yefremov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On December 7, 2023, searches were carried out in Vladivostok at addresses of believers, at least five, including the home of an elderly man. A believer, 19, was detained and placed in a pretrial detention center for 2 months, while another man was beaten by security forces.\nDemanding he gives the password from his phone, the man was hit several times with a rubber truncheon. Later, he went to ER, where he was diagnosed with bruising on his internal organs. He reqires treatment.\nDuring interrogation by the Investigative Committee, the believers were asked questions about their religious beliefs, as well as about their participation in meetings for worship of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. Also demands were made to incriminate fellow believers.\nThe searches and interrogations took place as part of the criminal case of Yuriy Byche and others in Vladivostok.\nApart from the victims of the December 7 search, another 26 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses are being prosecuted in Vladivostok for their faith; six of whom have already been convicted.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2023-12-07T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/12/150942/image_hu_16c3a458240d4795.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/12/150942/image_hu_4f037ca962d29baf.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/12/150942/image_hu_c475425e20702cba.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/12/150942/image_hu_7d601e5a93153095.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/12/150942.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":"One Beaten, Another Arrested","tags":["siloviks-violence","search","elderly"],"title":"Homes of Believers Searched in Vladivostok.","type":"news"},{"body":"Judge Andrei Slavinsky grants the state prosecutor's request to extend the current preventive measures for all believers until March 20, 2024: house arrest for Sergey Vasilyev, and detention for the rest of the defendants.\nIn Yaroslav's debate, defense lawyer Oksana Pajitnykh, who participates in the case along with her lawyer, says: \"My client is being tried for the same thing for which his parents were exiled to Siberia more than 70 years ago. Officially, for anti-state activities and undermining the constitutional order, and de facto, only for the fact that they were and remain Jehovah's Witnesses.\" She cites the fact that all the exiled Jehovah's Witnesses were later rehabilitated by the state, and now believers are persecuted under the same pretext.\nThe defender also says that Kalin has been practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses for more than 40 years and has lived in the village of Pivovarikha all his life: \"Yaroslav Kalin always helped everyone, responded to the misfortune of another person, was always ready to provide emotional, moral and physical support, supported the improvement of the village. He is non-conflicting, there have never been quarrels with neighbors ... And then, suddenly, he is tried as an extremist. But it can't be like that! A useful member of society cannot be an extremist.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2023-12-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk.html#20231206","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["sizo","house-arrest","defense-arguments","final-statement","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On December 5, 2023, a panel of judges of the Khabarovsk Territorial Court overturned the verdict against Lyubov Kocherova and Lyubov Ovchinnikova from the village of Knyaze-Volkonskoye — 6-year suspended sentence for their faith in Jehovah God — and sent the case back for a new trial. The court thus granted the prosecutor's appeal.\nThe case will be heard in the same court that passed the original verdict (Khabarovsk District Court), but comprising a different panel of judges.\nLyubov Kocherova emphasized in her appeal: \"The court did not substantiate in the verdict why the peaceful way of expressing faith in God was regarded by the court as committing a crime.\" She also noted: \"The Constitution of the Russian Federation allows me to be a religious person.\" Lyubov Ovchinnikova pointed out: \"The court verdict is an act of direct and indirect gross religious discrimination.\"\nIn an additional appeal, the defense drew attention to the fact that, when considering a criminal case, the court did not establish what specific actions directly aimed at continuing the activity of any banned organization were committed by the women. In other words, the court did not identify the crime.\nProsecution of Jehovah's Witnesses continues in the Khabarovsk Territory. The verdicts against 17 believers have already entered into force in the region.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-12-05T15:14:34+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/12/051514/image_hu_9926bb2a61cee33f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/12/051514/image_hu_f25753b3250e8c8d.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/12/051514/image_hu_2987cf8f6adc34a2.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/12/051514/image_hu_72c8d8e9fa31e3dc.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/12/051514.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":"The Case Will Be Considered by the Same Court of a Different Composition","tags":["appeal","suspended","282.2-1.1","282.2-2","elderly"],"title":"Court of Appeal in Khabarovsk Overturned the Guilty Verdict Against Two Pensioners.","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 5, 2023, the high-profile trial against Jehovah's Witnesses from Surgut concluded. Dmitriy Lupin, a judge of the Surgut City Court, found 18 believers guilty of extremism and gave all suspended sentences ranging from 4 to 7 years.\nSergey Loginov and Timofey Zhukov received the longest suspended sentence — 7 years. Yevgeniy Kayryak received 6 years and 10 months; Leonid Rysikov — 6 years and 9 months; Pavel Romashov — 6 years and 7 months; Vyacheslav Boronos, Saveliy Gargalyk, Artem Kim, Igor Trifonov, Yevgeniy Fedin — 6 years and 6 months; Igor Petrov — 6 years and 5 months; Vasiliy Burenesku, Sergey Volosnikov, Igor Kobotov and Viktor Fefilov — 6 years and 4 months; Aleksey Plekhov and Artur Severinchik — 6 years and 3 months.\nThe only woman in the case, Viola Shepel, received a 3-year and 3-month suspended sentence.\nAll defendants were given probation periods from 2 to 4 years.\nThe Surgut trial became one of the most widely discussed after the decision of the Supreme Court to liquidate the legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses: the believers faced unprecedented cruel treatment by the security forces. A criminal case against 17 men and 1 woman between 31 and 71 years was initiated by the Investigative Department for the city of Surgut of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area. In February 2019, after a series of searches in the homes of believers, at least 40 people were detained for interrogation, 7 of them were tortured. The security officials applied beatings, electric shocks and suffocation until they lost consciousness.\nThe victims appealed to the Investigative Committee of Russia, the Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation and the ECHR with calls to bring law enforcement officers to justice for criminal actions. Human rights defenderd actively spoke out. Despite this, no criminal case for torture was ever initiated, and two months after the incident, Vladimir Yermolayev, head of the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee, where Jehovah's Witnesses were tortured, and his subordinate Sergey Bogoderov received awards, and the soldiers of the National Guard of Russia who participated in the operation received commendation.\nBelievers from Surgut who peacefully practiced their religion were accused of organizing, participating in and financing the activity of an extremist organization. A man mistaken for one of Jehovah's Witnesses was also prosecuted. During the investigation, the homes of several defendants were searched again; three men spent from 1 to 2 months in a pretrial detention center, and Timofey Zhukov underwent a compulsory psychiatric examination, which the court later declared illegal.\nFriends who came to support believers in minus 30-degree frost The case materials received by the court amounted to 222 volumes. However, as the defense emphasized, they do not list specific unlawful actions, and the gathered evidence only shows that the defendants continued to practice the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses after the liquidation of legal entities, which is not against the law. The court considered the believers' case for 2 years. For the last months, meetings were held behind closed doors every working day. It is known that one of the witnesses for the prosecution was an undercover agent for the special forces, who feigned interest in the Bible and secretly recorded conversations with the believers.\nOne of the convicted persons, Timofey Zhukov, a lawyer with many years of experience, called what was happening \"legal absurdity and physical lawlessness.\" He added: \"At first, to be honest, I didn't believe that in a secular state governed by the rule of law, in which the constitution guarantees freedom of religion, there could be repression for faith, and moreover, that believers would actually be imprisoned... From a legal point of view, the ban on legal entities should in no way affect regular believers.\"\nMost believers faced financial difficulties due to criminal prosecution – many lost their jobs and some had their accounts blocked; despite seven of the convicted persons having minor children. Aleksey Plekhov, who was unemployed for about a year, recalls: \"The judge scheduled court hearings 2-3 times a week. For many of us, such a schedule meant possibly losing our job.\" Leonid Rysikov, a 73-year-old pensioner who ended up on the Rosfinmonitoring list, said: \"Every month I had to apply and wait for how much funds they would allow me to withdraw. Usually, it's 10 000, but once they allowed me to withdraw only 670 rubles.\"\nYevgeniy Fedin, who spent almost 2 months in a pretrial detention center, faced another difficulty: \"When the investigation was going on, my father was very ill and I needed to be near him. I wrote a motion detailing the reason for the trip, but the investigator did not allow me go. A few days later, my father died. About six months later, my sister died, and the investigator again did not let me go to her funeral. My mom had to bury her daughter alone. For her it was the greatest stress.\"\nAll the while, the Surgutians felt the support of their fellow believers from different cities and countries. Igor Kobotov said: \"After suffering stress [due to the raid], my wife did not want to return home and we stayed overnight with friends. Literally the next day, brothers and sisters started coming to us, to support and strengthen us. They brought money and food, assured us of their love and support.\" Yevgeniy Fedin related: \"In the pretrial detention center, I received about 800 letters in 2 months. It was a great encouragement and support.\"\nShortly before Judge Lupin began his consideration of the case of Jehovah's Witnesses from Surgut, the association of former prisoners of the Dachau concentration camp (Lagergemeinschaft Dachau) sent an open letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin. \"Not a day passes on which there is no report of state repression against Jehovah’s Witnesses,\" the letter says. \"The homes of members of the religious denomination are searched and ravaged by the Russian secret service, FSB, and the police. Violent assaults and mistreatment occur. Women and men are condemned to long-term prison sentences. Requests to ease detention conditions or for parole are regularly refused.\" The letter concludes: “We urge you to grant every resident of the Russian Federation the constitutional right to free exercise of religion. Please end this injustice!”\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-12-05T14:13:16+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/12/051413/image_hu_6b1a5b0e833fedc2.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/12/051413/image_hu_99160c6ef8c62fd0.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/12/051413/image_hu_4181fd046d9f71dd.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/12/051413/image_hu_dcc205998bfa2a4e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/12/051413.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","torture","siloviks-violence","families","elderly","282.2-1","282.2-2"],"title":"Court in Surgut Ruled in a High-Profile Case of 18 Jehovah's Witnesses, Some of Whom Had Been Tortured Earlier","type":"news"},{"body":"14 people come to support the believers. The prosecution continues to consider the conclusion of the religious forensic examination.\nAfter about an hour, the defendant Lydia Nekrasova becomes ill, and the judge stops the hearing.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kruglyakov and Others in Syktyvkar","date":"2023-11-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/syktyvkar.html#20231130","regions":["komi"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Kirill Deshko issues a decision to bring Potapova and Kalinnikova as accused of participating in the activities of an extremist organization.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kalinnikova and Potapova in Kurilsk","date":"2023-11-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurilsk.html#20231129","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["282.2-2","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Iturup is the largest island in the southern part of the Kuril Islands with a population of less than 7,000 people. Larisa Potapova, a civilian resident of the island, faced criminal prosecution for her faith in the fall of 2023.\nLarisa was born in March 1964 in Potsdam (Germany). She has a younger brother. The father is no longer alive.\nAs a child, Larisa loved to skate. After school, she received the specialty of a seamstress, worked for some time in a garment factory. Later she mastered the profession of cooking, and worked in her specialty in a restaurant, kindergarten, as well as on a ship. Recently he has been working as a watchman, in his free time he likes to take care of home flowers.\nAt various times, Larisa lived in Ukraine, as well as Volgograd and Vladivostok. In 1996, she and her son moved to her parents in the Kuril Islands. Now the son already has his own family.\nLarisa was interested in the Bible as a child, and at the first opportunity in 1996 she began to study it. The woman was struck by the authenticity of this book, especially the fulfilled prophecies. In 2012, Larisa embarked on the Christian path.\nLarisa\u0026#39;s elderly mother, son and daughter-in-law worry about her and consider her criminal prosecution unfair.\n","date":"2023-12-18","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/potapova/photo_hu_3acf368c47f14406.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/potapova/photo_hu_d99325f18b949629.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/potapova/photo_hu_998b7ab108ffb7df.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/potapova/photo_hu_b6360402eefd55f3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/potapova.html","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Larisa Potapova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On November 23, 2023, on Iturup Island security forces searched the homes of two women who practice the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Olga Kalinnikova, 47, and Larisa Potapova, 59, were placed under a recognizance agreement.\nA three-hour search took place in the apartment of Olga Kalinnikova, who lives with her minor daughter in the town of Kurilsk. The operation was led by K.P. Deshko, investigator of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Sakhalin Region. Electronic devices, various data storage devices, notebooks and personal notes were seized from Kalinnikova. According to her, law enforcement officers spoke rudely about the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nOn the same day, at about 9 a.m., representatives of the border guards of the FSB of Russia with two attesting witnesses went to Larisa Potapova, who lives in the village of Reidovo. The security forces seized the Bible and other books, as well as video discs. The believer's elderly mother who is 87, felt ill as her blood pressure rose sharply due to great stress. After the search, Larisa was interrogated in the investigator's office.\nThe Korsakov Interdistrict Investigative Department of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation had already initiated a criminal case against Olga Kalinnikova and Larisa Potapova on October 12, 2023. Investigators suspect the women of \"extremist activity,\" by which they mean conversations with local residents about God.\nOn Sakhalin, this is the fourth criminal case for believing in God.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2023-11-23T15:51:09+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/11/291551/image_hu_2977bd18add9ef26.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/11/291551/image_hu_6dd9ca5d9933f2fe.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/11/291551/image_hu_95e9658a5803ab27.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/11/291551/image_hu_5066f567f7e87cc3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/11/291551.html","regions":["sakhalin"],"subtitle":"Criminal Case Initiated Against Two Women for Their Faith","tags":["search","interrogation","recognizance-agreement","new-case","minors","282.2-2","elderly"],"title":"Searches on Kuril Islands.","type":"news"},{"body":"The prosecutor asks to find Valeriy Rabota guilty under Part 1.1 and Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and to sentence him to 6 years in a general regime colony and 1.5 years of restriction of liberty.\nThe defense asks to acquit the defendant.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Valeriy Rabota in Knyaze-Volkonskoye","date":"2023-11-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/knyaze-volkonskoe.html#20231123","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["punishment-request","defense-arguments","elderly","retrial"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court begins an examination of the material evidence seized during the search: a letter of thanks, a biblical atlas, a book by religious scholar Sergei Ivanenko \"About People Who Never Part with the Bible\", a video file with biblical reports and the cartoon \"Does Jehovah Answer Prayers?\". Lelikov notes that these evidence does not confirm any of the charges against him.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lelikov in Krasnodar","date":"2023-11-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnodar.html#20231123","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On November 16, 2023, searches were carried out at no less than at 6 addresses in Saratov. They affected at least 13 believers. Aleksey Vasilyev, 47, and Aleksey Yefremov, 59, were placed in a temporary detention facility, and a day later they were placed under house arrest.\nThe investigative actions were sanctioned by the Volzhsky District Court of Saratov on November 9, 2023, at the request of investigator Bulat Urazov. The raids began around 6 a. m. and lasted on average until noon. The security forces seized electronic devices, storage media, personal notes and greeting cards. The RF internal passport was also seized from one of the believers.\nAfter the searches, all of the believers were interrogated at the local office of the Investigative Committee. Among them are a woman with a disability and a man, 64, suffering from heart disease, who felt ill during the interrogation. Despite this, he was kept at the investigative office for the longest time.\nThe criminal case on the basis of which the searches were carried out was initiated on October 31, 2023, under Article 282.2(2) of the RF CrC (participating in the activity of an extremist organization).\nIn the Saratov Region, 12 Jehovah's Witnesses have already become defendants in criminal cases for their faith in God: seven of them have served time in penal colonies, the other five men are defending their right in court to practice the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nRussian human rights activists and the world community condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. The ECHR found these prosecutions groundless and unlawful.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2023-11-16T14:55:09+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/11/221455/image_hu_4bf271b18053d7ec.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/11/221455/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/11/221455/image_hu_1ab2cc8da93c41c8.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/11/221455/image_hu_b64a536aa3ac4c27.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/11/221455.html","regions":["saratov"],"subtitle":"Two believers under house arrest","tags":["search","interrogation","ivs","house-arrest","elderly","disability","new-case","282.2-2"],"title":"In Saratov, searches were carried out at the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses.","type":"news"},{"body":"Interrogation of a secret witness under the pseudonym Shukshin, an 85-year-old neighbor of the defendant Nadezhda Korobochko and investigator Golovchenko.\nThe court rejects the request for disclosure of the data of the secret witness. Witness Shukshin informs the court that he attended worship services of believers until 2022. When asked by the prosecutor what was the involvement of other persons by the defendants in the banned organization, Shukshin answers: \"They studied the Bible.\"\nWhen asked by the defense when and where exactly Nadezhda Korobochko distributed the banned literature and whether he witnessed this fact, Shukshin replies that he saw it, but cannot confirm either the year, place, or the people to whom this literature was offered. Nor can the witness explain the difference between the religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses and other Christian denominations. He says that Jehovah's Witnesses are also Christians and that their worship services are not meetings of legal entities, but meetings of ordinary believers, and the name of the creed is taken from the Bible. The witness confirms that he has not seen a single case of disrespect for authority by believers.\nNadezhda Korobochko's elderly neighbor explains that she has been living next to the defendant since 1965, but met her only in 2022 - she was carrying a heavy bag, and Nadezhda helped her carry it. Since then, they saw each other several more times, greeted each other, and 2-3 times the defendant helped her carry purchases from the store.\nWhen asked by the defense whether the witness confirms the words of the state prosecutor that Korobochko recruited her, the woman answers in the negative. She states that investigator Golovchenko tricked her into signing the protocol and the testimony in it did not correspond to reality. The woman says: \"He gave me to sign some paper, said that it was necessary to close the case, I signed it. The fact that she recruited me was never like that. He wrote there that she persuaded me. She never persuaded me.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kononenko and Others in Nikolayevsk-on-Amur","date":"2023-11-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nikolayevsk_na_amure.html#20231116","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","secret-witness","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In her last speech, the believer explained to the court that extremism is alien to her peaceful way of life. She said: \"There are no victims or victims in the present case. It turns out that I am being judged only for professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\"\n","date":"2023-11-15T16:13:04+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/370.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Tatyana Sushilnikova in Novokuznetsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"Comparing the trial of Jesus Christ with the trials of his modern followers, the defendant noted: \"Many powerful rulers wanted Jehovah's Witnesses to be silenced, but the work of God cannot be stopped.\"\n","date":"2023-11-15T16:07:07+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/376.html","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"Andrey Murych's last word in Balakovo","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his speech, the defendant asked the court: \"Millions of people in our country go to churches, mosques, practice their religion and talk about religious topics with each other. But I can't do that because I'm one of Jehovah's Witnesses. Why is my religion worse than others?\"\n","date":"2023-11-15T16:04:19+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/375.html","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Vladimir Mavrin in Balakovo","type":"docs"},{"body":"Explaining to the court why his beliefs were contrary to the charges against him, the believer asked: \"I have always tried to lead a peaceful and calm life, to adhere to the principle of 'love your neighbor as yourself' - is this the life of extremists?\"\n","date":"2023-11-15T16:02:12+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/374.html","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Alexei Bogatov in Balakovo","type":"docs"},{"body":"On November 15, 2023, the Kuznetskiy District Court finalized its hearing of the case of Tatyana Sushilnikova, 64, one of Jehovah's Witnesses from Novokuznetsk. Judge Valeriya Shipitsyna found her guilty of extremism for peaceful religious practice and gave her a 4-year suspended sentence with a 3-year probation period, as well as 10 months restriction of freedom after serving the main sentence.\nSushilnikova faced prosecution for her faith in June 2021. The armed law enforcement officers raided the home of her and her husband Sergey in the early morning. \"My husband was put on the floor like some kind of criminal, and I was pushed against the wall,\" Tatyana recalls. A year later, a case was initiated against her. The Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Kemerovo Region - Kuzbass charged her with participating in the activity of an extremist organization. As one of the FSB officers later stated during interrogation in court, Tatyana became a defendant in the criminal case, \"because she is Sergey's wife, actively participated in meetings, engaged in visits and conversations with the local residents.\"\nThe believer pleads not guilty to any crimes against the state or persons: \"I have not violated any law of the state, no one has suffered in any way from my actions.\" According to Tatyana, during the trial, the prosecution did not present any evidence of her guilt. Neither the testimonies of witnesses nor the expert studies (religious, linguistic and phonographic) showed any extremist actions on the part of the believer. It is worth noting that the expert studies were dated at a time when the criminal case had not even been initiated.\nAs Tatyana says, the unjust prosecution caused a lot of emotional stress and difficulties. She receives support from her husband, who himself is serving a 6-year suspended sentence for his faith, and from friends: \"During the prosecution, we try to encourage each other even more, to support each other in word and deed... When we go to court, we naturally feel anxious. And then we see our dear fellow believers, their smiles, their eyes - the anxiety disappears, and it is as if we grow wings.\"\nAt the courthouse, a group of friends came to support Tatyana. November, 2023. Tatyana and Sergey Sushilnikov near the courthouse. November, 2023. In the Kemerovo Region, 18 Jehovah's Witnesses have already been subjected to religious repression. Six men were imprisoned for terms ranging from 3 to 7 years for their faith. Another six residents of Kuzbass were given a suspended sentence. The ECHR judgment in the case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia stated that \"the Russian authorities have not presented any evidence which, in accordance with the Court's jurisprudence, could justify an interference with the applicants' rights to freedom of religion, expression or association\" (§ 158).\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-11-15T15:46:49+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/11/171546/image_hu_cba6bf1ba744f24b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/11/171546/image_hu_85966afc8fc78693.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/11/171546/image_hu_a9d40cc5c43f01e5.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/11/171546/image_hu_44c370690e533d56.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/11/171546.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"subtitle":"I'm on Trial for Ordinary Worship of God","tags":["elderly","sentence","282.2-2","suspended","studies-violations"],"title":"Court Gave Pensioner Tatyana Sushilnikova a 4-Year Suspended Sentence.","type":"news"},{"body":"Denis Sarazhakov is being held in a common cell of the pre-trial detention center together with those accused of extremism and terrorism.\nYaroslav Kalin and Sergey Kosteev are being held in small solitary confinement cells. They are preparing to speak in the debate in court.\nNikolay Martynov and Andrey Tolmachev are held in solitary confinement cells. Nikolay regularly receives letters from family and friends. He is supported by visits with his relatives and telephone conversations with them. Andrey does not complain about his physical and emotional condition, but he worries about his father with a disability, whom he has not been able to take care of for a long time.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2023-11-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk.html#20231115","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["sizo","letters","elderly","first-instance","punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In August 2023, Ekaterina Demidova became accused in a criminal case only because of her faith.\nEkaterina was born in December 1956 in the city of Ichnya (Ukraine) in a hardworking family. Her parents worked on a collective farm.\nIn her youth, Ekaterina was fond of skiing, took pride of place in competitions and received certificates. After school, she entered a technical school of public catering in the Crimea, and after graduation she stayed there to work on distribution.\nIn the late 1990s, Catherine became acquainted with Bible teachings. From the Holy Scriptures, she learned about the qualities of God. It touched her heart, and in 2005 she decided to become a Christian.\nThe criminal prosecution had a negative impact on the health of Ekaterina and her husband. Her husband does not share her religious beliefs, but treats them with respect. He worries about his wife and does not understand why she is being persecuted.\n","date":"2023-12-11","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/demidova/photo_hu_497d46c6e39c9fd6.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/demidova/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/demidova/photo_hu_ed542e4f7de9bff0.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/demidova/photo_hu_59954bed0d497f37.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/demidova.html","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Yekaterina Demidova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Nikolay Martynov is being held in solitary confinement in a pre-trial detention center. He does not lose heart, regularly receives letters from family and friends. He is supported by dates and phone calls to his family.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2023-11-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk.html#20231113","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["sizo","letters","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In his last speech, the defendant said that he feels calm, regardless of what the verdict of the court turns out to be, and also thanked his fellow believers for their support.\n","date":"2023-11-10T18:57:12+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/369.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Leonid Rysikov in Surgut","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his final statement, the believer tried to debunk the myth of his religion: \"The statement that 'Jehovah's Witnesses are a threat to society' actually shows how little is known about those who are hated, and hatred is often a direct consequence of a lack of knowledge.\"\n","date":"2023-11-10T18:54:42+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/368.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Viktor Fefilov in Surgut","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his speech, the defendant told how his life changed thanks to the Bible: \"I became much happier, became an exemplary family man, a good husband and father.\" He stressed: \"There is no way I can be an extremist and think like an extremist.\"\n","date":"2023-11-10T18:50:50+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/367.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Savely Gargalyk in Surgut","type":"docs"},{"body":"The defendants Shepel, Fefilov, Kobotov, Rysikov, Gargalyk, Burenescu and Severinchik make their final statements.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Loginov and Others in Surgut","date":"2023-11-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/surgut.html#20231110","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In his last word, the defendant stated: \"I am not an extremist and never have been and never will be.\" Drawing attention to the words of the prosecution \"they are incorrigible\", he asked the court: \"What should I correct? I have never violated the laws of the Russian Federation, I continue to lead a Christian lifestyle and follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ.\"\n","date":"2023-11-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/366.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement","elderly"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Vasily Burenescu in Surgut","type":"docs"},{"body":"The court examines the video footage from the camera installed at Sidorenko's work. In this recording, believers discuss meetings of fellow believers via video link.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sidorenko in Krasnodar","date":"2023-11-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnodar2.html#20231109","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"\"We, as Christians, have nothing to hide from the authorities of our state. And there is nothing to accuse us of,\" said Sergey Loginov in his speech before the court.\n","date":"2023-11-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/362.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement","elderly"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Sergey Loginov in Surgut","type":"docs"},{"body":"Denis Sarazhakov is being held in a common cell of the pre-trial detention center with those accused of extremism and terrorism. He shows calmness and friendliness to others.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2023-11-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk.html#20231107","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["sizo","letters","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Speaking before the court, the believer spoke about his beliefs and explained why he considers it his duty to tell others about the Bible: \"Today, more than ever, the line between good and evil is almost erased, so people especially need knowledge about God and his norms.\"\n","date":"2023-11-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/351.html","regions":["tula"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement","elderly"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Gurami Labadze in Tula","type":"docs"},{"body":"On November 1, 2023, the Supreme Court of the Republic of Tatarstan upheld the sentence of the court of first instance — 2 years suspended for Tatyana Obizhestvit, 2.5 years suspended for Leysan Bochkareva and 3 years and 1 month in a penal colony for Andrey Bochkarev, who has already served this term in full while in pretrial detention.\nThe prosecutor considered the decision of the court of first instance too lenient and in March 2023 filed an appeal in which he asked the court to \"toughen\" the sentence for the believers, as well as to exclude mitigating circumstances from the verdict.\nIn Tatarstan, 13 Jehovah's Witnesses are prosecuted for their faith. One of them, Konstantin Sannikov, is serving his sentence in a penal colony. In June 2022, the European Court of Human Rights found prosecutions on such grounds unlawful.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-11-01T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/referee%27s%20hammer2_hu_cdc5fb2172564231.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/referee%27s%20hammer2.jpg","webp":"/news/common/referee%27s%20hammer2_hu_f79c615f28bc8443.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/referee%27s%20hammer2_hu_813ead7c958d760f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/11/281501.html","regions":["tatarstan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["suspended","elderly"],"title":"Court of Appeal in Tatarstan Upholds the Verdict Against Three Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"The defense is requesting the exclusion of the evidence provided by the prosecution: the conclusion of a psychologist and the survey of a religious scholar. These documents were drawn up even before the initiation of the criminal case. The court dismisses the petition.\nValery Rabota testifies.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Valeriy Rabota in Knyaze-Volkonskoye","date":"2023-10-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/knyaze-volkonskoe.html#20231025","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","punishment-request","defense-arguments","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A court gave Vladimir Baikalov, 60, a 6-year suspended sentence for talking about the Bible with friends. This decision was made on October 23, 2023, by Marina Romanina, judge of the Zavodsky District Court of the city of Kemerovo. The state prosecutor requested the believer be sent to a penal colony for 7 years.\n\"I used to teach people how to fight, and now I teach them to love,\" said former boxing coach Vladimir Baykalov, emphasizing the absurdity of the charge. \"[Before becoming one of Jehovah's Witnesses], I devoted many years to boxing, even though it was not only my dream job, but it was my life... The Bible taught me, instead of aggression, to show love to people and instead of causing pain, it [nurtured] a desire and willingness to help. This is the complete opposite of extremism, hatred or enmity.\"\nAleksandra Isayeva, investigator of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, initiated a criminal case in February 2022. A day later, Baykalov's home was searched. The law enforcement officers equated peaceful conversations about God to organizing the activity of an extremist organization. However, there is no evidence in the case of calls or statements on the part of Vladimir promoting extremism. The witnesses who spoke in court, also did not hear anything like this from Baykalov. At least one of them stated that the protocol of his interrogation was falsified. The believer drew the court's attention to the comments of the officers to the transcripts of the audio recordings of the meetings for worship: \"Conversations of any relevance to the operation have not been recorded.\" The audio recordings show believers discussing the importance of following Bible standards and displaying qualities such as modesty and humility.\nEven before the court proceedings, Vladimir Baykalov was twice subjected to a psychiatric examination. According to the believer, during one of them, the doctor who cooperated with the investigation, exerted strong psychological pressure on him and threatened him with forced hospitalization, trying to force Baykalov to incriminate himself.\nVladimir said that friends helped him and his wife to cope with all the difficulties. \"You just can't do without their help in these difficult times. They shared encouraging thoughts and provided tremendous support at court hearings. Once the prosecutor said: \"There are so many listeners – who are they to you?\" I replied: \"They are relatives and friends.\" He was surprised. Also, immediately after the search, fellow believers helped us financially.\"\nThe verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed.\nIn Kuzbass, 15 cases have been initiated against Jehovah's Witnesses. The sentences of 11 believers have already entered into force. Two of them, Sergey Ananin and Andrey Vlasov, are serving long sentences in a penal colony.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-10-23T15:53:06+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/10/231553/image_hu_de7c96fcfb7992ce.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/10/231553/image_hu_c2b02dcdeea20793.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/10/231553/image_hu_b9ba13a6fcb453d0.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/10/231553/image_hu_e66ae6b69ab6ee.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/10/231553.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"subtitle":"Court in Kemerovo Found Vladimir Baykalov Guilty of Extremism","tags":["282.2-1","suspended","fabrications","studies-violations","elderly"],"title":"Suspended Sentence of 6 Years for Faith in Jehovah God.","type":"news"},{"body":"Addressing the court, the believer drew attention to the evidence of his own innocence. \"There is not a single fact, witness or record that would confirm my guilt,\" he said. \"On the contrary, all the evidence testifies to my integrity and respect for the authorities and their representatives.\"\n","date":"2023-10-23T15:51:19+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/348.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement","elderly"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Vladimir Baikalov in Kemerovo","type":"docs"},{"body":"Alam Aliyev is transferred to a hospital at SIZO-1 in Blagoveshchensk. Before that, the believer, who suffers from a number of serious illnesses, spent 10 days in a punishment cell.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan","date":"2023-10-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan10.html#20231020","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["life-in-prison","prison-treatment","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Evidence of the defense is examined. Nikolay Dikhtyar provides information on the ECHR judgments in the cases of The Religious Community of Jehovah's Witnesses in Moscow and Others v. the Russian Federation and Konstantin Kuznetsov and Others v. the Russian Federation. He emphasizes that these rulings recognized violations by the Russian Federation of the legitimate rights and freedoms of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.The defense reads out positive characteristics of the defendants from neighbors and from places of work.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ponomarenko and Others in Luchegorsk","date":"2023-10-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/luchegorsk2.html#20231020","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Court concludes that the content of the audio and video materials of the case is exclusively \"thematic, religious\" in nature. The court decides to limit further research of materials - songs, films, animated animation - to selective viewing and listening.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ponomarenko and Others in Luchegorsk","date":"2023-10-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/luchegorsk2.html#20231019","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On October 16, 2023, the Ninth General Jurisdiction Court of Cassation upheld the verdict against believers from Spassk-Dalniy. Dmitriy Malevaniy, Aleksey Trofimov, and Olga Panyuta will continue to serve their sentences in the penal colony, and Olga Opaleva will continue to serve a suspended sentence.\nAll four believe that they were convicted simply because they are Jehovah's Witnesses. The court sentenced Malevaniy, Trofimov and Panyuta from 4.5 to 7 years in a penal colony. Opaleva, who suffered a stroke during the trial, received a 5-year suspended sentence. Later, the court of appeal reduced the sentence insignificantly.\nBack in 2018, the RF Government, in response to the demands of the UN Human Rights Council, expressed its official position regarding Jehovah's Witnesses: \"The ban on the activity of the organization 'Jehovah’s Witnesses' does not in itself restrict the right to freedom of religion of its supporters, who still have the right to practice their religious rites, provided that the form of such practice does not contradict the norms of Russian legislation.\" Despite this, believers across the country continue to be found guilty of extremism for peaceful religious practices.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-10-16T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/10/170943/image_hu_cab647529c9ccd48.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/10/170943/image_hu_475da9eacf170268.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/10/170943/image_hu_a55971a03b060795.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/10/170943/image_hu_778e78fee1b0d2a5.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/10/170943.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["cassation","282.2-1","282.2-1.1","disability","elderly"],"title":"Court of Cassation Upheld the Sentence Against Four Jehovah's Witnesses from Primorye Territory for Their Faith, Including a Disabled Woman","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 16, 2023, Stanislav Bobrovsky, judge of the Zheleznovodsk City Court of the Stavropol Territory, found Zinaida Minenko guilty of extremism and sentenced her to a fine of 330,000 rubles. According to the judge, the elderly believer broke the law when she talked to people about the Bible.\nThe criminal prosecution of the believer began in November 2021 on the initiative of Pavel Gogolin, investigator of the Investigative Committee. Her home and the homes of several other Jehovah's Witnesses were searched. The pensioner was also taken to a search of her garage without being given the opportunity to eat or drink water, and then interrogated for 4 hours. As a result, she required emergency medical attention.\nLater it became clear that the investigation deemed Zinaida's conversations with people about God to be involving others in the activity of an extremist organization. These conversations were secretly recorded. After 4 months of investigation, the case was sent to court. The charges were based on hidden audio recordings, as well as the testimony of two secret witnesses. One of them admitted that she herself had come to the defendant to discuss the Bible. According to her, Zinaida never encouraged her to hate, but, on the contrary, taught her to treat people with love. Other witnesses for the prosecution admitted in court that they had testified on the basis of rumors and assumptions, and could only confirm that Minenko was one of Jehovah's Witnesses. The prosecution also presented to the court an expert study of audio recordings of meetings for worship and her personal conversations on Bible topics. However, the defense drew the court's attention to the substitution of legal with religious concepts in the study.\nZinaida Minenko has severe visual impairment and loss of hearing. She has lived alone ever since she was widowed in January 2020. The believer expressed that due to the prosecution by the authorities her emotional and physical health deteriorated. Despite her age and state of health, as well as the lack of evidence of guilt, the prosecutor requested a 5-year suspended sentence for her.\nIn her final statement, Zinaida said: \"I never thought that I would sit in the dock at the age of 83, nevermind, charged for extremism. [...] Once again, I want to emphasize that the purpose of my conversations with people was a sincere desire to share Bible hope with them; I spoke only with those people who themselves wanted to talk to me, I did not force anyone, and how could I force someone at my age. I genuinely don't understand how Bible advice could be extremist.\"\nApart from Zinaida Minenko, 12 other Jehovah's Witnesses 80 years of age or older, have faced criminal prosecution for their faith. Six of them have received suspended sentences.\nThe RF Supreme Court did not ban the activity of Jehovah's Witnesses as a religious denomination and did not deprive believers of the right to practice their religion. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation admitted that the Supreme Court \"did not assess either the legality of the religious beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses or the ways in which they are expressed.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-10-16T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/10/180822/image_hu_8e5ea3e2ee534dbb.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/10/180822/image_hu_fec5693f2a600aea.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/10/180822/image_hu_abefe15fd056aeea.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/10/180822/image_hu_cdc9b4d2d53cb483.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/10/180822.html","regions":["stavropol"],"subtitle":"Court in Stavropol Territory Convicted 83-Year-Old Widow with a Disability","tags":["sentence","elderly","disability","282.2-1.1","fine"],"title":"Fine for Talking About the Bible.","type":"news"},{"body":"Galina Komissarova, a pensioner from Tolyatti, was accused of extremism because of her love for the Bible, a book whose advice helped her save her marriage.\nGalina was born in March 1961 in Moscow. Four daughters and a son were born in a large family. His father worked as an adjuster at the Likhachev plant in Moscow, and his mother worked as an accountant. Galina's parents and brother are no longer alive.\nAs a child, Galina loved to read, play dolls and board games, and also learned to play the piano. After the 8th grade, she graduated from the pedagogical school, receiving the specialty of a kindergarten teacher, and then the evening department of the Moscow State Pedagogical University named after V. I. Lenin with a degree in preschool pedagogy and psychology. In 1993, she received a second higher education, graduating from the Moscow State Regional Pedagogical Institute with a degree in defectology.\nWhen Galina was 40, Jehovah's Witnesses came to her home and offered to help her study the Bible. She refused, believing that it was better for her to adhere to the traditional religion professed by her ancestors. Later, she began to wonder what was more important, the traditions or the truth about God from the Holy Scriptures. A year later, she decided to research this book, and in 2003, the practicality of the biblical advice prompted her to embark on the Christian path. Studying pedagogy and working in kindergarten for many years, she saw how approaches to raising children change, while the advice and principles of God, written down several thousand years ago, do not become obsolete.\nIn 1990, Galina married Dmitriy from Tolyatti. A son and a daughter were born in the family. Both studied well, attended a music school. Her daughter graduated from grade 11 with a gold medal for outstanding academic achievement. Now the son works as a programmer, and the daughter works in the medical field. She shares her mother's views. Her husband did not interfere with Galina's desire to live according to Christian principles, although he did not agree with her on this. Sadly, he passed away suddenly from heart disease in 2003.\nGalina has worked all her life by profession—as an educator, methodologist, speech therapist. Now she is on a well-deserved rest and enjoys walking in nature, chatting with friends, loves to sing and play board games.\nThe criminal prosecution had a negative impact on the health of the believer. She feels the effects of the stress she has endured and is forced to constantly take medication after the search.\nSon and daughter worry about Galina and support her in every possible way. The sisters are perplexed as to what and to whom people who study the Bible can interfere. Neighbors, former employees and parents of pupils do not understand how respectable people can be persecuted. They call Galina, are interested in her affairs and support her. They also wrote her positive testimonials for the court.\n","date":"2023-12-04","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/komissarova/photo.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/komissarova/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/komissarova/photo_hu_ed8b4a6f8d019a1f.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/komissarova/photo_hu_ed8b4a6f8d019a1f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/komissarova.html","regions":["samara"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Galina Komissarova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"The court continues to listen to audio recordings of worship services. The defendant emphasizes what the believers learn at these meetings: \"Everyone learned to love people - how to cooperate with love for all kinds of people so that peace and love reign in relationships.\"\nThe prosecution concludes the presentation of evidence.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lelikov in Krasnodar","date":"2023-10-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnodar.html#20231010","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The study of the case materials - the records of three divine services - continues.\nAt the next meeting, it is planned to review the disks from the case materials. The judge says he leaves it up to the defense. The appointed lawyer refuses to view, arguing that she has already watched the recordings. Kozhevnikova considers viewing necessary and wants to comment on the video materials to the court.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kozhevnikova in Tolyatti","date":"2023-10-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti4.html#20231005","regions":["samara"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"20 people come to support Elena Kozhevnikova, but they are not allowed into the courtroom.\nJudge Irina Onuchina asks to appoint one person who will record the hearing.\nThe case materials from the 1st volume, including the testimony of experts, are read out.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kozhevnikova in Tolyatti","date":"2023-10-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti4.html#20231004","regions":["samara"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests for 83-year-old Zinaida Minenko a sentence of 5 years of suspended imprisonment with a probationary period of 5 years and restriction of liberty for a period of 1 year.\nAbout 55 people gather outside the courthouse, 10 of them are allowed into the courtroom.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Minenko in Zheleznovodsk","date":"2023-10-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zheleznovodsk.html#20231004","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["elderly","disability","punishment-request","defense-arguments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer petitions for the face-to-face interrogation of the secret witness Ivanova, the judge refuses. The prosecutor begins the questioning of the witness Ivanova. She reports that she finds nothing reprehensible in the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. The witness confirms that she was never forced to become a member of any religious organization. Answering the prosecutor's questions, Ivanova reports that several people came to the service to one of the believers, among whom were the Piskarevs.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Piskareva in Oryol","date":"2023-10-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orel4.html#20231002","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","secret-witness","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In his last speech, the believer told the court how, thanks to the Bible, he was able to change his life for the better, and also gave a number of proofs of his innocence. \"All the accusations are far-fetched and untrue,\" he said.\n","date":"2023-10-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/345.json","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement","elderly"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Vladimir Piskarev in Oryol","type":"docs"},{"body":"During her stay in the pre-trial detention center, the health of Lyubov Galitsyna, who suffers from diabetes mellitus, was severely shaken. The believer is kept in a cell with elderly women, she has a neutral relationship with them. Lyubov worries that her health may deteriorate due to cigarette smoke. The believer has a Bible. She has already received thousands of letters of support and is grateful for the attention to her, which helps to feel that she is not alone.\nDue to the fact that there is a lot of smoking in the cell, Garegin Khachaturyan began to cough, but, unfortunately, there are no cells for non-smokers in this pre-trial detention center. The believer has a Bible, and he has already received more than 1,000 letters of support during his detention in the pre-trial detention center.\nGevorg Yeritsyan has good relations with his cellmates and with the administration, he is treated with respect. He is grateful to fellow believers who help his wife take care of his two children.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yeritsyan and Others in Novocherkassk","date":"2023-09-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocherkassk.html#20230930","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sizo","letters","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Upon arrival at the colony, Aleksandr was in quarantine, after which the believer was placed in a punishment cell for 2 weeks. This penalty was imposed on him for taking off his jacket near the bed, and not by the shower.\nAfter his release from the punishment cell, Aleksandr was immediately placed in strict conditions of detention, where he remains to this day. Together with him, more than 40 people are being held there. Relations with prisoners and the administration are good.\nThe believer additionally buys food in the colony's store, but the choice is scarce. Parcels, including medicines and vitamins that his wife sends him, have not yet been given to Alexander.\nThe colony's library contains the Bible in two translations. Alexander enjoys the opportunity to read it every day. The believer does not yet have a personal copy. Letters are brought to him about three times a week.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Seredkin in Novosibirsk","date":"2023-09-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk7.html#20230925","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison","strict-conditions","shizo","elderly","penalty"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In her final remarks, the believer talked about how Bible knowledge has influenced her life and noted that she has always wanted to share it with others. \"There is no corpus delicti in my actions, as their motive is love for God and love for people.\"\n","date":"2023-09-21T15:00:44+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/340.json","regions":["amur"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement","elderly"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Galina Yatsyk in Zeya","type":"docs"},{"body":"The emotional state of Anatoly Gorbunov is satisfactory, but there are health problems. For example, it is difficult for him to write - his arm hurts. Hearing deteriorates. The believer receives the necessary treatment, but not completely. His barracks are dirty, there are rats, there is often no hot water in the bath.\nThanks to the transfer from his wife, Anatoliy now has warm clothes. But it is difficult for him to get permission to make phone calls: during the year of his stay in the colony, he was able to get only four out of twelve.\nLetters from friends from all over the world are a great support for Anatoly Gorbunov. He is especially pleased with letters with drawings and photographs.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Gorbunov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2023-09-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk5.html#20230921","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison","health-risk","elderly","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A. A. Kravchenko, Investigator for Particularly Important Cases of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Kurgan Region, initiates a criminal case against Alexander Gaitur under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Gaytur in Kurgan","date":"2023-09-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan3.html#20230918","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On September 14, 2023, Zaurbiy Birzhev, judge of the Maykop City Court, found Nikolay Voishchev guilty of extremism solely for his faith. Although the elderly believer has already served 329 days in pretrial detention, he will have to spend yet another 1.5 years behind bars, despite his serious illness.\nDuring the closing arguments, the prosecutor requested for Voishchev, 7 years imprisonment in a penal colony with deprivation of the right to engage in activity related to directing and participating in the work of public organizations for 5 years and restriction of freedom for 1 year. The judge decided to sentence Nikolay to imprisonment for 3 years in a penal colony with deprivation of the right to engage in educational activity, as well as activity related to directing and participating in religious, public associations and organizations for 4 years and with restriction of freedom for 1 year.\nIn his final statement before the court, the believer stated: \"The prosecution requests to sentence me to 7 years... for being an honest person who respects the laws of the country... who loves his neighbor as himself. Seven years for being a good member of the community... one of Jehovah's Witnesses, for applying Article 28 of the Russian Constitution. Seven years for never having committed any criminal acts.\"\nNikolay Voishchev ended up behind bars back in October 2022. Investigator Zaurbiy Blyagoz initiated a criminal case against him under Article 282.2(1) of the RF CrC, claiming that he \"organized and conducted secret meetings together with other [Jehovah's Witnesses].\" His arrest was preceded by a series of searches in Maykop.\nThe charges against the believer were based on the testimony of two secret witnesses. During interrogation in court, they could only confirm that Voishchev was one of Jehovah's Witnesses, which he did not hide anyway. The witnesses did not hear any calls for extremism from him. Another piece of evidence for the prosecution was the psycholinguistic expert study of hidden video recordings of meetings for worship, in which believers peacefully discuss the Bible. Ruslan Levinsky, who conducted the expert study, does not have the appropriate education in linguistics. The lawyer provided the opinion of the religious scholar Yekaterina Elbakyan; according to her findings \"the conclusion of the expert [Levinsky] is not based on the provisions of generally accepted scientific data in the field of religious studies, the findings in the expert's conclusion appear to be unfounded.\"\nAlready before his arrest, Voishchev had been diagnosed with a tumor that required immediate treatment. Nikolay also suffers from severe headaches due to an injury sustained in his youth. The conditions of detention and the lack of proper treatment led to a deterioration of his health. He still needs medical attention.\nAlready four Jehovah's Witnesses from Maykop have faced prosecution for their faith. The world community and the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation stated that \"the joint performance of rites and ceremonies [of Jehovah's Witnesses] does not in itself constitute a crime under Article 282.2 of the RF CrC, despite the liquidation of their legal entities.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-09-14T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/09/201447/image_hu_def8d2110647d95b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/09/201447/image_hu_2398b587a25bdef9.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/09/201447/image_hu_44a403af3997b374.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/09/201447/image_hu_e74c2b1c4d0056e7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/09/201447.html","regions":["adygea"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["elderly","282.2-1","sentence","liberty-deprivation","studies-violations","secret-witness"],"title":"Court in Adygea Sent Nikolay Voishchev, 68, to a Penal Colony for 3 Years","type":"news"},{"body":"Declaring the unfairness of the charges, the defendant said: \"I sincerely hope that today the court will protect my right to freedom of religion and make sure that here in Russia, Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation will continue to apply to people of all faiths.\"\n","date":"2023-09-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/337.json","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement","elderly"],"title":"Nikolay Voishchev's last word in Maykop","type":"docs"},{"body":"The prosecutor in the debate asks the court to send Vladimir Balabkin to a colony for 6.5 years. The believer, speaking with the last word, says: \"I have not done anything wrong for which I should be punished.\" After that, the court immediately proceeds to the announcement of the verdict.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Balabkin in Belogorsk","date":"2023-09-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/belogorsk.html#20230913","regions":["amur"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladimir Balabkin, a pensioner who has cancer, received 4 years in a penal colony for his faith in Jehovah God. This decision was made by the Belogorsk District Court on September 13, 2023. He was arrested in the courtroom. He maintains his innocence and can appeal the verdict of Judge Natalya Kramar.\nIn the spring of 2021, law enforcement officers raided homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in Belogorsk, including that of Vladimir Balabkin. The criminal case against him was initiated by FSB investigator V. Obukhov, who is behind most of the similar cases against believers in the region. The elderly Balabkins had to travel 140 km from their home to Blagoveshchensk for interrogation; this was not easy for them due to the exacerbation of Vladimir's serious illness and the consequences of his wife Tatiana’s heart surgery.\nVladimir Balabkin in the courtroom. September, 2023. During the announcement of the verdict, Vladimir Balabkin is handcuffed. September, 2023 Convicted Vladimir Balabkin is escorted out of the courthouse before being sent to a pretrial detention center. September, 2023 The law enforcement agencies considered it a crime to hold religious meetings, equating it to organizing the activity of an extremist organization. In court, one of the witnesses, an FSB officer, stated that he considered the believer guilty because he \"provided devices to connect to meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses,\" \"connected others to meetings\" and \"showed how to use programs.\" At the same time, the expert study concludes that there are no signs of extremism in Balabkin's actions. Despite this, the prosecutor insisted on a guilty verdict and requested 6.5 years in a penal colony for the believer.\n\"You can disagree with the faith and teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses, but as the Russian President said, it is wrong to put them on a par with extremists\" emphasized Balabkin in his final statement. \"After all, my faith and my beliefs are based on the Word of God, the Bible. It teaches the exact opposite: love people and be kind to everyone.\"\nIn October 2021, the Plenum of the RF Supreme Court ruled that it is necessary \"to avoid cases of groundless criminal prosecution of persons solely on the visible expression of their attitude to religion.\" Nevertheless, in the Amur Region, 13 Jehovah's Witnesses received from 6 to 8 years in a penal colony for their faith and 2 received suspended sentences.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-09-13T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/09/140841/image_hu_53fa0cefd4ec4f54.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/09/140841/image_hu_7abe0cf464a64a9.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/09/140841/image_hu_1068e4a24d387db4.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/09/140841/image_hu_90dbaa4abf3a7dc7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/09/140841.html","regions":["amur"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["282.2-1","sentence","liberty-deprivation","elderly"],"title":"Believer, 71, Sentenced to 4 Years in a Penal Colony. Court in Belogorsk Found Vladimir Balabkin Guilty of Extremism for Conducting Meetings for Worship","type":"news"},{"body":"In his last speech, Vladimir stressed that \"there is no evidence\" of involvement in extremism against him by the prosecution: \"At our meetings we read about the beauty of nature, the infinite Universe ... happy family relationships... and gave thanks to Jehovah God.\"\n","date":"2023-09-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/334.json","regions":["amur"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement","elderly"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Vladimir Balabkin in Belogorsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"The defendant makes 6 motions, including the refusal of a lawyer by appointment. The court rejects this petition.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kozhevnikova in Tolyatti","date":"2023-09-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti4.html#20230911","regions":["samara"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"","caseTitle":"The Case of Minenko in Zheleznovodsk","date":"2023-09-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zheleznovodsk.html#20230911","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["elderly","disability","first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee for the Samara Region, N. G. Sysoeva, makes a decision to initiate a criminal case against 62-year-old Galina Komissarova \"on the fact of participation in the activities of a religious association.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Komissarova in Tolyatti","date":"2023-09-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti6.html#20230907","regions":["samara"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On September 5, 2023, the Kemerovo Regional Court upheld the verdict against Lubov Serebryakova, 72, who was given a 4-year suspended sentence with a 3-year probation period and restriction of freedom for 10 months for talking about God. The verdict may be appealed in cassation proceedings.\nIn her appeal, Lubov Serebryakova pointed out the mistakes that, in her opinion, were made by the court of first instance. For example, the verdict does not describe the specific extremist actions that the prosecution claimed she had participated in. Dates, times and places of any alleged extremist actions committed and their role in continuing the activity of the banned organization are not indicated. In addition, the believer notes that \"the verdict cannot be based on the assumptions\" of the witnesses for the prosecution. Testifying, they explained that they did not know the defendant and had not met her before. One of them is a clergyman of another denomination, who also could not confirm anything of what the pensioner is accused of.\nBefore the start of the unfair criminal prosecution, Lubov had two heart attacks, and shortly before the completion of the pretrial investigation, she again needed emergency cardiac care.\nRussian courts have already convicted 85 Jehovah's Witnesses over the age of 60. Of these, 21 believers received terms of imprisonment, 12 are in penal colonies at the moment.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-09-05T13:49:17+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/09/081349/image_hu_86aa1f1f10e98678.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/09/081349/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/09/081349/image_hu_8251b41c5fc146b2.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/09/081349/image_hu_b911171581dad598.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/09/081349.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"subtitle":"She Was Given a 4-Year Suspended Sentence.","tags":["appeal","elderly","282.2-2","suspended"],"title":"Court of Appeal in Kemerovo Upheld the Sentence Against Lubov Serebryakova, 72.","type":"news"},{"body":"The conclusion of an expert linguist is investigated. Vladimir Balabkin asks the court to summon a specialist for questioning. Prosecutor Anton Raschupkin objects and draws attention to the fact that the expert's opinion clearly states: no signs of extremism were found.\nThe judge proceeds to interrogate Balabkin. He gives arguments in his defense, relying on regulations and case materials that were not examined in court.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Balabkin in Belogorsk","date":"2023-09-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/belogorsk.html#20230904","regions":["amur"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","final-statement","elderly","courtroom","282.2-1","sentence","liberty-deprivation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"\n","date":"2023-08-31T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/person_placeholder_female.jpg","jpg2x":"/person_placeholder_female.jpg","webp":"/person_placeholder_female_hu_c25ee5bdff083aef.webp","webp2x":"/person_placeholder_female_hu_c25ee5bdff083aef.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/alekseyeva.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Valentina Alekseyeva","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In the Soviet years, Yelena Gadrshina led an active social life, dreaming of a happy society. Later, she learned the Bible\u0026#39;s teaching that a better life is possible for people. In 1999, the woman followed her daughter on the Christian path, but 24 years later she faced criminal prosecution for her faith.\nYelena was born in May 1958 in the village of Bazarny Syzgan, Ulyanovsk Region. She has a younger sister. Their father worked as a locksmith in a factory, and their mother worked in a cinema.\nIn childhood and adolescence, Yelena was fond of skiing. After school, she graduated from the Zhiguli Radio Engineering College with a degree in Radio Equipment Technology, as well as accounting courses. All her life, until her retirement, she worked as an accountant.\nIn 1980, Yelena got married. She lived in Togliatti, Izhevsk, Pokrovsk (Yakutia), and later moved to the village of Vyselki (Krasnodar Territory). In warm climate, she especially enjoys gardening and growing flowers. Yelena\u0026#39;s husband works as a driver, enjoys fishing and helps his wife in the garden. He does not share his wife\u0026#39;s religious views, but the couple have a good relationship.\nYelena\u0026#39;s relatives are surprised that she is being persecuted for her beliefs, and consider it absurd. They support the believer and hope that the criminal prosecution will stop.\n","date":"2024-03-18","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/gadrshina/photo_hu_18344857c221a960.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/gadrshina/photo_hu_d031dda8a929aa39.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/gadrshina/photo_hu_bc30966d19faab43.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/gadrshina/photo_hu_8495922ab3694e63.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/gadrshina.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Yelena Gadrshina","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Oleg Katamov from Konakovo peacefully professed his religion for many years, not suspecting that one day he would become a defendant in a criminal case for believing in Jehovah God. The events provoked the development of cancer in his wife. In March 2025, the court sentenced the believer to 6 years in prison. A few hours later, Larisa Katamova suddenly became ill, she was urgently hospitalized and connected to a life support device. However, this did not help, and she passed away at the age of 61.\nOleg was born in January 1962 in the city of Konakovo (Tver region). His parents are no longer alive. As a child, Oleg loved to fish, pick mushrooms and berries. After school, he studied as a construction technician. For many years he worked as a stamper at a factory. Recently, he has been cleaning the courtyard area.\nIn 1985, Oleg married Larisa, a music teacher. After 5 years, they became interested in Bible teachings together. They were impressed by the fulfillment of the prophecies described in this ancient book and touched that Christians have the opportunity to turn to God in prayer and learn about him from the Holy Scriptures. In 1991, they decided to take the Christian path.\nIn his free time, Oleg likes to write poetry on spiritual topics and, as in childhood, go picking mushrooms and berries, and Larisa loved to sing and make flowers from foamiran. Oleg has a daughter, Aleksandr, who shares his views on life. She works as a manicure master, knows several languages, loves to cook.\nSpeaking in court, Oleg Katamov said: \u0026quot;I have always been supported by my dear wife Larisa . . . I have never had any enmity or even just hostility towards anyone . . . Faith in a God of love doesn\u0026#39;t give me room to just think about something that even remotely resembles extremism!\u0026quot;\n","date":"2023-09-28","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/katamov/photo_hu_cf8ba918c2245e0d.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/katamov/photo_hu_937d07b80f51757c.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/katamov/photo_hu_292eefb0c2324008.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/katamov/photo_hu_7d5f05a85820cfec.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/katamov.html","regions":["tver"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Oleg Katamov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Anatoliy Marunov does not have a personal copy of the Bible, he was taken away upon admission to the pre-trial detention center. However, he hopes that after being quarantined and transferred to a common cell, he will be able to get a Bible in the library.\nAnatoly delivers correspondence. In general, during the 2 months of his imprisonment, he has already received more than 300 letters, for which he is very grateful.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mareyev and Others in Moscow","date":"2023-08-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow4.html#20230829","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["elderly","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"*Text updated August 30, 2023\nOn August 28, 2023, the Urupskiy District Court of the Karachayevo-Circassian Republic found 58-year-old Irina Perefileva guilty of extremism because of her faith. Judge Ida Uzdenova gave her a 5.5-year suspended sentence with a 2.5-year probation period and restriction of freedom for 1 year and 8 months.\n\"My religious beliefs have nothing in common with extremism,\" Irina Perefileva said in court. \"My conscience is clear before the law, society and the state, because I did not commit the crime I am charged with.\"\nIn January 2021, in the village of Mednogorskiy, FSB officers raided the apartments of some believers, among them was Irina. After 10 months, her home was searched again. The Zelenchukskiy Interdistrict Investigation Department of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Karachayevo-Circassian Republic charged Irina with involving others in the activity of an extremist organization and participating in it. This is how the investigators regarded the fact that Irina talked to others about the Bible and participated in peaceful religious meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nPerefileva was placed under a recognizance agreement in October 2022. Also, she was added to the Rosfinmonitoring list; all her accounts and savings were blocked. She states: \"This delays the issuance of my pensions and creates inconvenience in paying utility bills and other services.\" Irina's disabled son and her elderly mother, who is 85, are dependent on her.\nThe investigation lasted a year and in November 2022 the case went to court. As the defense emphasizes, no evidence of the believer's guilt was provided. A key witness for the prosecution, a local resident, stated that she herself turned to Irina with Bible questions. She also stressed that she had never heard calls for any illegal activity from Irina. During the hearings, the judge attached to the case a letter received from Germany from Irina's fellow believers with a request not to punish Irina Perefileva for her faith.\nThe verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed.\nActive prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Karachayevo-Circassian Republic has been observed since 2010. Four people have been made defendants in criminal cases. Two of them have already received suspended sentences.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-08-28T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/08/281535/image_hu_4f65d10da77ff6f7.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/08/281535/image_hu_ac6200dc78dbbe9f.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/08/281535/image_hu_fbab0822ee48568a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/08/281535/image_hu_19c43d8e3cc814d3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/08/281535.html","regions":["karachaevo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","elderly"],"title":"Court Gave Irina Perefileva from Mednogorskiy a 5.5-year Suspended Sentence for Reading the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"Oleg Sakun is released under house arrest.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sakun in Kovrov","date":"2023-08-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov6.html#20230825","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["house-arrest","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"To support Pavlo Sidorenko, 25 people come to the courthouse, only 7 of them are allowed to attend the hearing.\nThe court examines the files from the laptop seized from the defendant during the search. Sidorenko emphasizes that in the watched videos there are no calls for violence, enmity, as well as propaganda of religious superiority.\nThe defendant points out that the expert's statements about the video are far-fetched. In addition, Sidorenko draws attention to the expert's distortion of the name of religion, which indicates a biased attitude of the specialist towards Jehovah's Witnesses and casts doubt on the objectivity of his conclusions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sidorenko in Krasnodar","date":"2023-08-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnodar2.html#20230825","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly","studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At about 10 o'clock in the morning, 2 FSB officers come to work for Alexander Popov and take him to the Investigative Committee. On the way, his smartphone is seized. The believer refuses to be interrogated \"without a protocol\" and is taken home for a search. There, electronic devices and personal records are seized from him. Then Aleksandr is again taken to the Investigative Committee for interrogation, which takes place in the presence of a lawyer. He is charged and fingerprinted. After that, the believer is sent to a temporary detention center in Vladimir. On the same day, a search takes place at the home of Alexander's elderly parents.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Popov in Kovrov","date":"2023-08-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov5.html#20230823","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["search","interrogation","elderly","ivs"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Oleg Sakun's apartment is being searched, authorized by the judge of the Kovrov city court, Yuri Shestopalov.\nThe believer is charged and placed in a temporary detention facility.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sakun in Kovrov","date":"2023-08-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov6.html#20230823","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["search","interrogation","ivs","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court examines the materials of the case: audio, video and text files, including recordings of conversations of the defendants with relatives, friends and fellow believers, as well as secret recordings of meetings of the defendants with an operational officer who portrayed interest in the Bible.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ponomarenko and Others in Luchegorsk","date":"2023-08-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/luchegorsk2.html#20230823","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anatoliy Marunov is taken to the pre-trial detention center in the city of Syzran. The road from Moscow takes 5 days. On the way, due to the heat, lack of ventilation and a large number of people, he practically could not sleep. It was possible to get boiling water and use the toilet only on a strict schedule.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mareyev and Others in Moscow","date":"2023-08-22T16:33:08+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow4.html#20230822","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo","transfer","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Speaking about the criminal prosecution for faith, Tatyana Oliynyk noted: \"It was a great shock for me, deprived me of peace and a sense of security. But I am comforted and supported by the realization that my conscience is clear before God and people.\n","date":"2023-08-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/333.json","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement","elderly"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Tatyana Oleinik in Novosibirsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"Investigator for especially important cases of the Investigative Directorate for the city of Kovrov of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Vladimir Region, Y. Nikulin, initiates a criminal case against Oleg Sakun. According to the investigator, Oleg \"took part in religious meetings, spoke at them, served as an assistant, namely ... carrying out work to introduce the ideology of the religious teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses in the city of Kovrov among the civil masses.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sakun in Kovrov","date":"2023-08-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov6.html#20230821","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["new-case","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the prosecutor's check in the pre-trial detention center, Lyubov Galitsyna is visited by a representative of the Ministry of Health. The doctor listens to the believer's complaints about her illness and conducts an on-site examination that is accessible to the conditions of the pre-trial detention center.\nThe inspectors note that Lyubov maintains order in the cell.\nThe members of the commission are surprised by the large number of correspondence and parcels that the believer receives. On that day, she received 90 letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yeritsyan and Others in Novocherkassk","date":"2023-08-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocherkassk.html#20230815","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sizo","elderly","medical-rights"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Boris Andreev was transferred from the Ussuriysk pre-trial detention center to Vladivostok. He is undergoing a medical examination, the duration of which is still unknown. He can write letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Andreyev and Others in Yaroslavskiy","date":"2023-08-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavskiy.html#20230815","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["prison-treatment","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Speaking in court, the believer stressed: \"I cherish a clear conscience before God and people. Therefore, I have never had a motive to commit what God hates, it is unthinkable for me to commit crimes either before God or before the state.\n","date":"2023-08-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/327.html","regions":["perm"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement","elderly"],"title":"The Last Word of the Defendant Vladimir Poltoradnev in Solikamsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"Yelena Kozhevnikova from Tolyatti suffered serious losses—her only son died at the age of 18, her marriage broke up shortly thereafter, and she later buried her parents. The criminal prosecution for her faith, which she faced in May 2023, was another test in her life.\nYelena was born in October 1961 in the city of Ivanovo. Later, her family moved to Tolyatti, where Yelena\u0026#39;s parents worked at the Volga Automobile Plant. As a child, she loved board and outdoor games, read with pleasure. After school, Yelena entered a sewing school, after which she worked for some time in an atelier, and then got a job in a department store. While working there, she graduated from the College of Soviet Trade in absentia.\nNow Yelena is retired, moonlighting as a maid and cleaner. She enjoys traveling, sewing and cooking. She takes special pleasure in communicating with friends.\nIn the late 1990s, Yelena got acquainted with the Bible. She recalls: \u0026quot;At first I didn\u0026#39;t believe that eternal life was possible. I argued a lot. But I still wanted to read the Bible to figure it all out. I was attracted by how Jehovah was going to solve the issue of injustice. He\u0026#39;s going to put an end to it.\u0026quot; In 1998, Yelena became one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. Later, her mother joined her in her Bible study.\nThe search and criminal prosecution for her faith dramatically changed Yelena\u0026#39;s life. She said: \u0026quot;Now I have to adapt to the new circumstances. I can no longer plan anything freely, because I don\u0026#39;t know what lies ahead. In addition, diseases have worsened. Yelena\u0026#39;s relatives consider the persecution against her to be groundless.\n","date":"2023-09-20","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kozhevnikova/photo_hu_dde3d10943f9f136.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kozhevnikova/photo_hu_4200eb63a2b7cc18.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kozhevnikova/photo_hu_9ae80728d3f58658.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kozhevnikova/photo_hu_4883c5ea973806f4.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kozhevnikova.html","regions":["samara"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Yelena Kozhevnikova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"The court proceeds to examine the written materials of the case. Within 20 minutes, the prosecutor voices 9 volumes, only naming the documents. Only after the lawyer's request to record this violation in the record of the court session, the prosecutor begins to briefly explain the essence of the materials being examined.\nThe defense draws the court's attention to the document \"Information on the Fundamentals of the Doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses,\" which states that the followers of this religion build their lives in accordance with biblical teachings and that the basis of worship is the study of the Holy Scriptures.\nTatyana Oliynyk reads out her written notes in which she explains that she is a believer and therefore considers her accusation of extremism far-fetched, because \"Jehovah's Witnesses are known for their peacefulness.\" The woman says that she was left without a mother early, and therefore she had to learn to live and provide for herself on her own. She also tells the court that she has a number of chronic diseases.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Oleynik in Novosibirsk","date":"2023-08-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk6.html#20230809","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["elderly","first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A series of difficulties in Irina Bondareva's life began with the death of her husband, then she became seriously ill with covid, and soon the police invaded her—in May 2023, the woman's house was searched. Irina and her son Vasily became defendants in a criminal case because of their peaceful religious beliefs.\nIrina was born in 1961 in the city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur. She has an elder sister and a younger brother. His father was a cabinetmaker, his mother an insulator. Both parents are no longer alive.\nAs a child, Irina was fond of drawing and sewing clothes. Starting from the 6th grade, she sewed her own school uniform. She also loved to read, was enrolled in three libraries. In winter, she skated and sledded.\nAfter school, her father, who worked in a furniture shop, arranged for Irina to work as a veneer compositor. Later she moved to the city of Snezhny (Ukraine) and got a job at a factory as a graphic designer. Then, returning to her hometown, she continued to work as an artist in heating networks.\nIn the 1990s, Irina got married and gave birth to a son and a daughter. At work, she was laid off, so she decided to work at home, graduating from courses in machine knitting and embroidery. She also learned how to sew hats. At the end of the design courses, a personal exhibition was organized at the local art museum. Irina has been sewing hats as works of art for 10 years. Now, in her free time, Irina works at her summer cottage and still loves to read.\nIrina was the first in the family to become interested in the Bible. She recalls: \"I was always looking for God. I will never forget how one day I prayed fervently in the evening, and the next morning Jehovah's Witnesses came to me and left a book to help me learn about God. I read it in a day, checking it against my Bible. In my head, everything turned out like a picture from a puzzle. I realized that I had found the truth.\" In 1993, Irina decided to embark on the Christian path. Later, she was joined by her elder sister and mother.\nIn 1996, the Bondarevs had a son, Vasiliy. From childhood he was instilled with biblical moral standards, and at the age of 18 he also decided to become a Christian.\nThe criminal prosecution undermined Irina's health. \"But most of all I worry about my son Vasiliy, because he may lose his job because of a criminal record,\" the believer complains.\n","date":"2023-08-31","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/bondareva/photo_hu_50d700da19295657.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/bondareva/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/bondareva/photo_hu_e2dce8aacaa9f5e6.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/bondareva/photo_hu_ad3516cda2f51a1c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/bondareva.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["families","elderly"],"title":"Irina Bondareva","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"When the house of Sergey Sachnev and his wife Ulita was searched in May 2023, the elderly couple experienced stress. Because of their beliefs, they became defendants in a criminal case on extremism.\nSergey was born in September 1951 in the village of Kavalerovo (Primorye Territory). He has two brothers and a sister. After graduating from school, Sergey worked as a driver until his retirement. He lived in Spassk-Dalniy and Komsomolsk-on-Amur.\nIn 1977, Sergey married Ulita, whom he met at work. They had two sons. The couple love to take care of the garden together. After retirement, they moved to the village of Khurba (Khabarovsk Territory).\nIn 2008, Sergey embarked on the Christian path after following his wife he became convinced of the authenticity of the prophecies from the Holy Scriptures.\nThe Sachnevs\u0026#39; children empathize with their parents who have been prosecuted for their faith.\n","date":"2023-08-22","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/sachnev/photo_hu_c0a038e15bcf1614.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/sachnev/photo_hu_8dd131748d46f61f.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/sachnev/photo_hu_78e8c8f32fd49ab0.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/sachnev/photo_hu_60867e950c96eea9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/sachnev.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["elderly","families"],"title":"Sergey Sachnev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In May 2023, the house of Ulita Sachneva and her husband Sergey was searched, which caused the elderly couple to experience stress. Because of their beliefs, they became defendants in a criminal case on extremism.\nUlita was born in August 1954 in the village of Kirga, Birobidzhan district, Jewish Autonomous Region. She has two younger brothers. She got a secondary technical education, then worked as an elevator operator and painter at a construction site, then retired. In her free time, she loved to read books, and now her main hobby is taking care of the garden.\nIn 1977, at work, Ulita met her future husband Sergey. He worked as a driver and loved fishing. Together they raised two sons.\nAt different periods of her life, Ulita lived in Khabarovsk, Komsomolsk-on-Amur and the village of Khurba (Khabarovsk Territory), where the couple moved to take care of her mother.\nIn 1999, convinced that Bible prophecies were being fulfilled, Ulita embarked on the Christian path.\nThe Sachnevs\u0026#39; children empathize with their parents who have been prosecuted for their faith.\n","date":"2023-08-22","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/sachneva/photo_hu_ce9addb750b7978c.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/sachneva/photo_hu_9cd6c667b5197e91.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/sachneva/photo_hu_aa9ac35199d9770c.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/sachneva/photo_hu_6e4016731779d473.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/sachneva.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["elderly","families"],"title":"Ulita Sachneva","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In June 2023, a pensioner from Tver region was prosecuted on religious grounds—a criminal case was opened against Valeriy Tolmazov. The result of the proceedings was a harsh sentence—6 years in a penal colony for the elderly believer.\nValeriy was born in December 1954 in the urban-type settlement of Novozavidovsky, Konakovo District, Kalinin (now Tver) Region. He has a younger brother and sister. When they were little, and Valeriy was not even 18, their father died. The elderly mother is currently in need of constant help.\nAs a child, Valeriy was fond of athletics: he was engaged in running and high jumping. After school, he graduated from the Kalinin Industrial Technical School, where he acquired the specialty \u0026quot;repair and maintenance of electrical equipment at the enterprise\u0026quot;. The man worked in this profession almost all his life.\nIn July 1977, Valeriy married Olga, whom he had known since childhood. Olga is a master of industrial training by profession. The couple raised a daughter who already has her own family. The Tolmazovs have a grandson.\nIn 2000, Valeriy began to study the Bible. He was convinced that this book was true by the fulfilled prophecies in it. The knowledge he had acquired prompted him to become one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses a year later.\nOver the years, the family lived in Novozavidovsky, in Dzerzhinsk in the Gorky region and in Odintsovo in the Moscow region. Later, the couple decided to return to their native village to take care of their elderly parents.\nThe Tolmazovs are retired. Radio electronics has been Valeriy\u0026#39;s hobby for a long time, and he continues to be fond of it. At the same time, he loves to learn something new and is mastering programming little by little. Olga likes to grow vegetables. Although Valeriy and Olga have different religious views, they live amicably. The criminal prosecution of her husband is a source of concern for the woman.\n","date":"2024-09-04","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/tolmazov/photo_hu_17766550fc007d8e.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/tolmazov/photo_hu_248ceb6204f30ec0.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/tolmazov/photo_hu_fb7901f43e87e290.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/tolmazov/photo_hu_63cebaa0477c75.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/tolmazov.html","regions":["tver"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Valeriy Tolmazov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Viktor Ursu\u0026#39;s father, grandfather and great-grandfather went through religious persecution during the Soviet Union, and now Viktor himself has faced persecution for his faith. In July 2023, after mass searches in the homes of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Crimea, he became a defendant in a criminal case on extremism, and two years later, the court decided to send him to a penal colony for 6 years.\nViktor was born in June 1965 in the village of Semiskul (Kurgan region). He has an older sister. When the children were still small, the family moved from Siberia, where they were in exile, to Dzhankoy.\nIn his youth, Viktor was fond of photography, radio electronics, design, astronomy, and learned to play the accordion and guitar. He liked to read popular science literature and science fiction.\nAfter school, Viktor got a job as a handyman at a cannery, where he studied to be a turner, and later worked on the railway in an experimental workshop. He also worked as a milling machine, recently mastered the profession of scraper.\nIn his free time, Viktor likes to sing, draw, listen to music, watch movies with good acting and read about art.\nThe Ursu family has always valued biblical knowledge—his great-great-grandfather was the first to become interested in this book. Since childhood, Viktor believed in God and loved to watch his creations, he was amazed by their complexity, wisdom and beauty. In 1983, he was determined to become one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\nViktor met his future wife, Marina, who also grew up in a family of believers, at a friend\u0026#39;s wedding. They got married in 1988. Marina worked as a seamstress in a garment factory, recently she has been repairing clothes, is fond of knitting and needlework, and she also likes to garden. The couple loves to travel together. They have a daughter, Lyubov, who also shares the religious views of her parents.\nThe criminal prosecution radically changed Viktor\u0026#39;s life. Due to stress and anxiety, he developed health problems. According to relatives, he worries that he has lost the opportunity to provide for his family but does not lose optimism. Numerous relatives and friends support Victor and his family.\n","date":"2023-09-08","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/ursu/photo_hu_646fed2788e2c444.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/ursu/photo_hu_eb744a493ba3608f.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/ursu/photo_hu_6224a62dc81fb988.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/ursu/photo_hu_64764bb84af948d7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/ursu.html","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["elderly","families"],"title":"Viktor Ursu","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"A resident of the village of Khurba, located near Komsomolsk-on-Amur, was accused of extremism—a criminal case was opened against pensioner Svetlana Zharkova for believing in God.\nSvetlana was born in 1964 in the village of Khurba, Khabarovsk Territory. She grew up in a single-parent family: her mother raised two daughters alone. As a child, Svetlana loved skiing and cycling, being in nature, going hiking with classmates or walking in the forest. After school, Svetlana graduated from medical school, and worked in this field until her retirement.\nSvetlana is married and has two adult sons who live separately. There are already grandchildren whom the woman helps to take care of.\nSvetlana\u0026#39;s interest in the Bible arose in 2001. Then she, along with her mother, who is no longer alive, began to read this book. At the time of initiation of the criminal case, Svetlana was not one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. She likes to communicate with believers, she appreciates their respectful, sincere and kind attitude towards each other and others.\nThe criminal prosecution and the possibility that Svetlana could end up behind bars because of her beliefs caused anxiety in her family.\n","date":"2023-08-22","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/zharkova/photo_hu_4fc7face681ed9d8.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/zharkova/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/zharkova/photo_hu_facf1e4e18adc3f7.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/zharkova/photo_hu_f446d40e54fb5390.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/zharkova.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Svetlana Zharkova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"The lawyer receives written permission from the administration of the pre-trial detention center for doctors to visit Lyubov Galitsyna. However, the staff of the pre-trial detention center does not allow the endocrinologist who came for a consultation.\nThe believer is taken for consultation to the regional hospital of the Federal Penitentiary Service, but even there she does not receive medical advice.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yeritsyan and Others in Novocherkassk","date":"2023-08-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocherkassk.html#20230807","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sizo","elderly","health-risk","medical-rights"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lyubov Galitsyna's health condition is deteriorating, but for a long time she has not been able to receive proper treatment in the pre-trial detention center. In addition to the fact that she suffers from diabetes, hypertension, has problems with hearing and vision, she has a new symptom: her leg began to go numb.\nThe lawyer applied for the admission of doctors (therapist and endocrinologist) to the territory of the pre-trial detention center, providing documents confirming their qualifications, as well as a contract for the provision of medical services, but received an oral refusal from the administration of the detention center, motivated by the fact that it was necessary to obtain permission from the investigator, although the law does not oblige to do so. After receiving permission from the investigator to examine Lyubov, a doctor arrived at the pre-trial detention center, but the staff did not let him see the arrested woman.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yeritsyan and Others in Novocherkassk","date":"2023-08-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocherkassk.html#20230802","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sizo","elderly","health-risk","medical-rights"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court hears audio recordings of worship services made in secret.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Reshetnikov and Others in Barnaul","date":"2023-08-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/barnaul2.html#20230801","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On August 1, 2023, Angelina Sviderskaya, judge of the Khabarovskiy District Court, found Lyubov Ovchinnikova, 64, and Lyubov Kocherova, 65, guilty of extremism. They were given a 6-year suspended sentence and 1.5 years restriction of freedom with a 3-year probation period.\nBefore the announcement of the verdict, the prosecutor had requested that the court send the believers to a penal colony for 6 years. During the closing arguments and in their final statements, the defendants resolutely denied being guilty of extremism. Lyubov Ovchinnikova said: “I have nothing to do with violence or extremism. This is completely alien to me... I adhere to the principle of loving my neighbor”.\nThe case against the pensioners from the village of Knyaze-Volkonskoye, Khabarovsk Territory, was initiated by the Investigative Committee in May 2022. Prior to this, FSB officer Stanislav Martyn, who pretended to be interested in the Bible, associated with the women for 2 years. According to the investigation, these conversations should be regarded as involving others in the activity of a banned organization and participating in it.\nDuring the hearings, the defendants stated that Martyn's actions were inducement prohibited by Article 5 of the Law on Operational-Investigative Activities. According to Kocherova, she was taking driving lessons, during which the instructor constantly asked her about the Bible. The believer explained: “There was definitely no coercion [to any religious activity]. During the conversations, my only goal was to answer Martyn's questions.\" Lyubov Ovchinnikova also stated: “Kocherova and I did not persuade Martyn to do anything, and did not recruit him... We were simply discussing the Bible with him at his own request.”\nThe believers also stressed that peaceful conversations about the Bible cannot be considered a crime. “The ban on legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses does not mean that after 2017 I was obliged to change my religion, stop studying the Bible or telling people what I myself learn from the Bible. Following the logic of the charges, it means that if, for example, a sewing factory was liquidated in a certain city, then all women in Russia are now prohibited from sewing, and any attempts to sew clothes for themselves or their friends will be regarded as illegal activities,” Lyubov Kocherova explained.\nThe case of Kocherova and Ovchinnikova is linked to the case of Valeriy Rabota who lives in the same village. It is being considered by the same judge, and the charges are based on the testimony of the same FSB agent Martyn.\nTo date, 172 women practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia have faced criminal prosecution for their faith. Five of them are serving sentences in penal colonies and two are in pretrial detention centers.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-08-01T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/08/020828/image_hu_ad757dbe028023fc.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/08/020828/image_hu_9185954368600985.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/08/020828/image_hu_ddb4f2a5cb089b96.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/08/020828/image_hu_ffe552f3f941f614.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/08/020828.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["elderly","sentence","suspended","282.2-2","282.2-1.1"],"title":"Court in the Khabarovsk Territory Gave Lyubov Ovchinnikova and Lyubov Kocherova a 6-Year Suspended Sentence for Their Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"Due to the failure of prosecution witnesses to appear, the judge proposes to change the course of the hearing. The prosecutor skims 5 volumes of the case file.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Piskareva in Oryol","date":"2023-07-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orel4.html#20230731","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In May 2023, Mikhail Dorofeev learned that a criminal case had been opened against him under an extremist article. His house was searched. The reason for this persecution was the peaceful religious beliefs of the man.\nMikhail was born in July 1965 in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, where he lived all his life. He has an elder sister. The parents are no longer alive.\nAs a child, Mikhail loved to ride a bicycle and a moped. After school, he received a secondary specialized education. He worked in the police, as a mechanic at a metallurgical plant, as well as in the housing and communal services sector. He is now retired. In his free time, he likes to master the computer.\nIn 1986, Mikhail married Tatyana, who is also retired. Together, the couple raised a daughter, she lives separately from her parents.\nMikhail received from the Bible the answer to the question of why people die, and also learned the Bible's teaching about the possibility of living forever in paradise on earth. This prompted him to embark on the Christian path in 1997. After 10 years, Tatyana joined him. She was attracted by the wisdom of biblical counsel.\nMikhail said: \"The criminal prosecution divided my life into before and after. I am not left with a feeling of anxiety. Also, against this background, chronic diseases have worsened”. The daughter, who does not share the religious beliefs of her parents, is outraged by what is happening and tries to help them.\n","date":"2023-08-31","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/dorofeev/photo_hu_23566c64bf7cbbb3.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/dorofeev/photo_hu_86c1a28bb3bd36ac.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/dorofeev/photo_hu_ba381497a6ba2ae.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/dorofeev/photo_hu_44c6fca1a87e3221.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/dorofeev.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Mikhail Dorofeev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On May 25, 2023, the homes of the believing spouses Nikolay and Marina Kovadnev were searched with the participation of riot police, after which Marina, who suffers from cancer, deteriorated sharply. She passed away 2 months later.\nNikolay was born in 1960 in the village of Razdolnoye (Primorye Territory) in a family of workers. He has a younger brother. In childhood and adolescence, Nikolay loved to fish and ride a motorcycle.\nAfter graduating from the institute, in 1983, Nikolay moved to Komsomolsk-on-Amur. For some time he lived in Vladivostok. Nikolay worked as an accountant in various software maintenance firms. Now he is retired, he likes to take care of the cottage: grow vegetables and berries, make preparations for the winter.\nAt the age of 35, Nikolay became interested in the Bible. From it he learned a great deal about God. He was particularly impressed by the fact that most of the world's inhabitants can read this book in their native language. In 1995, the man embarked on the Christian path.\nIn 2012, Nikolay married Marina. By that time, they had known each other for several years. The spouses have no joint children. Marina shared her husband's views on life. She was fond of drawing and making crafts, she gave her works to friends.\nNikolay's relatives do not understand why he was prosecuted.\n","date":"2023-09-05","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kovadnev/photo_hu_54b9ace84f6af4f7.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kovadnev/photo_hu_8cc72903b4da510e.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kovadnev/photo_hu_9f161af15a8be5a0.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kovadnev/photo_hu_9a23e426c28e6530.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kovadnev.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["health-risk","elderly"],"title":"Nikolay Kovadnev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In May 2023, Marina Voytko, a resident of the village of Molodezhniy, faced criminal prosecution because of her belief in Jehovah God—armed security forces came to her with a search.\nMarina was born in 1965 in the village of Stariy Olov (Chita Region). Together with her parents, she moved to the village of Molodezhniy, Khabarovsk Territory, where she still lives. His parents were agricultural workers.\nAs a child, Marina loved to draw, play with peers, ride a bicycle. After the 8th grade, she entered the school, where she received the profession of a builder. She worked in a kindergarten, and before retirement she worked for some time in the housing and communal services sector. In her free time, Marina still enjoys cycling and spending time in nature. She has three adult sons and two grandchildren. They all live separately.\nIn her youth, Marina experienced a tragedy—her one-year-old son died. The young woman had a question: why did God allow this? Years later, she found the answer in the Bible. Marina found hope for the resurrection of the dead and the meaning of life. In 2005, she firmly embarked on the Christian path.\nDue to criminal prosecution, changes took place in Marina's quiet life. Because of the search, the woman experienced stress. Children worry about her and try to support her in every possible way.\n","date":"2023-09-04","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/voytko/photo_hu_d664050ead8899e3.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/voytko/photo_hu_31170e67a54ed609.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/voytko/photo_hu_5c5bc68db860f1f8.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/voytko/photo_hu_7e01465a355ee651.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/voytko.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Marina Voytko","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"At 6 a.m., at least 11 security officers come to the house of the Ursu family in Dzhankoy. At least four of them are armed. No one presents their official IDs. For some time, the spouses are not allowed to get dressed.\nLaw enforcement officers begin an inspection of the entire household, including the attic, basement and garage. Electronic devices, the Bible, and religious literature were confiscated from family members.\nIn response to a request to show his passport, Victor Ursu asks the senior officer to show his service ID, which is refused. The law enforcement officer draws up an act of administrative offense against Viktor, regarding the request of the believer as disobedience to the order of a police officer. Judge Yelena Nikolayeva sends the believer to a temporary detention facility for 10 days.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ursu in Dzhankoy","date":"2023-07-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dzhankoy2.html#20230728","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["inspection","administrative-detention","ivs","search","elderly","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Georgy Parfentiev died at the age of 77.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuznetsov and Others in Nevinnomyssk","date":"2023-07-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nevinnomyssk.html#20230728","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On July 28, 2023, law enforcement officers invaded the home of a family of believers in the town of Dzhankoy. Viktor Ursu, 58, was detained. On August 9, after 2 weeks in a detention center, the Dzhankoy District Court decided to place him under house arrest.\nViktor's elderly parents live with him. Aleksandr Ursu, 83, who had been exonerated as a victim of Soviet repression, was mistreated during a raid on Jehovah's Witnesses in 2018.\nThe \"inspection of the premises\" (in fact, a search), which was carried out by 11 law enforcement officers in masks and with weapons, began at 6 a.m. Viktor and his wife were not allowed to get dressed for some time. The law enforcement officers refused to show their identity cards and seized all electronic devices and storage media.\nViktor Ursu was detained and taken to a temporary detention facility in Dzhankoy. His wife was not allowed to see him or provide him with necessary things like food and medicines.\nImmediately after the completion of the operational actions, friends and acquaintances came to support the family. They helped tidy the house after the search, brought food, and provided emotional support to their fellow believers.\nOn August 7, Viktor Ursu was released from the temporary detention facility, but then was immediately detained again. He was taken to the local Department of the Investigative Committee, and then back to the temporary detention facility. On the same day, the investigator issued a decision to initiate a criminal case against Viktor Ursu under Article 282.2(1) of RF CrC.\nIn the 1940s, Aleksandr Ursu's father, uncle, and grandfather were exiled to labor camps because they were Jehovah's Witnesses. In 1947 only his father returned from exile, and with a serious injury. In July 1949, the Ursu family, including 9-year-old Aleksandr, were loaded into cattle cars and along with thousands of other believers sent to permanent exile in Siberia.\nLater, Aleksandr Ursu was repeatedly subjected to various forms of pressure from the state security agencies, including searches. On May 21, 1991, the believer was rehabilitated in accordance with the decree \"On additional measures to restore justice for the victims of repressions that took place in the 1930's and 1940's, and into the early 1950's\".\nRehabilitation certificate No. 23 was issued to Aleksandr Ursu on June 17, 1991. Then in November 2018, when the believer was already 78, law enforcement officers again broke into his house, pressed him against the wall, and handcuffed him. At the time searches in the homes of other local believers were carried out as part of the criminal case against Sergey Filatov, who was later sentenced to 6 years and is now serving time for his faith in a penal colony.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2023-07-28T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/handcuffs3_hu_b78be3f3e6908abc.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/handcuffs3_hu_deca0351d16598f8.jpg","webp":"/news/common/handcuffs3_hu_e24d66d04c6367b2.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/handcuffs3_hu_44e5f282691e0dd0.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/08/101538.html","regions":["crimea"],"subtitle":"Viktor Ursu, 58, Was Placed Under House Arrest After 2 Weeks Behind Bars","tags":["search","ivs","elderly","families"],"title":"A Family of Believers From Crimea Has Been Subjected to Religious Repression for the Third Time.","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 28, 2023, Dmitriy Kirillov, judge of the Kovrov City Court of the Vladimir Region, sentenced Boris Simonenko to 2 years and 7 months imprisonment; the period of his pretrial detention and other preventive measures are counted toward this term. The believer remains at liberty, but will be subject to a number of restrictions for 1 year.\nThe criminal prosecution of Simonenko — the first of three Jehovah's Witnesses in Kovrov whom the FSB suspected of extremism — began in February 2021. Boris's house was searched. He was charged with organizing the activity of a liquidated religious association. This is how the investigation interpreted him giving Bible talks.\nThe elderly man was sent to a detention center, where he spent almost 5 months, of which 4 were in the \"press cell\" (a room where other people are placed specifically to put pressure on the arrested person) with two former police majors. One of them is Vasiliy Voskoboynikov, convicted of organizing torture in a detention center. Boris recalls: “They forbade me to lie down, sit, including at the table during meals, doused me with cold water at night, preventing me from sleeping, scattered my things and food, defaced my dishes and screamed constantly.” According to the believer, during this period he was greatly supported by letters from relatives and fellow believers from all over the world. In July 2021, Simonenko was placed under house arrest, and 6 months later, the preventive measure was changed to a ban on certain actions.\nThe prosecutor requested the court to imprison Boris Simonenko in a penal colony for 6 years. The charge against the believer was based on secret recordings of telephone conversations between him and his wife, as well as screenshots from a computer screen showing believers communicating with each other via video link. During the hearings Aleksey Kupriyanov and Roman Adestov — two fellow believers of Boris Simonenko — were interrogated. Kupriyanov's case is being heard in the same court. In June 2023, Vasiliy Safronov, judge of that court, sentenced Adestov to 1 year in a penal colony.\nIn his final statement, Boris said: “[During the unfair criminal prosecution] my wife and I came to appreciate the support of loyal friends and of God even more; we realized how blessed we are. We don't feel like victims. On the contrary, my faith and the faith of my family became stronger.” He added: “The amazing endurance of our brothers and sisters greatly strengthens me. Especially the example of Valentina Baranovskaya, an elderly [woman] who withstood all [persecution] and emerged victorious. I realized that I'm also bound to endure.”\nIt is noteworthy that in June 2022, the European Court of Human Rights declared the liquidation of legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia and the ban on their activity unlawful, and ruled that the criminal prosecution of believers be stopped and that those in prison be released.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-07-28T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/08/010818/image_hu_7776ff03fff60e78.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/08/010818/image_hu_804af521c035c43c.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/08/010818/image_hu_a344c164ad7ab767.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/08/010818/image_hu_76170f50eba7e37.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/08/010818.html","regions":["vladimir"],"subtitle":"Court Considered His Term Already Served","tags":["elderly","282.2-1"],"title":"Boris Simonenko, 68, Was Given 2 Years and 7 Months Imprisonment for His Faith in Jehovah.","type":"news"},{"body":"In his last word, the believer relies on the common sense of the judicial system and its impartiality: \"During this trial, I constantly have to prove that I am not a criminal ... a man who does not deserve to be punished... My religious views directly contradict hatred and enmity.\"\n","date":"2023-07-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/318.html","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement","elderly"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Boris Symonenko in Kovrov","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his last statement, the believer drew attention to the fact that he was being tried not for some extremist actions, but for his faith in God, and that the prosecution throughout the trial proved not that a crime had been committed, but that he professed the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","date":"2023-07-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/317.html","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement","elderly"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Sergey Logunov in Orenburg","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his last word in court, the believer told the story of his life and summed it up: \"What do they want to punish for? For becoming a good person? What do I need to correct then? Is it better to return to the way of life that I led before, before acquiring my faith? Isn't that absurd?\"\n","date":"2023-07-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/321.html","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement","elderly"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Mikhail Gordeev in Petrozavodsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his appeal to the court, Mykola Leshchenko drew attention to the biblical commandment: \"Let every soul be obedient to the highest authorities\" and noted that this \"commandment obliges [him] to be an obedient citizen.\" He concluded: \"I am not being persecuted for a crime, but for my faith.\"\n","date":"2023-07-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/322.html","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement","elderly"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Nikolay Leshchenko in Petrozavodsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"The Court of Appeal cancels Kishte Tutinova's house arrest and imposes a preventive measure in the form of a ban on certain actions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tutinova and Others in Elista","date":"2023-07-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/elista.html#20230721","regions":["kalmykia"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigation accused Lyudmila Zinina of extremism for participating in peaceful religious meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses. Her daughter Irina is being prosecuted on similar charges.\nLyudmila was born in 1951 in the village of Berezanskaya (Krasnodar Territory). She has a younger sister. Their mother worked as a primary school, labor and physical education teacher, and their father worked in the construction industry.\nAs a child, Lyudmila was fond of basketball and wrestling. She was no stranger to quieter leisure activities - she loved drawing. After school, she learned weaving, and also mastered the specialty of a general nurse. She worked by profession in a medical institution, now she is retired. In her spare time, she likes to grow flowers.\nLyudmila became interested in the Bible by her grandfather, who was one of Jehovah's Witnesses. In 1999, she also decided to become a Christian. To this she was prompted by reflections on the personality of the Creator and the wonders of nature.\nLyudmila lived in different cities: Krasnodar, Nebit-Dag (now Balkanabat, Turkmenistan), Krasnovodsk (now Turkmenbashi, Turkmenistan), Norilsk (Krasnoyarsk Territory), Maikop (Krasnodar Territory). Later, Lyudmila moved to the village of Zarya (Crimea) to take care of her mother.\nIn 1973, the believer married Pyotr, with whom she had three children — a son and two daughters. The son died as an adult.\nThe criminal prosecution had a negative impact on Lyudmila's health. Her husband tries to support her as best he can.\n","date":"2023-08-15","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/zinina/photo_hu_333a102e5e6c37.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/zinina/photo_hu_b48e74c31d29c2f8.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/zinina/photo_hu_fe189a8ebd700230.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/zinina/photo_hu_eeb83f650c3fa6b9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/zinina.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["elderly","families"],"title":"Lyudmila Zinina","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On July 19, 2023, Yuriy Savelyev was released from Penal Colony No. 5 in the Altai Territory; he has fully served his sentence. Dozens of friends came to meet the believer.\nSixty-nine-year-old Yuriy Savelyev is one of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia whose criminal prosecution for his faith has been dragging on since 2017. The elderly believer was under covert video surveillance. In November 2018, a criminal case was initiated against Yuriy, and in the same month, he ended up in a pre-trial detention center, where he stayed for more than two years until the verdict was announced. In December 2020, the court sentenced Savelyev to six years in a penal colony. Since one day of pre-trial detention counts as one and a half days in a general regime colony, Yuriy actually spent 760 days in a correctional facility after the verdict.\nHe served this term in Rubtsovsk. The administration of the colony, on far-fetched grounds, repeatedly subjected the believer to harsh conditions—a punishment cell and a cell-type room. Yuriy spent a total of nine months in such conditions. In addition, the believer was sent for compulsory \"medical treatment,\" which he did not need. In the fall of 2021, Yuriy's son died. In the spring of 2023, Savelyev had a severe case of pneumonia.\nSavelev was supposed to leave the colony on March 25, 2023. However, on the basis of a court order, his detention was extended until July 19 of the same year. The defense does not agree with this decision and continues to appeal against it.\nDespite these difficulties, Yuriy did not become discouraged while waiting for his release. He says that prayer and reading the Bible were of great help. He was also encouraged by letters of support from all over the world: Savelyev received about 20,000 letters during his imprisonment.\nSo far, 126 of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia have been sentenced to actual prison terms for their faith, 69 of whom have been in prison. In total, more than 2,000 searches have already been conducted in the homes of believers in Russia, and more than 730 people have faced criminal prosecution for their faith.\n","category":"sentence","date":"2023-07-19T09:43:07+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/07/190943/image_hu_de9f0f39e8107ed.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/07/190943/image_hu_2385d47190adaec9.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/07/190943/image_hu_6ed9b6b26364c392.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/07/190943/image_hu_e226aea80b232ae1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/07/190943.html","regions":["novosibirsk","altaisky"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["release","elderly","strict-conditions","forced-hospitalization"],"title":"Sixty-Nine-Year-Old Yuriy Savelyev Was Released From a Penal Colony in the City of Rubtsovsk","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 11, 2023, Olga Chayka, judge of the Kuznetsk District Court of Novokuznetsk, found Lubov Serebryakova guilty of extremism because of her religion. The elderly Jehovah's Witness was given a 4-year suspended sentence — a year more than the prosecutor requested for her.\nShe pleads not guilty, stating to the court: “I performed all my religious actions exclusively within the framework of freedom of religion.” Serebryakova was charged simply for attending peaceful meetings for worship and making several comments based on the Bible.\nIn June 2021, law enforcement officers raided the homes of several elderly Jehovah's Witnesses in Novokuznetsk. They were being followed from November 2019. The home of Serebryakova was not searched. Vladislav Minayev, an investigator of the Investigative Committee for the Kemerovo Region — Kuzbass, initiated a criminal case against her in the summer of 2022. The believer was charged with participating in the activity of an extremist organization and was made to sign a recognizance agreement. The investigation lasted two months, and in August 2022 the case went to court.\nWhat is happening has made the already poor health of the believer worse. Even before the start of the prosecution, Lubov suffered two heart attacks, and when the pretrial investigation was over, she was again admitted to hospital for cardiac emergency.\nDespite the condemnation of the global community, Russian law enforcement agencies continue to prosecute Jehovah's Witnesses for their peaceful religious practice not prohibited by law. Among those who have faced repression are more than 50 men and women over the age of 70.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-07-11T16:26:53+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/07/131626/image_hu_3538d54f73408f58.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/07/131626/image_hu_980158d74d026a74.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/07/131626/image_hu_ceb10556f41b1fac.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/07/131626/image_hu_9973602e95024965.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/07/131626.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"subtitle":"Peaceful Believer and Grandmother of Three, Given 4-Year Suspended Sentence","tags":["sentence","suspended","elderly"],"title":"Court Found Lubov Serebryakova, 72, Guilty of Extremism for Reading the Bible.","type":"news"},{"body":"Using the example of the history of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, the defendant showed the court what persecution peaceful believers had faced before—they were exiled only for believing in Jehovah God. He also stated: \"My worship of Jehovah God was completely within the framework of the right granted to me by the law of our country.\"\n","date":"2023-07-11T09:50:23+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/984.html","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom","elderly"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Anatoly Marunov in Moscow","type":"docs"},{"body":"In her appeal to the court, the defendant stated: \"In fact, the state prosecutor intends to force me to renounce my faith - to stop meeting with fellow believers at worship services, singing spiritual songs together, telling anyone about my religious beliefs.\"\n","date":"2023-07-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/314.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Lyubov Serebryakova in Novokuznetsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"The believer spoke about the repression that her ancestors were subjected to and why extremism is alien to her: \"My whole gut is opposed to what is a manifestation of extremism because of how much irreparable grief it has brought to my family and millions of other people.\"\n","date":"2023-07-10T16:28:21+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/982.html","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom","elderly"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Agnessa Postnikova in Birobidzhan","type":"docs"},{"body":"The prosecutor asks for punishment for Lyubov Serebryakova. In his opinion, the believer should be sentenced to 4 years in prison, however, taking into account her age and state of health, he asks the court for 3 years probation with a written undertaking not to leave and restrictions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Serebryakova in Novokuznetsk","date":"2023-06-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novokuznetsk3.html#20230628","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["punishment-request","defense-arguments","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case of Aleksandr Kabanov is again submitted to the court of first instance. It was appointed to the chairman of the court, Stanislav Doronin.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kabanov in Zelenogorsk","date":"2023-06-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zelenogorsk.html#20230626","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["to-court","retrial","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On June 21, 2023, a panel of judges of the Stavropol Territory Court, chaired by Khalim Terkulov, upheld the verdict against 64-year-old Sergey Kuznetsov from Nevinnomyssk. The court of first instance had given him a 6-year suspended sentence; now this decision has entered into force.\nIn the appeal, the defense drew attention to the fact that neither the place nor the time of the illegal actions allegedly committed by Kuznetsov had been established. The transcripts of the conversations presented as evidence of guilt, do not contain any signs of extremism, but, on the contrary, refute the motives of a criminal nature attributed to the believer. “I still can’t understand how white suddenly became black, how efforts to live according to God’s standards suddenly became extremism,” said Sergey Kuznetsov during his final statement. “Article 28 of the RF Constitution proclaims my right to freedom of religion. But in reality I am denied this right.” The believer can appeal the verdict through the cassation procedure.\nSergey has been severely disabled for a long time; he has almost lost his sight and has hearing problems. The prosecution of Kuznetsov for his faith has been going on for more than 3 years — in December 2019, the Investigative Committee initiated criminal cases against eight believers, who at that time were from 54 to 89 years old. Later, charges against everyone except Kuznetsov were dropped. In total, 15 Jehovah's Witnesses faced criminal prosecution in the Stavropol Territory.\nHuman rights activists unanimously condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. Elizabeth Clark, an international expert on human rights and European Union law, said: “Jehovah's Witnesses... face increasing persecution of its members in Russia for exercising their rights to freedom of religion or belief. This violates Russia's commitments to international law and its own constitution.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-06-21T09:38:18+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/06/220938/image_hu_5c7c59da35112c2f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/06/220938/image_hu_be094b19fe32178c.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/06/220938/image_hu_4fdf8ef3e85fb24f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/06/220938/image_hu_633644e5e56b1c7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/06/220938.html","regions":["stavropol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["elderly","disability","appeal","suspended","282.2-1"],"title":"In Stavropol Territory, Court of Appeal Upheld Verdict Against Sergey Kuznetsov, a Believer With a Disability — 6 Years Suspended","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 16, 2023, the Novosibirsk Regional Court, chaired by Judge Aleksandra Bogdanova, upheld the sentence against 68-year-old Aleksandr Seredkin. The decision of the lower court entered into force.\nThe believer is still in the detention center; he attended the hearing in the court of appeal via videoconferencing. At the hearing, the prosecutor motioned for the disclosure of documents that were not examined in the court of first instance, but formed the basis of the verdict. According to the defense, this is a gross violation of the law. However, the panel of judges did not satisfy this objection.\nIn the closing arguments, the lawyer noted that the lower court allowed the substitution of the concepts \"organization and participation in the activity of a religious association in connection with the liquidation of extremist activity\" and \"implementation of the constitutional right to freedom of religion\". The defense paid special attention to the fact that Aleksandr's actions belong to the second concept and that they do not constitute a crime, since singing songs and praying are not prohibited by RF law. There are no victims in the criminal case, and nothing prohibited was found in the literature confiscated from Aleksandr.\nAddressing the court, the believer stated that he never coordinated a group of his friends, never controlled them, and never gave any instructions. He added that he has always been and remains a law-abiding citizen, obeys the laws of the Bible, which teach love, honesty and kindness, and for his peaceful activities is doomed to a \"life\" sentence, because when the sentence expires, Aleksandr will be 74 years old.\nDozens of Russian human rights activists consider such an attitude toward the believers \" senseless and heartless \".\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-06-16T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/06/211359/image_hu_92668e80bac17111.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/06/211359/image_hu_ab04da61b92f75a2.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/06/211359/image_hu_53f982fd990475fe.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/06/211359/image_hu_30cc44f02a8f399c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/06/211359.html","regions":["novosibirsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","282.2-1","liberty-deprivation","elderly","secret-witness"],"title":"Court of Appeal in Novosibirsk Upheld The Harsh Sentence Against Pensioner Aleksandr Seredkin - 6 Years in a Penal Colony for His Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"Garegin Khachaturyan, Lyubov Galitsyna and Gevorg Yeritsyan have been in pre-trial detention for almost a year. Believers receive many letters from different countries.\nGaregin feels good. He has the opportunity to go for walks at least 3 times a week.\nLyubov's health condition is satisfactory. She continues to receive the medications that her son gives her. For walks, she is taken only to the roof, where it is very hot. Her cell is also stuffy, the believer has not yet received the fan given to her.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yeritsyan and Others in Novocherkassk","date":"2023-06-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocherkassk.html#20230615","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sizo","elderly","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The believer, who has been defending his beliefs for many years, referred in his last word to the decision of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation: \"If my faith is not forbidden and I can profess it, pray together with others, then why am I being judged for it? I haven't found an answer so far.\"\n","date":"2023-06-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/310.html","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement","elderly"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Alexander Skvortsov in Taganrog","type":"docs"},{"body":"On June 14, 2023, the Primorye Territory Court, chaired by Judge Svetlana Ustimenko, upheld the guilty verdict against Evgeny Grinenko, Sergey Kobelev and Svetlana Yefremova for their faith — a 6-year suspended sentence for the men and a 3-year suspended sentence for the elderly woman.\nIn February 2022, the Lesozavodskiy District Court found three local residents guilty of extremism for talking about the Bible and attending peaceful religious meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses. The convicted persons have appealed the verdict. According to the defense, the believers did not commit any real crime, therefore, the court only proved that they belong to the denomination of Jehovah's Witnesses, which is not prohibited by any law.\n“I did not deny that I was one of Jehovah's Witnesses, nor that I met with friends, discussed the Bible and sang religious songs,” Evgeny Grinenko emphasized in the appeal. “At the same time, the court of first instance did not substantiate in the verdict why the peaceful way of expressing faith in God was regarded by the court as committing a crime.”\nSvetlana Yefremova expressed her position as follows: “In sentencing me for carrying out, allegedly, extremist activity... the court actually punished me for practicing religion in the way common for Jehovah’s Witnesses.”\nSergey Kobelev stated: “Under such circumstances, my criminal prosecution and the guilty verdict cannot pursue any legitimate aim.”\nThe head of the Center for the studies of problems of Religion and Society at the Institute of Europe of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Doctor of Political Sciences Roman Lunkin, assessed the long-term campaign of repressions against believers in the following way: \"As sad as it is, the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses is based on a rather primitive, even mundane logic: they are simply disliked by a section of society that often knows nothing about [their] doctrine and practice, and for law enforcement agencies, searches, arrests and liquidation of organizations is an opportunity... to pretend they are fighting for the security of the state.”\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-06-14T14:34:55+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/06/141434/image_hu_2fc913919299175a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/06/141434/image_hu_5692656bfe0bf99e.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/06/141434/image_hu_72ca32e69bce68dc.jpg","webp2x":"/news/2023/06/141434/image_hu_256557eeb44373de.jpg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/06/141434.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","suspended","elderly","282.2-1","282.2-2"],"title":"Court of Appeal in Primorye Territory Upheld Verdict Against Three Believers From Lesozavodsk","type":"news"},{"body":"In May 2023, during a raid on peaceful believers in Novocheboksarsk, one of Jehovah's Witnesses Yuriy Yuskov, 85, learned that a criminal case had been initiated against him for his religious views.\nYuriy was born in 1938 in the village of Selivanovskaya, Rostov Region. His father died at the frontline in 1942, and his mother died in 2012. Yuriy's sister died as a child.\nAs a child, Yuriy loved to fish and build dams in the streams. He graduated from a six-year boarding school. After returning from the army in 1960, he studied for another two years at a school for working youth in the city of Norilsk.\nYuriy worked in Norilsk at a mechanical plant as a bender-roller of cold and hot rolled products, then in a quarry as an assistant driver of an electric locomotive, then as a welder and driver of vehicles for various purposes. In his past time, Yuriy loves hiking in nature.\nWhen he was talking about how he got to know the Bible, Yuriy recalled: “I was convinced that this wise book had truth in it, and I decided to live according to Christian norms and principles.” This happened in 1999. The wife, Lyudmila, did not share her husband's religious beliefs, but was not against them either. In 1963, the couple had a son, Yuriy, who was the first in the family to begin studying the Bible. Lyudmila passed away in 2019.\nThe criminal prosecution had a negative impact on the emotional state of the elderly believer, but he is firm in his convictions. Relatives and friends worry about Yuriy, since they don't understand how they can persecute such an honest and kind person.\n","date":"2023-06-30","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/yuskov/photo_hu_15858a78508da5b5.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/yuskov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/yuskov/photo_hu_d5b8bd3a31915a.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/yuskov/photo_hu_f93e262a396df992.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/yuskov.html","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Yuriy Yuskov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On June 9, 2023, the Lazo District Court of the Khabarovsk Territory found Aleksandr Shutov, 70, guilty of extremism. Judge Yevgeniya Stetsa sentenced him to 2 years and 5 months of suspended sentence with a probationary period of 2 years and restriction of liberty for 6 months for participation in the services of Jehovah's Witnesses. The verdict has not entered into force.\n“I view this criminal case as repression,” Aleksandr said in court. “The investigative agency groundlessly and unreasonably replaced the concept of exercising the right of citizens to freedom of religion, which includes a person's right to read the Bible and discuss it with friends, with the concept of carrying out extremist activities. ... My only intention was to worship God; doing so is typical for the religion I profess. And the motive of my actions was love for God and neighbor.” The believer has the right to appeal the verdict.\nThe search of the Shutov family's home took place at the end of July 2021. The criminal case was conducted by FSB Investigator S. V. Nemtsev and by the head of the Vyazemsky Department of the FSB, Aleksey Svetachev. They also initiated the prosecution of other persons who are Jehovah's Witnesses in Vyazemskoye: Yen Sen Lee, Yegor Baranov, and Sergey Kuznetsov. Yegor and Sergey received suspended sentences of four and a half years and two and a half years respectively, and Yen Sen died while under investigation. The FSB officers used against them and Shutov the testimony of a woman who slandered the believers under pressure from the security forces—according to her, she was threatened with deprivation of parental rights.\nEric Patterson, executive vice president of the Religious Liberty Institute, called Russia's ongoing persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses unfair and ridiculous, saying, \"It contributes to a climate of fear and social stagnation.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-06-09T16:38:10+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/06/091638/image_hu_c8ed1cede67bdcdc.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/06/091638/image_hu_dd169b3d29d2edd9.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/06/091638/image_hu_13f1345785dbb0c8.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/06/091638/image_hu_264f6269bc7a2758.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/06/091638.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-2","elderly"],"title":"In the Khabarovsk Territory, a Court Found 70-Year-Old Aleksandr Shutov Guilty of Extremism for Reading the Bible With Friends","type":"news"},{"body":"How to survive a search when your wife has a disability group II, the right side of her body is paralyzed and speech is impaired, and you are registered with a cardiologist? Igor Kasabov, a believer who was subjected to criminal prosecution, needed emergency medical assistance.\nIgor was born in August 1955 in Baku (Azerbaijan). He has a younger sister who lives in Armenia. Their parents are no longer alive.\nIn his youth, Igor was fond of football and volleyball, was a radio amateur. After the army, he graduated from the Riga Civil Aviation Flight Technical School. He worked at the Baku airport as a specialist in radio engineering support of aircraft navigation and landing, then at a design institute—first as an electrician, and later as the head of the finished product production department.\nIgor married Irina, a music teacher, in April 1981. In 1989, due to the tense situation in Azerbaijan, they moved to Russia, to the village of Ilskaya, Krasnodar Territory. The couple raised a son and a daughter, now they have four grandchildren. They like to travel. They lived in different cities: Armavir, St. Petersburg, Kaliningrad, Izhevsk, Krasnoyarsk. Now they live in Tambov.\nIn the Krasnodar region, the Kasabovs met Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, who showed Igor in the Bible the answers to his questions about why there is no peace and justice on earth now, as well as why people are dying. In 1993, Igor and Irina embarked on the Christian path.\nSome time before the search, Igor suffered a heart attack, and Irina suffered a stroke. Both of them also had covid, after which Igor was diagnosed with coxarthrosis of both hip joints, hypertensive crises became more frequent. The spouses\u0026#39; eyesight is falling. The criminal prosecution aggravated the condition of the Kasabovs. They are medically registered with specialized specialists, live on a minimum pension.\n","date":"2023-12-13","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kasabov/photo_hu_4e635ef8c2378d12.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kasabov/photo_hu_a4954c928b564f1f.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kasabov/photo_hu_99c8aa91520360bb.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kasabov/photo_hu_403bb784362eacbc.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kasabov.html","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["elderly","health-risk"],"title":"Igor Kasabov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"\n","date":"2023-06-09T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/person_placeholder_male.jpg","jpg2x":"/person_placeholder_male.jpg","webp":"/person_placeholder_male_hu_7ca079b4cb5b78b2.webp","webp2x":"/person_placeholder_male_hu_7ca079b4cb5b78b2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/loshkarev.html","regions":["chukotka"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Aleksandr Loshkarev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Anatoliy Odintsov has become another Jehovah's Witness from the Murmansk Region, who is persecuted for his faith in God by the authorities. In the spring of 2023, a case was initiated against him under the article on extremism.\nAnatoliy was born in February, 1958 in the city of Severomorsk, Murmansk Region. He has a younger sister. Their parents worked at the railway station. His father was a train master, and his mother was a freight forwarder. The parents are no longer alive.\nAs a child, Anatoliy loved cross country skiing, photographing winter northern landscapes, skating and collecting stamps about flora, fauna and outstanding people. Now Anatoliy is interested in cars and likes to take pictures and travel.\nAt the end of the eighth grade, Anatoliy entered the Leningrad Electrotechnical Medical College and graduated with a degree in repair and installation of electromedical and X-ray equipment. In 1980, he got a job at a repair and installation company in the city of Murmansk. In the same year he entered the correspondence department of the Polytechnic Institute in Leningrad at the Faculty of Electronic Computers. In 1983, Anatoliy moved to the city of Snezhnogorsk and worked there as a foreman of the maintenance point at the medical unit.\nSince 1993, Anatoliy worked at a heat and power plant (boiler house) servicing power electrical networks. After fourteen years, he returned to Murmansk to a repair shop. Prior to the persecution, he worked as a medical equipment engineer at the Clinical Pathology Bureau.\nIn the 1990s, Anatoliy became interested in the Holy Scriptures and began to study this book in depth. He was impressed by the simplicity and clarity of Bible principles, as well as the immutability of moral standards. The study of the Bible convinced him that everything in nature was created, and did not appear by evolution. In 1994, Anatoliy decided to become one of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nIn the same year he married Svetlana. She works at a gas station in a motor transport company, loves jazz music, plays the guitar. Svetlana shares the religious beliefs of her husband and supports him in everything.\nDue to religious repression, the Odintsovs had to leave their usual way of life and faced economic difficulties. Relatives and friends are outraged by the persecution, which, in their opinion, \"has no basis.\"\n","date":"2023-07-06","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/odintsov/photo_hu_a704479748d5efd0.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/odintsov/photo_hu_3f5183c897ad3a71.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/odintsov/photo_hu_5c5b60586549b9dd.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/odintsov/photo_hu_1adbcbfa36176b3a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/odintsov.html","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Anatoliy Odintsov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"\n","date":"2023-06-09T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/person_placeholder_male.jpg","jpg2x":"/person_placeholder_male.jpg","webp":"/person_placeholder_male_hu_7ca079b4cb5b78b2.webp","webp2x":"/person_placeholder_male_hu_7ca079b4cb5b78b2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/yumashev.html","regions":["chukotka"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Yuriy Yumashev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Yuriy is still in strict conditions of detention. Despite this, his emotional state is good, he is looking forward to his imminent release. The believer has the opportunity to walk for two hours a day in the courtyard with a length of about 100 meters.\nIn the spring, Yuri had a severe form of pneumonia. He was placed in a hospital isolated from the rest of the prisoners because of the article under which he was convicted. Now the believer feels good, he has no complications.\nYuriy receives letters regularly, every day he writes answers. During the entire period of detention, he received 19781 letters.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk","date":"2023-05-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk3.html#20230529","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison","strict-conditions","prison-treatment","letters","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Speaking before the court, the believer is perplexed: \"Your honor, if you consider me guilty and condemn me, then this will be followed by a punishment aimed at my correction. But what am I going to have to fix in that case?\"\n","date":"2023-05-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/307.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Alexander Shutov in Vyazemsky","type":"docs"},{"body":"On May 3, 2023, the Primorye Territory Court reduced the terms of punishment by 2 months for residents of Spassk-Dalniy convicted for their faith. Three believers will go to a penal colony: Dmitriy Malevaniy for 6 years and 10 months, Aleksey Trofimov for 6 years and 4 months and Olga Panyuta for 4 years and 4 months. The suspended sentence for Olga Opaleva will be 4 years and 10 months.\nThree months earlier, Pavel Bobrovich, judge of the Spassky District Court of the Primorye Territory, found these believers guilty of extremism for meeting together to discuss the Bible. In their appeal against the verdict, they pointed to significant violations of the RF Constitution and an erroneous approach to the consideration of the case. For example, the court of first instance came to the conclusion that believers did not have the right to worship together, but only individually. This position contradicts the statement of the Plenum of the RF Supreme Court.\nTo find a person guilty of extremism, the prosecution must establish and prove a motive of hatred or enmity. Neither this nor any other specific extremist actions by the defendants are found in the case materials.\nThe defendants emphasize that their activity have nothing to do with crime. “Showing hatred, enmity and violence is incompatible with my views. I respect people of other religions and nationalities. They convicted me just for my faith in God, which is a violation of the norms of Russian and international law,” 71-year-old Olga Opaleva said in court.\nThe convicted persons have the right to appeal the appeal decision in cassation procedure. Dmitriy Malevaniy, 33, Aleksey Trofimov, 64, and Olga Panyuta, 63, remain in custody and are awaiting transfer to a penal colony.\nThe criminal prosecution of the believers from Spassk-Dalniy began in November 2018. As in many other cases — with searches. Afterwards, the believers were sent to a temporary detention facility, and then placed under house arrest for almost a year. The day before the search, Olga Opaleva suffered a heart attack, and a year later, a stroke.\nIn total, 51 Jehovah's Witnesses have already faced prosecution for their faith in the Primorye Territory and are defendants in 21 criminal cases. Suspended sentences have already been given to 21 believers, including Vitaliy Ilinykh, the son of Olga Opaleva.\nAccording to the decision of the RF Supreme Court, the letter of the RF Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the decision of the Plenum of the RF Supreme Court, the participation of believers in peaceful worship should not be considered a crime, after the liquidation of legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-05-24T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/05/250915/image_hu_ae55ee2d2f42e79a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/05/250915/image_hu_30c8730a52f7273.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/05/250915/image_hu_d5157569833814e0.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/05/250915/image_hu_9f1449933369cf31.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/05/250915.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","liberty-deprivation","suspended","282.2-1","282.2-1.1","mitigation","elderly"],"title":"Primorye Territory Court Insignificantly Reduced Harsh Terms of Imprisonment of Jehovah's Witnesses Convicted of Extremism","type":"news"},{"body":"The home of Sergey Kulikov, a peaceful pensioner from Yoshkar-Ola, was unexpectedly searched. In April 2022, he learned that, together with his оldest son Aleksey, he had become a defendant in a criminal case for believing in Jehovah God.\nSergey was born in December 1953 at the Gigant state-run farm in the Salsky District of the Rostov Region. He has an older brother and a younger sister. Their parents worked in a brick factory. The boy first heard about God from his grandmother who lived with the family.\nFrom early childhood, Sergey loved singing and performing street \u0026quot;concerts\u0026quot; in front of his peers. At the age of 8, he went to music school, and after graduating from it, he enrolled in the Rostov School of Arts. Not having completed his first year, Sergey took his papers and returned home to finish high school there.\nAfter school, the young man served in the army. There he mastered the bass guitar, organized a musical group with which he toured the military units in Germany, participated in social evenings with German musicians. After the army, Sergey worked as a driver, photographer, singing teacher, lathe operator, combine operator, electrician and mechanic.\nIn 1978, Sergey married Nadezhda, and the following year they had a son and soon after a daughter. In 1984, the family moved to Sverdlovsk, Lugansk Region, where they had another son. At the local market, the couple met Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, and Nadezhda decided to study the Bible. Sergey was skeptical at first.\nBecause of the smoldering spoil tips, the children began to have health problems, and the Kulikov family moved to Mari El, to the village of Silikatny, where Nadezhda continued to study the Holy Scriptures. Sergey also gradually became convinced that what Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses say does not contradict what he read in the Bible. In 1993 he attended the international convention of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Moscow. This event prompted him to give up bad habits and become one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in 1994--two years after Nadezhda. The Kulikovs tried raising their children in accordance with Bible principles.\nThe search and criminal prosecution greatly affected the life of Sergey and his family. He says: \u0026quot;\u0026#39;My home is my castle\u0026#39;, I thought. And then uninvited guests burst into my home . . . For the first three or four months, I lost control of everything. A malignant tumor developed on my wife\u0026#39;s kidney. Her kidney with the tumor was removed in an emergency surgery.\u0026quot; Nevertheless, Sergey tries to maintain a positive attitude and is grateful for the support of fellow believers.\n","date":"2023-06-02","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kulikovs/photo_hu_a8456816a191cf94.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kulikovs/photo_hu_963e29bb498d212c.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kulikovs/photo_hu_78addf5624b8fecd.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kulikovs/photo_hu_681e3573cd37b2f0.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kulikovs.html","regions":["mari-el"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Sergey Kulikov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Senior Police Lieutenant A. N. Sergeev and four other detectives conduct a search in the home of Yuri Yuskov, which lasts 2.5 hours. Personal records and electronic devices are seized from the believer.\nThis is the second search in Yuskov's house. The first one took place in November 2020 as part of the case of Vladimir Dutkin and others in Cheboksary.\nThe investigator chooses a measure of restraint for the believer in the form of a written undertaking not to leave the place.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yuskov in Novocheboksarsk","date":"2023-05-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocheboksarsk.html#20230505","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["search","recognizance-agreement","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A. Mukhin, senior investigator of the Chuvash Republic, is initiating a criminal case against 85-year-old Yuriy Yuskov under Part 1.1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (involvement in the activities of an extremist organization). The investigator also hands the believer a search warrant for his home.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yuskov in Novocheboksarsk","date":"2023-05-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocheboksarsk.html#20230504","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1.1","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Mikheev makes a decision to bring Odintsov as an accused.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Odintsov in Snezhnogorsk","date":"2023-05-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/snezhnogorsk2.html#20230504","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["282.2-1","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In April 2023, Aleksandr Salnikov and his family were among Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses subjected to searches. A criminal case was opened against the believer, accusing him of extremism.\nAleksandr was born in April 1961 in Magnitogorsk. He has two elder sisters. Their parents are no longer alive. As a child, Aleksandr was fond of wood burning, collecting badges and stamps. During his school years, he went to the boxing section, and later was engaged in classical wrestling. From the 4th grade until he served in the army, he kept pigeons. He also always loved to read.\nAfter graduating from school, Aleksandr received the profession of an electric welder. After the army, he got a job at the Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works, where he worked for 13 years as a cold metal cutter on a slitting unit. For the last 27 years, he worked at the municipal enterprise, where he was a foreman of locksmiths for 19 years.\nAlexander has 40 years of professional work experience, now he is retired. For high professional skills, many years of conscientious work, significant contribution to the development of the industry, he has been repeatedly awarded for distinction in his work, and also has a certificate of honor from the head of the city of Magnitogorsk.\nWhile working at the plant, Aleksandr met Nelly, who was a quality controller in the same workshop. They got married in 1985. The couple raised two children, the son already has his own family.\nIn 1999, the Salnikovs began to study the Bible. Aleksandr was particularly impressed by the accuracy of this book in scientific matters. A year later, the couple embarked on the Christian path of life. Their adult children share their life values.\nPersecution for their faith had a negative impact on the health of the Salnikovs. Aleksandr and his daughter had exacerbated chronic diseases, which required treatment.\n","date":"2024-06-20","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/salnikov/photo_hu_151f16091e51b082.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/salnikov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/salnikov/photo_hu_f473be56928c17bf.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/salnikov/photo_hu_8e4d669f6c244818.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/salnikov.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Aleksandr Salnikov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Senior investigator of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Murmansk Region S. B. Mikheev initiates a criminal case against 65-year-old Anatoly Odintsov. He is accused of organizing the activities of an extremist organization.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Odintsov in Snezhnogorsk","date":"2023-04-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/snezhnogorsk2.html#20230424","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["new-case","elderly","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Nikita Razumov, an investigator of the Leninsky Department of the Investigation Department, takes a written undertaking not to leave Alexander Salnikov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Salnikov in Magnitogorsk","date":"2023-04-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magnitogorsk.html#20230422","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lyubov Galitsyna has been in pre-trial detention for 9 months. Despite this, she remains calm. However, her physical health is deteriorating - neurological symptoms have been added.\nLyubov got acquainted with her characterization issued by the pre-trial detention center. She was very surprised to see the criminal record attributed to her, reprimands that had never been given to her, and the signature of the head of the detachment, who was unknown to her.\nLetters coming in large quantities are handed over to Lyubov regularly. They support and encourage her. According to the believer, she likes to read about literally everything. Some stories are listened to with pleasure by her cellmates, postcards are of particular interest.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yeritsyan and Others in Novocherkassk","date":"2023-04-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocherkassk.html#20230419","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sizo","elderly","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior investigator of the Ordzhonikidze Department of the Investigation Department S. K. Bisenbaeva initiates a criminal case against Alexander Salnikov under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of the activities of an extremist association, in respect of which the court made a decision on liquidation). This is how the investigation interprets meetings of believers to discuss biblical teachings with friends.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Salnikov in Magnitogorsk","date":"2023-04-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magnitogorsk.html#20230418","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On April 18, 2023, Yuriy Vaskin, judge of the Nevinnomyssk city court, found Sergey Kuznetsov guilty of organizing an extremist organization for discussing the Bible with friends, praying together and singing songs, imposing on him a 6-year suspended sentence. The prosecutor requested an even longer suspended sentence - 8 years.\nSergey has been severely disabled for more than 30 years, he has practically lost his sight, has hearing problems and can hardly move - the criminal prosecution has aggravated his condition. In November 2018, he was among those whose homes were searched. A year later, the Investigative Department for Nevinnomyssk of the Investigative Committee of the Stavropol Territory opened a criminal case against Kuznetsov. The believer signed a recognizance agreement. He was also added to the Rosfinmonitoring “list of extremists”, imposing restrictions on his accounts.\nOn August 5, 2022, the case went to court. The accusation against Sergey was based on the testimony of a secret witness - an FSB agent under the pseudonym Sidorov. “I could not even imagine that… I would be judged not for a crime, but for my faith in the Creator,” Sergey Kuznetsov noted in his final statement. There are no facts of extremism presented in the case; there are no victims of the religious actions of the defendant. Here is how Kuznetsov himself commented on that: \"It is impossible to combine the teachings of Christ and extremism, just as it is impossible to combine east and west\".\nSince 2018, there have been 6 convictions in criminal cases against Jehovah's Witnesses in the Stavropol Territory, and another case against a believer is being considered by the court.\nThe European Court of Human Rights in its decision drew attention to the fact that \"the Supreme Court did not... acknowledge... the effect of its dissolution, banning and confiscation decision on the rights of 175,000 individual Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia who were put before a stark and impossible choice: to reduce their religious activities to praying in isolation, without the company and support of fellow believers and without a place for worship, or to face criminal prosecution on charges of “continuing the activities of an extremist organisation” (§ 253).\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-04-18T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/04/200832/image_hu_787d07c6a5f53850.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/04/200832/image_hu_73eac57974943169.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/04/200832/image_hu_d89220086afc75c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/04/200832/image_hu_9e9deaa99f59b30d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/04/200832.html","regions":["stavropol"],"subtitle":"For His faith, Sergey Kuznetsov Was Given a 6-Year Suspended Sentence ","tags":["disability","elderly","sentence","suspended","282.2-1","health-risk"],"title":"A Court in Nevinnomyssk Declared a Pensioner With a Severe Disability an Extremist.","type":"news"},{"body":"In his speech, the believer explained why extremism is alien to him and stated that he considers the accusations against him to be groundless. \"I could not even imagine that at that age I would be judged. Not for a crime, but for faith in the Creator,\" said Sergey Kuznetsov.\n","date":"2023-04-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/290.html","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Sergey Kuznetsov in Nevinnomyssk","type":"docs"},{"body":"\n","date":"2023-04-14T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/person_placeholder_male.jpg","jpg2x":"/person_placeholder_male.jpg","webp":"/person_placeholder_male_hu_7ca079b4cb5b78b2.webp","webp2x":"/person_placeholder_male_hu_7ca079b4cb5b78b2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/bannykh.html","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Andrey Bannykh","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Turning to the court, the believer asks for her acquittal, wondering: \"So what am I being judged for? For meeting peacefully to discuss the Bible? Did they sing, pray to their God Jehovah? So this right is guaranteed to us by Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.\n","date":"2023-04-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/289.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Olga Zhelavskaya in Chelyabinsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"Addressing the court, the believer remarked: \"Our trial reminded me not only of the trial of Christ, but also of the courts of the Soviet Union, which sent Jehovah's Witnesses to correctional labor institutions for reading the Bible, praying and singing religious songs.\"\n","date":"2023-04-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/286.html","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Sergey Kosyanenko in Akhtubinsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"On the evening of April 4, 2023, nine Jehovah's Witnesses in St. Petersburg were subjected to searches, six of them, men and women aged 40 to 68, were interrogated by the Investigative Committee throughout the night.\nAround 8 p.m., groups of OMON officers broke into the apartments of believers at several addresses in the south of the city. At that time, the hosts had guests. In one of the apartments, armed law enforcement officers in balaclavas broke down the door and shouted “everyone on the floor”.\nAccording to eyewitnesses, some searches were accompanied by caustic comments and obscene language from law enforcement officers. They were interested in items with the words \"God\", \"Jesus\", \"faith\" and \"Holy Scriptures\". Books, notebooks and notepads with personal notes, hard drives, electronic devices, and in one case, Bibles of various editions and a video cassette with a wedding recording were confiscated from believers. At about 1 a.m., the hosts and guests were taken for interrogation. They returned home only at 4 a.m.\nIn another apartment, where an elderly couple lives (the husband is a blind man, 82), law enforcement officers tried to behave respectfully. The security forces took one of the guests to his home to conduct a search there as well.\nIn February 2023, law enforcement agencies of the Leningrad Region initiated a case against believers from Kingisepp and Slantsy. During the interrogations, the investigators were interested in whether believers from St. Petersburg knew their fellow believers from Kingisepp.\nSt. Petersburg has become the 74th region in which Russian law enforcement officers persecute Jehovah's Witnesses for their peaceful religious practice.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2023-04-04T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/23218813626_a65dd88831_o_hu_b3a466f94967fb60.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/23218813626_a65dd88831_o_hu_e1c5e090e0d775a4.jpg","webp":"/news/common/23218813626_a65dd88831_o_hu_92434d4952207ff3.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/23218813626_a65dd88831_o_hu_7041450336b07a18.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/04/110844.html","regions":["stpetersburg"],"subtitle":"The Security Forces Searched for Everything With the Words \"God\", \"Jesus\" and \"Faith\"","tags":["search","interrogation","elderly","disability"],"title":"Raid on Jehovah's Witnesses in St. Petersburg.","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 31, 2023, Judge Yevgeniya Babinova of Moscow's Babushkinsky District Court pronounced a cruel verdict: peace-loving, law-abiding Muscovites are sent to a penal colony for a long time only for their faith. The court gave Ivan Chaykovskiy, 67, Vitaliy Komarov, 47, Yuriy Chernyshev, 59, and Sergey Shatalov, 53, 6 years and 3 months in a penal colony, and Vardan Zakaryan, 51, 4 years and 3 months in a penal colony.\nAll five convicts were taken into custody in the courtroom. They spent the last 2.5 years under house arrest, and during the first six months they were not allowed to communicate with their wives. Three of the five have minor children. Chaykovskiy, Komarov, Chernyshev and Shatalov are convicted under Article 282.2 (1) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation — organizing the activity of a banned organization. Vardan Zakaryan was found guilty of involving others in such an organization. The believers themselves claim that they were exercising their right to freedom of religion; have nothing to do with extremism or a banned organization. The verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed.\nThere are no victims, no damage to property and no facts of illegal actions or statements in the case. Nevertheless, the prosecutor asked the court to sentence the believers from 6 to 8 years in a penal colony.\nThe case was initiated on November 24, 2020, and on the same day searches were conducted at 22 addresses in Moscow. Video footage by the law enforcement officers was broadcast on state TV channels and was presented as the arrest of extremely dangerous criminals. During the search Vardan Zakaryan was hit in the head with a buttstock and was hospitalized on the same day with a bruised head and hypertensive crisis. Armed law enforcement officers were guarding his hospital room; relatives were not allowed to visit nor give him any food. In that state he was subjected to interrogation during the night, three days after the beating. Then he was placed in a temporary detention facility. The five men spent two to four days in the temporary detention facility.\nIn his appeal to the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation, Vardan Zakaryan's lawyer noted: \"The use of violence, damage to property and other cruel and inhuman treatment cannot be justified against these people, who have strong convictions about the unacceptability of violence, do not resist the authorities and do not take up arms\". Vardan himself, speaking before the court, said: \"My views have nothing to do with extremism and I have not committed any crimes. All my actions were peaceful and determined by my faith in God and love for other people\".\nThe surveillance of the believers was conducted for at least three years. Under the guise of \"operative infiltration\" provocateurs were sent to them, who recorded religious discussions and tried to provoke them to make negative statements about the police. Thus, in 2018, agent \"Makarov\" was introduced. From the very first meeting, he recorded conversations with Zakaryan on Bible topics. These records later formed the basis of the criminal case, which went to court in February 2022.\nIvan Chaykovskiy, a retired veteran of labor and a father of four, who became one of Jehovah's Witnesses in 1977 (long before the formation of legal entities), said: \"We are all being accused of something we didn't do. And today I am being judged merely for my faith and my right to believe in God... You don't need legal entities to worship God, and there is no need to create or reestablish them.\" It is noteworthy that in 2010 Ivan Chaykovskiy was one of the applicants in the case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Moscow v. Russia, which led to the ECHR compelling Russia to fully rehabilitate the community by paying the believers a large financial compensation.\nIn his final statement, Yuriy Chernyshev expressed bewilderment at the criminal prosecution for his beliefs: \"Throughout my life I have had no criminal record, not a single record with the police. I tried to lead a peaceful and quiet life. Is this the life that extremists lead?\" He came to the conclusion, \"I am not being tried for breaking the law, not for a committed proven crime, but simply because I am one of Jehovah's Witnesses.\" Yuriy Chernyshev was given an award by the Ministry of Communications and Mass Media of the Russian Federation.\nVitaliy Komarov added: \"We're just like everyone else. We do not think we are special because we, just like everyone else, face ordinary problems\". Vitaliy has several state awards, including a silver medal of the Order \"For Merit to the Fatherland\", authorized by President V. V. Putin on October 25, 2018.\nSergey Shatalov, hoping for a fair trial, said: \"My conscience is clear both before God and before people. Do I want justice in this court hearing? Yes. However, if the esteemed court decides otherwise, I will wait for God's justice\".\nIn its judgment on the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, the European Court held that \"the respondent State must take all necessary measures to secure the discontinuation of all pending criminal proceedings against Jehovah’s Witnesses\" (§ 285).\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-03-31T16:17:07+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/03/311616/image_hu_fed568cf5206f7fc.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/03/311616/image_hu_2cab4340179f5985.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/03/311616/image_hu_8ab49af1cf43985b.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/03/311616/image_hu_b99b4f1f6e68b09.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/03/311616.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["282.2-1","282.2-1.1","liberty-deprivation","sentence","elderly","secret-witness"],"title":"Moscow Court Sentences Five Jehovah's Witnesses to 4 to 6 Years in a Penal Colony","type":"news"},{"body":"Already more than 700 Russian Jehovah's Witnesses have become victims of law enforcement following the 2017 Supreme Court decision. That is how many believers are being prosecuted for their religious beliefs and in the absence of an actual crime.\nAs of March 30, 2023, a total of 333 criminal cases have been filed against Russian Jehovah's Witnesses for their faith. There were 702 persons involved in these cases (one case may involve one or more accused persons). A total of 311 believers have already been sentenced, including 105 who received actual imprisonment, 32 who were fined, and 173 who received suspended sentences. At the moment 122 people are in penal colonies and pre-trial detention centers, and 16 are under house arrest.\nLast year and this year were marked by new harsh sentences for Jehovah's Witnesses, who receive the same sentences for peaceful religious activities as real criminals receive for murder. For example, on March 27, 2023, believer Aleksey Ukhov received six and a half years in prison in Sovetskaya Gavan in Khabarovsk territory; prior to that, he spent over eight months in a pre-trial detention center. The investigation charged the believer with such activities as \"reading prayers ... reading and quoting texts of the Holy Scriptures ... and psalm songs.\"\nIn early 2022, Yevgeny Korotun of Seversk, Tomsk Region, was sentenced to 7 years in prison. This sentence has already passed all instances, including the court of cassation.\nIn December 2022, a court in Crimea sentenced Aleksandr Litvinyuk and Aleksandr Dubovenko to 6 years in prison. In Chita, three believers will spend from 6 to 6.5 years behind bars, father of four children Konstantin Sannikov from Kazan - 6.5 years, and Dmitriy Malevany from Primorye Territory - 7 years. These are just some of the most recent examples of the multitude.\nRussian courts continue to send not only men but also women to prison. On March 27, 2023, the court of cassation finalized the case of Lyudmila Shchekoldina from the Krasnodar Territory. The woman received four years and one month in prison for \"describing the attractiveness of serving Jehovah\" (!). Lyudmila is one of four women currently serving time in a penal colony for believing in Jehovah's God.\nRussian courts continue to send seriously ill people with disabilities, including those who cannot be there for medical reasons, to prison. For example, Andrey Vlasov, who suffers from a complex of serious illnesses, can barely move and has difficulty maintaining himself, received a 7-year prison sentence. Courts of all instances ignored the fact that his illnesses are on the government-approved list of illnesses that prohibit a convicted person from being in a penal colony.\nAgainst the background of what is happening, the position of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation looks ironic. In 2021, the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation ruled that worship services by Jehovah's Witnesses do not constitute a crime by itself, but that the court must in each specific case identify the actual unlawful acts of the defendants. Despite this, on March 14, 2023, the same court reversed the acquittal verdict against three believers from Sverdlovsk region, in whose actions three courts had found no evidence of extremism.\nA similar decision was made by the Supreme Court in the case of three believers from Kamchatka, in the presence of the media and diplomats from six countries.\nOn June 7, 2022 the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) issued a historic ruling that completely acquitted Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. The ruling was handed down simultaneously on 20 complaints filed by Russian believers. The court ruled that liquidating their legal entities, seizing their property, and banning their publications was illegal; it also ruled that the believers be discharged from prison and that they be paid compensation ranging from 1,000 to 15,000 euros each.\nAlthough the Russian authorities are in no hurry to comply with the ECHR's demands, the court's lengthy ruling (the Russian translation is 208 pages long) has once again made it clear that persecution of believers has no legal basis. \"The courts have not found [in the cases of the two dissolved religious organisations] a single word, act or deed of the applicants motivated by violence, hatred or discrimination against others or tinged with violence, hatred or discrimination,\" reads the ECtHR judgment (§ 271).\n\"The decisions to declare the publications 'extremist' and to liquidate the religious organisations of Jehovah's Witnesses were based on an unpredictable application of anti-extremism legislation,\" the court concluded (§ 282).\n","category":"analytics","date":"2023-03-30T16:03:51+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/03/301603/image_hu_62822d5a6aa61bd1.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/03/301603/image_hu_8e553611bde2f5da.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/03/301603/image_hu_9e345e74df93568a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/03/301603/image_hu_f600cfe4761dffac.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/03/301603.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["analytics","review","statistics","elderly","disability","echr","liberty-deprivation"],"title":"There are Already 700 Victims of a Legal Collision. Men, Women, and Disabled Persecuted for Peaceful Religious Belief","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 29, 2023, the Kemerovo Regional Court upheld the main part of the sentence for 65-year-old Sergey Sushilnikov - 6-year suspended sentence. At the same time, a number of additional restrictions were removed from the verdict, in particular, a ban on publishing on the Internet and attending public events.\n“The court did not determine any consequences of my actions aimed at the peaceful practice of my faith in accordance with the Bible commandments, and did not mention them in the verdict,” Sushilnikov emphasized at the appeal hearing. \"The verdict does not include quotations of extremist statements, nor the dates, times and places of when they were made. On the contrary, it indicates that ... there are no such statements”.\nThe prosecution of Sushilnikov for his faith began in the summer of 2021. The Investigative Committee accused the believer of continuing the activity of a liquidated religious organization and initiated a case under Part 1 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. At the court hearings, it became clear that the investigation was referring to the peaceful holding of meetings for worship which are not prohibited on the territory of the Russian Federation.\nSergey Sushilnikov feels great support from his fellow believers and his wife, Tatyana, who is also a defendant in a criminal case for her faith. The believer said: “When I left the courtroom after the hearings, my friends applauded me. Almost everyone came up to shake my hand, to hug me - from such warmth, I was moved to tears. My wife was outside at the time; as a witness in the case, she was not allowed into the courtroom. She is given flowers, sweets, drawings from children. At this moment, I can’t support her, but there are so many friends here.” This is what Tatyana says about her husband: “He did not lose his confidence, firmness and did not allow despair to take over. He didn’t think about what awaited him, he thought about the [welfare] of others.”\nIn the Kemerovo Region, 17 Jehovah's Witnesses became defendants in criminal cases for their faith. Seven have already been sentenced to various terms. Andrey Vlasov, a believer with a disability, continues to serve his sentence in a penal colony in violation of the law. Judges, contrary to the decision of the ECHR and the explanations of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, issue verdicts against Jehovah's Witnesses. Vyacheslav Lebedev, Chairman of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, pointed out: “Higher standards for the protection of the constitutional rights of citizens are provided with clarifications... that actions that do not contain signs of extremism and consist solely in the exercise of the right to freedom of conscience, freedom of religion, including through the practice of of religious rites and ceremonies, do not constitute a crime.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-03-29T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/04/031040/image_hu_476a6418d0960871.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/04/031040/image_hu_4df38812e0def3e5.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/04/031040/image_hu_c4fff0723db9fd20.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/04/031040/image_hu_e3f6ffb62c07067b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/04/031040.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["282.2-1","appeal","suspended","elderly"],"title":"Court of Appeal in Kemerovo Upheld the 6-year Suspended Sentence for Sergey Sushilnikov, a Veteran of Labor","type":"news"},{"body":"In his testimony in court, the believer clearly demonstrated that the Supreme Court did not ban the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, nor did it deprive believers of the right to gather together to practice their religion.\n","date":"2023-03-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/279.html","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Ivan Tchaikovsky in Moscow","type":"docs"},{"body":"Pensioner Pavel Brilkov, who was previously a witness in the case of Andrey Vlasov, was himself accused of extremism because of his beliefs in the spring of 2023.\nPavel was born in 1958 in the city of Prokopyevsk, grew up here and lives all his life. After graduating from school, he worked as a molder of reinforced concrete products. In 1991, due to an accident, Pavel received an industrial injury—a compression fracture of the spine. The man received a group III disability.\nIn 2001, Pavel met Vera, and later they got married. Together they run a household, garden. In his free time, Pavel likes to be in nature and go to the forest.\nIn 2019, Pavel began to study the Bible. He heard a lot about this book from his mother-in-law, whom he respected and loved. \u0026quot;When I found out what God\u0026#39;s Kingdom would do for people and for me, I wanted to live according to Jehovah\u0026#39;s standards,\u0026quot; the believer recalls.\nThe criminal prosecution affected the health of Pavel and Vera. Relatives sympathize with them, being interested in what is happening.\n","date":"2023-09-18","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/brilkov/photo_hu_546f24032e17171b.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/brilkov/photo_hu_496c80bf2fb7a735.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/brilkov/photo_hu_82e06af8a75375cf.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/brilkov/photo_hu_6f365cc15030fc73.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/brilkov.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["elderly","disability"],"title":"Pavel Brilkov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On March 23, 2023, Lyudmila Salikova reappeared before the Chelyabinsk Regional Court, which changed her sentence, reclassifying the charge from organizing the activities of an extremist organization to participating in it, and reduced her suspended sentence to two and a half years with a probationary term of three years.\nLyudmila Salikova from Snezhinsk has been prosecuted for her faith since the fall of 2020. She was taken to court for \"participating in the religious meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses and having discussions about the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses.\" These actions, according to the investigation, constituted organizing the activities of an extremist organization. In January 2022, Lyudmila Salikova was convicted and given a six-year suspended sentence, and the appellate court upheld this decision.\nThe believer does not admit her guilt and considers the criminal prosecution a miscarriage of justice. The court of cassation did not reverse the guilty verdict, but it did note that the appellate court \"avoided an objective, fair and comprehensive review of the legality and validity of the verdict.\" According to the cassation court, “an improper assessment by the appellate court of the arguments of the appeal may affect the correct application of criminal law . . . and, as a result, the sentence.” In January 2023, the case was returned to the appellate stage.\nRepresentatives of the Russian and foreign public unanimously condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. In particular, David Bunikovsky, a visiting scholar of the School of Theology at East Finland University and a fellow at the Center for Law and Religion at the Cardiff School of Law and Politics called the persecution of believers inhumane and in opposition to human dignity. “It is contrary to international law (Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights of 1966 and Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights) and the Constitution of the Russian Federation (Article 28), which guarantee freedom of religion, and it is contrary to common sense. Even the elderly are put in prison. For what? For singing songs, studying the Bible and praying together in private homes,” said Bunikowski.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-03-23T13:58:44+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/03/231358/image_hu_72585f0610df10b1.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/03/231358/image_hu_6715d047111d811d.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/03/231358/image_hu_4b2a9b4bd8d57d0f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/03/231358/image_hu_48312fe748e961a2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/03/231358.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"subtitle":"The Court Reduced the Believer's Suspended Sentence From Six to Two and a Half Year","tags":["282.2-1","appeal","suspended","elderly","mitigation"],"title":"A Second Appeal in the City of Chelyabinsk Shortened the Sentence of 71-Year-Old Lyudmila Salikova.","type":"news"},{"body":"Speaking with the last word, the defendant noted: \"I am a believer, and I have the right to have my religious beliefs, live in harmony with them, share them with other people. This right is given to me both by God and by Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.\"\n","date":"2023-03-23T11:20:23+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/969.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Tatyana Bondarenko in Komsomolsk-on-Amur","type":"docs"},{"body":"In her address to the court, the believer described how her life changed when she began to read the Bible and tell others what she had learned. She said, \"I don't understand how this can be extremism!\"\n","date":"2023-03-23T11:15:08+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/968.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Tatyana Svoboda in Komsomolsk-on-Amur","type":"docs"},{"body":"Vladimir Skachidub is doing well. He maintains friendly relations with administration staff and prisoners. The believer is grateful to his friends for their support and help. In early April, he should have a meeting with his wife.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skachidub in Pavlovskaya","date":"2023-03-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya3.html#20230320","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["life-in-prison","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In 2015, Kishta Tutinova was detained for preaching in a public place and they tried to accuse her of an unsanctioned rally, but the Supreme Court of the Republic of Kalmykia acquitted her. In February 2023, she again faced persecution for her faith—this time she was accused of extremism.\nKishta was born in January 1961 in the village of Novolesnoy, Astrakhan Region. Later she lived in the village of Barun (Kalmykia). Since 1989, Kishta has been living in Elista. She has an elder brother and a younger sister. As a child, Kishta loved to play volleyball and was fond of sewing and knitting. Later, she independently acquired the skills of cutting the fabric and sewing, and also learned how to repair sewing machines.\nIn 1982, Kishta got married. Later, when she was left with her two sons to provide for her family, she took on any job: she cooked meals, sewed and sold bathrobes. Kishta raised decent and responsible sons. She now has six grandchildren.\nFor a long time, Kishta worked in a taylor's shop, sewing school uniforms and other things. The managment appreciated her for responsible, fast and high-quality work. Before retiring, she worked as a janitor for some time. Thanks to her cheerful nature and generosity, she maintains a good reputation among others. If relatives or friends need to sew something, she readily comes to their aid. During the COVID-19 pandemic the desire for new knowledge prompted her to study Russian sign language.\nKishta has always believed in God. As she began to study the Bible more deeply, she saw its wisdom and practicality. This changed her life for the better: she got rid of bad habits and freed herself from numerous superstitions. In 2003, she decided to become a Christian.\nThe news that Kishta was prosecuted for professing her religious views guaranteed by the Constitution of the Russian Federation came as a shock to her sons. They do not share their mother's Bible beliefs, but continue to care for her and look for opportunities to protect her good name.\n","date":"2023-05-11","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/tutinova/photo_hu_14a5644af3db2c6c.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/tutinova/photo_hu_83d26de1a399358b.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/tutinova/photo_hu_31789b45d0c04a1a.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/tutinova/photo_hu_94b5e6397e2cb1c8.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/tutinova.html","regions":["kalmykia"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Kishta Tutinova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Tsagan Khalgaeva, having come to work, learns that she was dismissed in connection with a criminal case.\nThe judge of the Elista City Court, Guzel Olyakhinova, chooses a measure of restraint in the form of house arrest for Kishte Tutinova.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tutinova and Others in Elista","date":"2023-03-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/elista.html#20230301","regions":["kalmykia"],"tags":["house-arrest","work-restrictions","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Law enforcement officers conduct searches in the homes of Kishta Tutinova, Tsagan Khalgaeva and Ekaterina Menkova. The latter becomes ill. FSB officers call an ambulance. Due to her poor health, the believer is not interrogated, but she is given a summons to appear before the investigator on another day.\nKishta Tutinova and Tsagan Khalgaeva are taken for interrogation. Tsagan indicates in the interrogation protocol that her words are distorted. A sample of her voice and handwriting is taken from her.\nAfter interrogation, Kishta Tutinova is taken to the temporary detention facility.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tutinova and Others in Elista","date":"2023-02-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/elista.html#20230228","regions":["kalmykia"],"tags":["search","interrogation","fabrications","ivs","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior investigator for especially important cases, Captain of Justice Dmitry Menkenov initiates a criminal case against 62-year-old Kishta Tutinova for organizing the activities of an extremist organization (part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). The investigation believes that Tutinova, who professes the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, at home \"conducts religious meetings and directly participates in them in the mode of online conferences, and also involves residents of the region in the activities of this organization.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tutinova and Others in Elista","date":"2023-02-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/elista.html#20230216","regions":["kalmykia"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Early in the morning, searches are carried out at three addresses in Dormidontovka. The security forces come to Lilia Dolinina, another woman and an elderly man.\nElectronic devices, a Bible, and sheets of paper \"containing handwritten text with information about Jehovah's Witnesses\" were seized from Lilia. The believer is charged with the fact of \"involving [a person] in the activities of the religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses.\" After the search, the pensioner is interrogated for 5 hours in the investigation department.\nAccording to Lilia, FSB officers also visit her son's roommate and confiscate from her letters of support that the believer sent to the woman, sharing biblical principles with her.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dolinina in Dormidontovka","date":"2023-02-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dormidontovka.html#20230213","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["search","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On February 13, 2023, in the village of Dormidontovka, Khabarovsk Territory, police conducted at least two searches and interrogations of persons suspected of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. A day earlier, a criminal case was initiated against 76-year-old Liliya Dolinina.\nAt 6:00 am, officers broke into the homes of elderly believers to conduct searches that lasted 4 hours. Electronic devices, computer storage media and personal records were confiscated from Liliya Dolinina and a man. After the searches, the believers were taken to the investigative committee for interrogation, where they were questioned to find out who else in the village professes the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses and organizes meetings for worship.\nThe raids and interrogations were authorized by the Vyazemskiy Interdistrict Investigative Department and the Jewish Autonomous Region and, in particular, the investigator for especially important cases, Yuliya Vasetskaya, who also ruled that Liliya Dolinina be charged with a crime under part 1.1 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\nThe village of Dormidontovka is one more on the list of settlements in the Khabarovsk Territory, where already 29 of Jehovah's Witnesses have been severely persecuted for their faith. Four of them have been sentenced to various terms of imprisonment.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2023-02-13T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/criminal_case_hu_35e13635d4d2f17a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/criminal_case_hu_8fcc889250eb8195.jpg","webp":"/news/common/criminal_case_hu_5b10c52717b70cbc.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/criminal_case_hu_d5a2dedee669b9ce.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/02/160909.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":"Criminal Case Initiated Against a 76-Year-Old Believer ","tags":["search","new-case","elderly","interrogation"],"title":"New Raids in the Khabarovsk Territory.","type":"news"},{"body":"The investigator for particularly important cases of the Vyazemsky Interdistrict Investigation Department of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Khabarovsk Territory and the Jewish Autonomous Region, Y. A. Vasetskaya, initiates a criminal case under Part 1.1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation against 76-year-old Liliya Dolinina and decides to search the home of the believer \"in order to find and seize means of communication and electronic media that may contain information about the crime committed.\" The document also states that \"the preliminary investigation body believes that this case should be recognized as exceptional, in connection with which the search of the home cannot be delayed and should be carried out immediately.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dolinina in Dormidontovka","date":"2023-02-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dormidontovka.html#20230212","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["new-case","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"*Text updated on February 23, 2023.\nOn February 10, 2023, Pavel Bobrovich, judge of the Spassky District Court of the Primorye Territory, found four Jehovah's Witnesses guilty of extremism. 32-year-old Dmitry Malevaniy received 7 years in prison, 63-year-old Alexei Trofimov and Olga Panyuta — 6.5 and 4.5 years in prison , respectively. 70-year-old Olga Opaleva was given a 5-year suspended sentence.\nAfter the announcement of the verdict, computer science teacher Malevaniy as well as pensioners Trofimov and Panyuta were taken into custody in the courtroom. They were sent to Pre-trial Detention Center No. 4 of the Main Directorate of the Federal Penitentiary Service for the Primorsky Territory (“Staryi Kliuch”). The convicted persons can appeal the verdict because they consider it baseless.\nThe criminal prosecution of believers from Spassk-Dalny has been going on since November 2018. As in many other cases, it began with searches, after which all four persons were sent to a temporary detention center and then placed under house arrest for almost a year. The Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case based on the charges of organizing the activity of an extremist organization and recruiting others in it (parts 1 and 1.1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). The security forces considered conversations on Biblical topics and peaceful religious meetings, typical of all Jehovah's Witnesses in the world, as a crime. The accusations were based on the testimony of intelligence agents who pretended to have an interest in the Bible. One of them was a neighbor of Olga Opaleva.\nThe trial has been going on for over three years. During the hearings, the defense repeatedly drew attention to the inconsistency of the evidence against the believers. For example, the prosecution played recordings of conversations that took place before the period of the crime the defendants are accused of. On some of the recordings it was impossible to identify the voices; on others, the speakers were discussing cooking recipes and were joking. Also, several witnesses stated that their written statements were falsified. Even the secret witnesses could not confirm the guilt of the believers. For example, “Sidorova” admitted during interrogations that she had not heard calls for violent actions against anyone and that at the worship services of Jehovah’s Witnesses there was a friendly atmosphere and believers discussed exclusively religious issues.\nCourt hearings were postponed many times due to the poor health of Olga Opaleva, who had a particularly hard time dealing with the criminal prosecution. Just before the search, she suffered a heart attack. A year later, on her way to the court, Olga had a stroke. Around the same time, Olga's son, Vitaly, also faced criminal prosecution. Nevertheless, recalling that period of her life, the believer says: “I was surprised at myself, because I remained calm. I prayed to Jehovah, and there was peace in my heart. My sisters and brothers visited me, brought the most necessary things, wrote letters, sent postcards from other cities, called and sent text messages. I never felt lonely or abandoned. I had everything, even more than I needed for each day.\"\nAleksey Trofimov retired during the criminal proceedings and received the honorary title of labor veteran. Aleksey mentioned things that gave him strength during the trial, such as the help of others and the fact that he himself tried to support loved ones. He says: \"You have to hold on, because others are holding on to you.\"\nAlso, Dmitry Malevaniy said: “We had everything we needed, and sometimes even a little more, so much so that we ourselves could take care of the needs of others.” Olga Panyuta expressed a similar thought: “We maintain a positive attitude thanks to the support we received from each other.”\nIn total, 46 of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Primorsky Territory have already faced persecution for their faith and have become defendants in 19 criminal cases. 20 believers have already been sentenced—19 received suspended sentences; one was acquitted, but a higher court overturned that decision and sent the case for new trial. At the time of this news release, six believers from the Primorsky Territory are being held in pre-trial detention.\nOn June 7, 2022, the European Court of Human Rights rendered a historic ruling in favor of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. It ruled that the Russian Federation had violated the rights of the followers of this denomination and ordered Russia to stop its persecution, release the prisoners, and pay them compensation. The Court noted in particular: “Both the applicants' [Jehovah's Witnesses'] religious activities and the content of their publications appear to have been peaceful in line with their professed doctrine of non-violence.” (§ 157)\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-02-10T15:39:38+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/02/101539/image_hu_e2b6a466b0fe2040.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/02/101539/image_hu_c13d8096e25c97c6.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/02/101539/image_hu_c6ae9503364a4e59.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/02/101539/image_hu_aa2007ebe04b7f7d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/02/101539.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["elderly","282.2-1","282.2-1.1","liberty-deprivation","sentence","suspended"],"title":"The Court Sent Three of Jehovah's Witnesses From Spassk-Dalny to a Penal Colony for Discussing the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"In her final statement, Olga Panyuta told the court about her motives for worshiping Jehovah God and why she shared Bible knowledge with others. She said, \"The fact that I am accused of reading the Bible, praying and explaining Bible verses suggests that I am being judged for my faith.\"\n","date":"2023-02-08T11:38:37+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/966.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The Last Word of the Defendant Olga Panyuta in Spassk-Dalny","type":"docs"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Lyubov Galitsyna in the pre-trial detention center. The believer has a cheerful spirit. She is determined to continue to defend her innocence in court.\nLyubov began to receive regular letters of support from friends and fellow believers. There were no letters for a month, but then 400 pieces were brought at once. She does not have time to answer everyone, as letters come in 30-40 pieces every two days.\nIn connection with the deteriorating state of health, the believer appealed to the head of the pre-trial detention center with a request for a medical examination. However, she was told that her illnesses did not prevent her from being held in detention \"unless diabetes leads to gangrene.\" Lyubov received her second vaccination against covid so that her relatives would be allowed to visit her. In spite of everything, she is not discouraged and is grateful to everyone who comes to court to support and encourage her.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yeritsyan and Others in Novocherkassk","date":"2023-02-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocherkassk.html#20230208","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sizo","letters","elderly","medical-rights"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On February 3, 2022, the judge of the Lesozavodskiy District Court of the Primorye Territory Sergey Yarovenko found Yevgeniy Grinenko, Sergey Kobelev and Svetlana Yefremova guilty of extremism because of their religious activity. The men received a 6-year suspended sentence with a 5-year probation period, and the elderly believer received a 3-year suspended sentence with a 2-year probation period, as requested by the prosecutor.\nThe believers consider the decision unjust and have the right to appeal it. “No matter how hard they try to accuse me of extremism, I still consider the accusation unfounded and unfair,” Yevgeniy Grinenko said, addressing the court with his final statement. — “Jehovah's Witnesses are known throughout the world as friendly and peaceful people. Their rights are respected in the vast majority of countries in the world. I would very much like the rights of believers to be respected in Russia too, and in this case, my rights.”\nA criminal case against Yevgeniy Grinenko was initiated in May 2020 by Oksana Belyakova, an investigator for especially important cases of the Investigative Department for the city of Lesozavodsk of the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Primorye Territory. In March and April 2021, Svetlana Yefremova, Sergey Kobelev, and his mother Galina also became defendants (Galina's case was later made into a separate proceeding, and the court gave her a 6-year suspended sentence on similar charges). In September of the same year, the case went to court. The charges were based on covert audio and video recordings made by two informants who feigned an interest in the Bible. Conversations on Bible topics and peaceful religious meetings were considered by law enforcement agencies to be the resumption of the activity of a banned organization.\nSergey Kobelev noted in his final statement: “Everything I did is lawful ... And all the evidence of my guilt presented by the prosecution proves only that I am a follower of Jesus Christ and, just like him, I put the will of God first.\"\nSvetlana Yefremova, speaking before the court, also drew attention to the absurdity of the prosecution of believers: “I ended up in court because I do not want to renounce my God, and not because of a crime or violation of state laws. As a citizen of the Russian Federation, I have enjoyed the right [to freedom of religion] for almost 30 years. The article has remained unchanged to this day, and my behavior has not got worse over those years. Then the question arises: why am I being prosecuted?\nA total of 19 criminal cases were initiated in the Primorye Territory against 46 Jehovah's Witnesses. In 8 cases, the verdict has already entered into force and 7 cases are being considered in courts.\nOn June 7, 2022, the European Court of Human Rights found it unlawful to ban the legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses and criminalize the followers of this religion. In its ruling, the court noted, in particular: “The forced dissolution of all religious organisations of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia was not merely the result of a neutral application of legal provisions but disclosed indications of a policy of intolerance by the Russian authorities towards the religious practices of Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to cause Jehovah’s Witnesses to abandon their faith and to prevent others from joining it” (§254).\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-02-03T17:33:11+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/02/031733/image_hu_6bcba74c04e64b11.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/02/031733/image_hu_e2ef740cea1a766f.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/02/031733/image_hu_b6db75144de4cfa2.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/02/031733/image_hu_67d56021915f5c96.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/02/031733.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":"They Received Suspended Sentence","tags":["282.2-1","282.2-2","sentence","suspended","elderly"],"title":"In Primorye, a Court Found Three of Jehovah's Witnesses, Including a 72-year-old Woman, to Be Extremists.","type":"news"},{"body":"On January 17, 2023, the Maykop City Court refused to release from custody Nikolay Voishchev, a 67-year-old Jehovah's Witness from Maykop, where he has been held for more than 3 months only because of his faith as one of Jehovah's Witnesses. He will stay in the detention center for at least another six months, despite his being diagnosed with an illness.\nThe judge ignored Nikolay's age, as well as the need for urgent re-diagnosis and emergency treatment, even though the defense provided the court with all the necessary medical documents. According to the treatment plan, the believer should have had a tumor assessed back in October. But instead, the believer is forced to be in a cramped cold cell without proper medical care, while his illness worsens.\nIn a recent decision, the ECHR ordered Russia to “take all necessary measures to secure the discontinuation of all pending criminal proceedings against Jehovah’s Witnesses ... and release of all Jehovah’s Witnesses who have been deprived of their liberty” (§ 290).\n","category":"prison","date":"2023-01-31T16:14:25+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/colony_hu_896c680fbb7e9c2e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/colony_hu_82fa0f8a0cd7a6f6.jpg","webp":"/news/common/colony_hu_76a16f67806e213b.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/colony_hu_f974edb261954a47.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/01/311614.html","regions":["adygea"],"subtitle":"Behind Bars Nikolay Voishchev cannot receive proper treatment","tags":["elderly","sizo","medical-rights","health-risk","282.2-1"],"title":"The Court Keeps an Elderly Believer From Maykop in a Detention Center for Months.","type":"news"},{"body":"On January 31, 2023, the Kamchatka Territorial Court for the third time considered the case of the Bazhenovs, a married couple, and pensioner Vera Zolotova, who were previously acquitted, and found them guilty of extremism, imposing a suspended sentence of two years.\nAll three are residents of Yelizovo, a town in Kamchatka with a population of just over 36,000. The Bazhenovs are a friendly and social couple who are teachers with a close-knit family. Vera Zolotova is a 77-year-old pensioner, who has lived in her hometown all her life and has earned a reputation as a law-abiding person. Each of them has been practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses for more than fifteen years. Like other representatives of this religion, who live in hundreds of other countries, they went to meetings with other believers, read and discussed the Bible, and sang religious songs. It was this activity, and not any actual crimes, that became the reason for their criminal prosecution, which has been going on for more than four years.\nDuring this time, the case of these believers has been at many stages: at first it was returned to the prosecutor's office due to shortcomings on the part of the prosecution; later it reached a verdict—the court found the believers guilty and gave them two-year suspended sentences. The appellate court recognized the verdict as fair, but the subsequent cassation court overturned it and sent the case back to the stage of appeal. In January 2022, the Kamchatka Territorial Court acquitted the believers. The Court of Cassation upheld this decision, but the prosecutor's office appealed to the Supreme Court of Russia, which overturned the acquittal on December 2022 and sent the case back to the appeal stage.\nSnezhana Bazhenova, recalling years of litigation, noted: “In court, it became clear that the charges against us were fabricated. For example, when the testimony of an elderly woman, a witness for the prosecution [who had discussed the Bible with Jehovah's Witnesses], was read out, she could not help but shout out the whole time: 'You've misinterpreted everything! That's a lie!' And the judge saw and heard that the prosecution's witness never really said that. Moreover, when asked if she knew us, she said: “No, I don’t know them at all.” Snezhana assessed her unjust persecution as follows: “This is the usual course of a Christian; many Christians before me have endured it with dignity.”\nReflecting on the possibility of ending up in a penal colony, Konstantin Bazhenov said that it would cause serious hardship for his family but added: \"We are among our dear friends, and my family will definitely be taken care of.\"\nThe believers still consider themselves innocent. It should be noted that according to the clarifications of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of Russia, the religious activity of Jehovah's Witnesses in itself does not constitute corpus delicti. In June 2022, the European Court of Human Rights fully acquitted Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, pointing to \"indications of a policy of intolerance by the Russian authorities . . . designed to cause Jehovah's Witnesses to abandon their faith and to prevent others from joining it\" (§ 254).\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-01-31T16:03:00+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/01/311602/image_hu_bccd2e1a15073d50.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/01/311602/image_hu_3f8b9ffa3935d6cf.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/01/311602/image_hu_d8c2f8a7bf2c2935.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/01/311602/image_hu_48139b9b0cb58d19.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/01/311602.html","regions":["kamchatka"],"subtitle":"As a Result of the Third Appeal, Believers From Kamchatka Were Found Guilty of Extremism","tags":["appeal","suspended","elderly","2-appeal","282.2-2","fabrications"],"title":"A Suspended Sentence Instead of an Acquittal.","type":"news"},{"body":"In his last word, Aleksey Trofimov explained to the court that his only motive for attending divine services was to worship God. The believer also recalled that the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia are not prohibited.\n","date":"2023-01-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/299.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The Last Word of the Defendant Alexei Trofimov in Spassk-Dalny","type":"docs"},{"body":"\"Your Honor, I understand that the courts are called upon to fight crime, but I still do not understand what my crime is,\" Olga Opaleva said in her last word. \"Telephone conversations were listened to, videos were viewed, but nothing illegal was found in them.\"\n","date":"2023-01-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/297.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The Last Word of the Defendant Olga Opaleva in Spassk-Dalniy","type":"docs"},{"body":"In her speech, the defendant drew the court's attention to the fact that she had been freely practicing her faith for almost 30 years. \"The law has remained unchanged, and I have not done worse over the years. Then the question arises: why am I being persecuted?\" she commented.\n","date":"2023-01-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/301.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Svetlana Efremova in Lesozavodsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"In January 2023, in the Saratov region, FSB officers raided the homes of five of Jehovah's Witnesses—four women aged 39 to 69 and a 64-year-old man.\nThe first search took place on January 3, and it was directed by Major Matrosov. Lieutenant Ponomaryov also participated in it; the resident of the home recognized him as the one who had conducted surveillance on her since November of the previous year. The security forces confiscated the Synodal translation of the Bible from the family. They also asked about school history notebooks belonging to the believers' daughter. Security forces were especially interested in written notes about the Israelites leaving Egypt and about the execution of Christ.\nOn January 20, four more searches took place. During one of them, the owner of the apartment was escorted home from the clinic. Nothing was seized from her home as a result of the investigative measures.\nDuring the search of the home of a married couple who are believers, the following was seized: a tablet, a 25-year anniversary card, a Bible, and a notebook containing the addresses of relatives.\nLaw enforcement officers came to another woman's home in search of her son. They did not seize anything, but they explained that she would be a witness in this case. The search was led by investigator Aleksandr Prydatko, who had previously initiated a criminal case against five of Jehovah's Witnesses from Balakovo. At the moment, the men are prohibited from certain activities.\nThe city of Balakovo is notorious for attempts to fabricate criminal cases against Jehovah's Witnesses. Back in 2015, believers captured video evidence of banned literature being planted in the building where worship services were held.\nIn June 2022, the European Court reiterated that Article 9 of the European Convention \"protects the right of believers to meet peacefully in order to worship in the manner prescribed by their religion\". (§·267)\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2023-01-20T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/search2_hu_440c23275c0570ec.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/search2_hu_5f4fe6b70ef254c8.jpg","webp":"/news/common/search2_hu_a766f65006d205a5.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/search2_hu_e1bb8bd969166515.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/02/080852.html","regions":["saratov"],"subtitle":"Previously, Security Forces Planted Banned Publications in Order to Incriminate Local Believer","tags":["elderly","search","fabrications","prohibition-of-actions"],"title":"In the City of Balakovo, New Searches Were Carried Out at the Homes of Jehovah's Witnesses.","type":"news"},{"body":"At the court session, the appeals of lawyers against the decision of the Novocherkassk City Court of the Rostov Region to extend the period of detention of Lyubov Galitsyna in the pre-trial detention center are considered.\nThe defense emphasizes the fact of a procedural violation: the decision to prosecute as an accused was made by the investigator in the absence of authority. Points to the inaction of the investigator: \"In the Rostov region, under this article, this is the only case when a 66-year-old woman is in custody. This is an excessively harsh measure of restraint.\" Focuses the court's attention on the serious chronic illnesses of the accused and on the fact that the investigator unreasonably refused to satisfy the petition for the appointment of a medical examination to establish the state of health.\nLyubov Galitsina in her speech draws attention to the fact that she never had any intention to hide, because, after returning from vacation, she personally appeared before the investigator for interrogation. She also says that she has no desire or ability to put pressure on witnesses in the case, since she does not know them. The believer explains that in the pre-trial detention center her health is deteriorating greatly, her eyesight and hearing are falling, and her chronic diseases such as diabetes mellitus and hypertension have worsened.\nThe court rejects the appeals, but excludes the word \"inclusive\" from the operative part of the decision to detain the accused until February 10, 2023.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yeritsyan and Others in Novocherkassk","date":"2023-01-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocherkassk.html#20230118","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["appeal","sizo","elderly","medical-rights"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On January 11, 2022, the Seventh Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Chelyabinsk overturned the appeal ruling against Lyudmila Salikova. An appeal against a verdict for the faith of a veteran of the nuclear industry and a veteran of labor will be considered by a different composition of the Court of Appeal.\n“If the courts had correctly applied the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, they would have acquitted me,” Lyudmila told the court of cassation. “For communicating, reading and studying the Bible with my fellow believers, singing songs, praying, as well as telling others about my Bible-based beliefs, the investigation charged me with a crime.”\nHere is how Lyudmila Salikova commented on the decisions of the courts against her and hundreds of other Jehovah's Witnesses, including the disabled and the elderly: “This criminal case is part of a large-scale campaign to suppress [followers of this religion] and has an ulterior motive – to silence me and my fellow believers, or for us to renounce our faith, and to punish me for my religious beliefs and openly expressing them.”\nIn a recent decision, the European Court reminded that convictions for extremism must be based “only on religious expressions and actions that contain or call for violence, hatred or discrimination” (§ 271). Despite this, the Russian authorities continue to persecute Jehovah's Witnesses for peaceful worship and discussions about the Bible.\n","category":"trial","date":"2023-01-11T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/01/120936/image_hu_4664ef0004f42986.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/01/120936/image_hu_a1c386cbf8cbf3c4.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/01/120936/image_hu_6916124e8831b7cc.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/01/120936/image_hu_cdab06cac1b71c01.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/01/120936.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["elderly","cassation","282.2-1"],"title":"Cassation Sent the Case of 71-year-old Lyudmila Salikova, for a New Appeal","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 21, 2022, the Primorye Territory Court partially granted the appeal of Galina Kobeleva, freeing her from paying court costs. The verdict—6-year suspended sentence—entered into force, but can be appealed to the court of cassation.\nTwo months earlier, the Lesozavodsky District Court found Kobeleva guilty of organizing the activity of an extremist organization. “The court unreasonably considered it a crime that I peacefully practised the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses together with other persons,” the believer explained in her appeal.\nGalina insists on her complete innocence. At the appeal hearing, she stated: “In my statements in the court of first instance, I repeatedly mentioned that the prosecution confuses the exercise of my rights as a believer with the activity of a local religious organization. In fact, I was condemned because I am a Jehovah's Witness, that I go to people and talk about the importance of knowing both the actual name of God and who is behind it”.\nThe Primorye Territory Court had earlier approved the convictions of 14 Jehovah's Witnesses. Another 6 cases against 23 believers are pending in the district courts of Primorye Territory.\nThe European Court has condemned the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. In the decision it was reiterated that “in order to fulfill their duty to protect the right to freedom of religion in democratic societies in which several religions coexist within the same population, States have an obligation, in a neutral and impartial manner, to ensure the practice of different religions, beliefs and convictions” (§185).\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-12-21T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/12/221429/image_hu_ff3768610c506c0c.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/12/221429/image_hu_2f1fad760b05428b.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/12/221429/image_hu_576fe4f056d5c12f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/12/221429/image_hu_9cf2f74e1978d98d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/12/221429.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":"The 66-year-old Believer Was Given a 6-Year Suspended Sentence","tags":["282.2-1","appeal","suspended","elderly"],"title":"An Appeal in Vladivostok Upheld the Conviction of Galina Kobeleva. ","type":"news"},{"body":"The Judicial Board for Criminal Cases of the Supreme Court of Russia will deal with the direct consequences of the decision of the Supreme Court in 2017 to liquidate all organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia and ban their activity.\nOn December 15, 2022, three residents of Kamchatka, who are Jehovah's Witnesses, will appear before the Criminal Board of the Supreme Court of Russia. A couple, who are both teachers, and a pensioner were found guilty of participation in the activity of a banned organization, but were acquitted by the Kamchatka Territory Court. The prosecutor's office has already filed a second cassation appeal against the acquittal.\nThe case against Konstantin and Snezhana Bazhenov and their friend Vera Zolotova (born in 1946) was initiated in 2018. After several rounds of hearings in the courts of the first, appeal and cassation instances, the Kamchatka Territory Court acquitted them in January 2022, which is a rarity against the backdrop of guilty verdicts (2 acquittals against 147 guilty verdicts). After the ban on the activity of organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses in 2017, Russian courts sentenced 88 believers to punishment in a penal colony, gave 147 believers a suspended sentence, and 28 believers a large fine under articles on organizing and participating in the activity of a banned organization. Only 6 believers were acquitted (the case of Pryanikov and others in Karpinsk and the case of the Bazhenovs and others in Yelizovo).\nThe prosecution of the Bazhenovs and Zolotova began when, in August 2018, all three spent two days each in a detention center and their homes were searched. They were charged with organizing the activity of a banned organization (part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). Pretrial detention was imposed on Konstantin Bazhenov but later he, as well as the women, were required to sign a recognizance agreement. A year later, in August 2019, the deputy prosecutor of the city of Yelizovo signed the indictment.\nIn October 2019, the Yelizovskiy District Court of the Kamchatka Territory started hearings but soon returned the case to the prosecutor for the elimination of violations, also pointing out the lack of distinction between lawful practice of religion and the continuation of the activity of a banned organization. The state prosecution succeeded in overturning the decision to return the case to the prosecutor. In March 2020, the judge of the Yelizovskiy District Court started the trial and announced his verdict in September of that year, after 11 hearings. He found the three believers guilty, not of organizing, but of participating in the activity of a banned organization (part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) and gave each a 2-year suspended sentence with a 3-year probation period. In November 2020, the Kamchatka Territory Court upheld the verdict on appeal.\nThe believers did not admit guilt and filed an appeal with the court of cassation. A year later, in November 2021, the Ninth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Vladivostok overturned the decision of the court of appeal and sent the case for a new appeal hearing to the Kamchatka Territory Court. In its cassation ruling the Court referred to the 28 October 2021 Resolution of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, which clarified that meetings for worship and joint ceremonies by themselves do not constitute a crime under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\nOn January 18, 2022, the Kamchatka Territory Court, during a second appeal, overturned the verdict of the Yelizovsky District Court, rendered in September 2020, and pronounced an acquittal, which became effective immediately. On June 10, 2022, the Ninth Court of Cassation rejected the prosecutor's request to overturn the acquittal verdict. On September 30, 2022, Igor Tkachev, Deputy Prosecutor General of Russia, appealed to the Supreme Court of Russia asking to overturn the acquittal verdict and requesting that the case be sent for a new appellate consideration.\nThe believers appealed to the European Court of Human Rights regarding the decision to ban their organizations. In December 2018, when dozens of Jehovah's Witnesses had already been thrown behind bars, Mikhail Galperin, Deputy Minister of Justice of the Russian Federation, commented in an official response to the appeal: “The Russian authorities emphasize that the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of 20 April 2017 and the appellate determination of the Appellate Chamber of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of 17 July 2017 do not assess the teaching of Jehovah's Witnesses or contain any restrictions or prohibitions on the individual exercise of the above-mentioned teaching.” Finally, in June 2022, in the judgment in the case of LRO Taganrog and Others v. Russia (32401/10), the European Court declared the liquidation of the administrative center and also 395 legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, banning their activities and seizing property and banning printed publications and the official website illegal; the Court also ruled to stop criminal prosecution of believers and to release prisoners. However, a few days later the enforcement of the ECHR ruling was discontinued in the Russian Federation.\n","category":"trial","date":"2022-12-12T16:11:36+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/12/121611/image_hu_acedf5e8582d9179.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/12/121611/image_hu_68becfe46d4e6ca2.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/12/121611/image_hu_5bdff9fd5d515618.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/12/121611/image_hu_c777b502896afbd5.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/12/121611.html","regions":["kamchatka","moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["elderly","families","acquittal","complaints","282.2-2"],"title":"Prosecutor's Office has Reached the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, Seeking to Overturn a Rare Acquittal of Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"Mikhail Yermakov, addressing the court, said that sentencing a fair verdict is not an easy task, but he hopes for the impartiality of the judge. \"All my actions have nothing to do with the alleged crime, but are only the realization of my rights to religious life,\" the believer stressed.\n","date":"2022-12-12T09:55:17+02:00","permalink":"/en/docs/963.html","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Mikhail Yermakov in Alatyr","type":"docs"},{"body":"In her final statement, the believer emphasized that Jehovah's Witnesses are politically neutral and respect state authority: \"Jesus assured Pilate that his kingdom did not pose a threat to his rule. And today's Jehovah's Witnesses do not pose any threat to the government.\"\n","date":"2022-12-12T09:53:13+02:00","permalink":"/en/docs/962.html","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Nina Martynova in Alatyr","type":"docs"},{"body":"Alexander Seredkin gives his last word. He says: \"The indictment states that there are no victims in this case. But I do not agree with this statement. There are victims in this case - my wife and I.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Seredkin in Novosibirsk","date":"2022-11-15T15:57:36+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk7.html#20221115","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["final-statement","sentence","282.2-1","liberty-deprivation","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Addressing the court, the 68-year-old believer said: \"I am sure that all these accusations of extremism against Jehovah's Witnesses are a monstrous mistake. My co-religionists and I have never harbored criminal thoughts, we have no goals to overthrow the government or oppose it.\"\n","date":"2022-11-15T14:32:21+02:00","permalink":"/en/docs/232.html","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Alexander Seredkin in Novosibirsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"On November 10, 2022, the Vologda Regional Court reviewed the sentence imposed on Nikolay Stepanov for conducting religious meetings. Four years in a penal colony were replaced with a suspended sentence. Another person involved in the case is Yuriy Baranov. His 4-year suspended sentence remains unchanged.\nIn December 2019, when a massive raid of the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in Vologda was conducted, Stepanov and Baranov became targets of criminal prosecution. On September 5, 2022, the court of first instance issued a guilty verdict, which the believers appealed.\nDuring the preliminary investigation, Nikolay Stepanov spent 8 months in a detention center. After the verdict of the court of first instance was announced, the believer was again placed in detention, where he participated in the appeal hearings via video conference. According to Nikolay's lawyer, for some time the peaceful believer was held in custody together with criminal gang leaders and with a man who is on trial for murder. Stepanov should be released soon.\nUpdate. Later that day, Nikolay Stepanov was released from detention. His family and friends were waiting for him outside. Stepanov Nikolay with his wife Alla Stepanov Nikolay with his wife Alla, son Vyacheslav and friends against the background of SIZO-2 in Vologda after their release on November 10, 2022 Yuriy Baranov spent 3 months under house arrest. Now that he has a suspended sentence, he is under a recognizance agreement.\nYaroslav Sivulskiy, a representative of the European Association of Jehovah’s Witnesses, commented on the situation: “Despite the seemingly lenient sentence imposed by the court of appeal, the believers were still found guilty of extremism, even though they did not commit any crimes. They simply did what the early Christians did—they discussed the Holy Scriptures and prayed together. The verdict has entered into force, but Nikolay and Yuriy have the right to appeal it in cassation and international courts.”\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-11-10T16:36:09+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/11/101636/image_hu_1c900a563e114765.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/11/101636/image_hu_6c2a2feaba62fc90.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/11/101636/image_hu_1bb9130c68226c70.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/11/101636/image_hu_a32c49a5b4f722e5.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/11/101636.html","regions":["vologda"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","mitigation","suspended","282.2-1","elderly"],"title":"An Appeal in the Vologda Region Resulted in a More Lenient Sentence for One of the Convicted Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 8, 2022, the Ninth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Vladivostok confirmed the conviction of five believers from Nevelsk — their suspended sentences of two to six-and-a-half years remain unchanged.\nIn January 2022, the Nevelsk City Court of the Sakhalin Region found Sergey and Tatyana Kulakov, Vyacheslav Ivanov, Aleksandr Kozlitin and Yevgeniy Yelin guilty of either organizing or participating in the activity of an extremist organization. Three months later, the Sakhalin Regional Court dismissed the believers' appeal against the verdict.\nThe fact that the criminal prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses continues contrary to Russian law, causes bewilderment and misunderstanding among the international human rights community.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-11-08T16:42:57+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/11/081642/image_hu_46d0f47092eccbed.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/11/081642/image_hu_ad1fb1d7573007da.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/11/081642/image_hu_394fb1e9487f1a2b.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/11/081642/image_hu_4aaf4422017ea0d7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/11/081642.html","regions":["sakhalin"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["cassation","suspended","families","282.2-1","282.2-2","elderly"],"title":"The Court of Cassation Upheld the Verdict Against Five Jehovah's Witnesses from Nevelsk","type":"news"},{"body":"On 20 October 2022 searches were again carried out in Maykop at least three addresses of Jehovah's Witnesses. Nikolay Voishchev, 67, was arrested and a criminal case was opened against him.\nEarly in the morning employees of the Investigative Committee and FSB, witnesses and IT-specialist came to the believers with a search. They seized cell phones, electronic devices, and hard drives with personal photos and documents. The law enforcers behaved correctly.\nThree believers were taken to the investigative committee of Maikop for questioning, after which two were released and Nikolai Voishchev was placed in temporary detention isolation ward. Soon, the court will choose a measure of restraint for him.\nUpdate. The next day, October 21, the court placed the believer in a pre-trial detention center for 2 months. You can write letters to him, with the following address on an envelope: «Voishchev Nikolay Pavlovich, born 1955, SIZO No. 2 in the Republic of Adygeya, ul. Lenina, 28, p. Tlyustenkhabl , Teuchezhskiy district, Republic of Adygeya, Russia, 385228». Letters of support can be sent by regular mail. They should not discuss topics related to criminal prosecution; letters in languages other than Russian are not allowed. In Maykop, three more Jehovah's Witnesses are charged with practicing their religion. Two of them, Nikolai Saparov and Inver Siyukhov,, are already defending their beliefs in court. They are being held in pre-trial detention.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2022-10-20T16:52:11+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/10/211652/image_hu_3589f18215641e03.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/10/211652/image_hu_c2f6b56ae8a2a8dc.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/10/211652/image_hu_5eb42f689b40b34f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/10/211652/image_hu_85574c51563a9e79.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/10/211652.html","regions":["adygea"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["elderly","282.2-1","interrogation","search","new-case","ivs"],"title":"One of Jehovah's Witnesses, 67, detained in Maykop","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 20, 2022, the judge of the Lesozavodskiy District Court of the Primorye Territory Sergey Galayuda found Galina Kobeleva guilty of organizing the activities of an extremist organization only because of her religion and sentenced her to 6 years suspended sentemce—this is exactly the punishment requested by the prosecutor.\nIn court, the believer said, “I still insist that I did not commit any crime. My religious activity was not a continuation of the activities of a liquidated legal entity, but a way of confessing my faith.” The verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed.\nOn May 12, 2020, a wave of searches took place in the city of Lesozavodsk, as a result of which four Jehovah's Witnesses—Yevgeniy Grinenko, Svetlana Efremova, Galina Kobeleva, and her son Sergei—became defendants in a criminal case for their faith. In August 2021, due to Galina's illness, her case was separated into a separate proceeding. According to the investigation, the believer was guilty of “assisting Y. A. Grinenko in organizing meetings of the LRO [local religious organization] of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Lesozavodsk, acting as a coordinator.” Galina Kobeleva was included in the list of terrorists and extremists of Rosfinmonitoring, which made it difficult for her to get a livelihood.\nIn total, the Investigative Committee investigated the case for a year and five months, and in October 2021 it went to court. The hearings went on for almost a year. The accusation was largely based on the testimony of an infiltrated FSB agent, Vladislav Mrachko, who asked Galina to study the Bible with him, and also repeatedly expressed a desire to attend divine services. One of the security officials, detective Severin, stated in court that the reason for the operational actions against Kobeleva was her involvement in the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nIn addition, the conducted psychological-linguistic-religious examination was not objective. For example, Galina's everyday conversation about a meeting with a person at a store and a bus schedule was interpreted by experts as a discussion of \"issues related to attending meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses held in small groups at different times in different districts of Lesozavodsk.\" In addition, the conclusion gave a legal assessment of the actions of Kobeleva, and this is exclusively within the competence of the court. 20 witnesses also refuted the charges brought against Galina Kobeleva. However, the court convicted the believer.\nIn Primorye, 41 Jehovah's Witnesses have already been prosecuted, 13 of them have been sentenced to suspended sentences for their religion.\nThe European Court of Human Rights considered the persecution of believers to be unjust, and all the persecution of the followers of this religion deployed in Russia was groundless.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-10-20T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/10/210939/image_hu_103b262012e98f49.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/10/210939/image_hu_16f6b5cd0da85bd5.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/10/210939/image_hu_1902fa02f2d846c5.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/10/210939/image_hu_801083ebb1693c06.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/10/210939.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["282.2-1","suspended","sentence","elderly","families","rosfinmonitoring"],"title":"In Primorye, Galina Kobeleva, 66, Received a Six-Year Suspended Sentence for Practicing the Religion of Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"On 18 October 2022 the Ninth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Vladivostok considered the appeal of Sergey Sergeyev and Yuriy Belosludtsev against their sentence. The judicial board disregarded their right to freedom of religion and upheld the decision of the first instance.\nAddressing the court of cassation, Yuriy Belosludtsev said: “I am an ordinary believer, and my actions, which were regarded as criminal by the court of first instance, are reading the Bible, singing songs, praying, and also talking on biblical topics. But these cases are ordinary cases for any believer, and they are protected by Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation”.\nSergey Sergeyev noted: “I am a Christian and have never hated anyone and do not now. My beliefs are based on the commandments of God, on norms, principles, love and justice . . . Therefore, for me, being an extremist and a terrorist is simply unthinkable”.\nBelosludtsev and Sergeyev still do not admit their guilt and believe that the charge of extremism brought against them does not correspond to reality, as they exercised their right to freedom of religion and continued to worship Jehovah God, they did not commit any illegal actions.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-10-18T16:20:06+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/10/211620/image_hu_9a4d428cec9c3f7b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/10/211620/image_hu_286e94c912fc09d2.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/10/211620/image_hu_501543f1c9eac58.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/10/211620/image_hu_472954739b0887db.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/10/211620.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["elderly","cassation","282.2-1.1","282.2-2","suspended"],"title":"The Court of Cassation Upheld the Conviction of Sergey Sergeyev and Yuriy Belosludtsev - Six Years of Suspended Sentence for Believing in God","type":"news"},{"body":"Dear court!\nDespite the formidable wording of the charges, in my final statement I want to remind you of the specific actions for which the public prosecutor asks me to be found guilty and convicted. They ask me to be recognized as an extremist only because I talked about the Bible with citizen Mrachko V.Y. and also for the fact that I profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. If we assume that I would profess a different religion, for example, Orthodoxy, then my conversations about the Bible with citizen Mrachko V.Y. the prosecution would consider legitimate. And the whole accusation was built on this erroneous judgment. Throughout the trial, I pondered the question: How do I, as one of Jehovah's Witnesses, differ from representatives of other religions? And why am I forbidden to do what others are allowed to do?\nBeing present at court hearings, I repeatedly heard the question: \"What is the difference between the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses and other religions?\" In fact, there are many differences. But today I will talk about two of them, especially since they explain why I came to Mrachko V.Y. and talked with him, referring to the Bible.\nThe first difference. The Bible is a reference point in the worship of God for Jehovah's Witnesses. In John chapter 17, verse 17, Jesus Christ said to God, \"Your word is truth.\" The truth is in God's Word, the Bible. Therefore, in the worship of God and in life, it is necessary to adhere to what is written in the Bible. Let me give you an example. One of the commandments recorded in Exodus 20 chapter 4 and verse 5 reads: \"Thou shalt not make unto thee an idol, nor any image of that which is in heaven above, nor that which is on the earth below, nor that which is in the water below the earth. Thou shalt not worship them or serve them, for I am the Lord thy God, a jealous God...\" Jehovah's Witnesses follow this instruction and do not worship any images, especially since Psalm 113:11-16 says: \"Our God is in heaven, doing whatever he wants. And their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands. They have mouths, but they do not speak; they have eyes, but they do not see; They have ears, but they do not hear; they have nostrils, but do not smell; They have hands, but they do not touch; they have legs, but they do not walk; and they do not utter voices with their larynx. Let those who do them be like them, and all who hope in them.\" It turns out that the worship of images is useless, since images are not seen, not heard and, of course, cannot help. And in Isaiah 44 chapters 9 to 20, verses about images also say that they are useless and that the person who worships them is deceiving himself: \"He is chasing dust, a deceived heart has led him astray, and he cannot free his soul and say, 'Is there not a deception in my right hand?'\" Taking into account all these scriptures from the Bible, it is impossible not to notice God's point of view on the question of whether or not images should be used in the worship of God. But some religions ignore this truth, replacing it with human commandments and traditions. If we worship God as the Bible teaches, and try to follow what is written in it, it brings great joy to God, and God's approval to us.\nThe Bible is the Constitution of God's kingdom and the standard of truth authored by God (2 Timothy 3:16,17). And therefore, no parliament in the world can change it even by a majority vote. And since it is written for all people on earth, this is why Jehovah's Witnesses try to worship God and live as God wants it and as it is written in his Word, the Bible.\nThe second difference. Jehovah's Witnesses, like first-century Christians, tell others what Jesus taught. According to the Gospel of Matthew 28 chapter 19, 20 verses, Jesus gave his disciples an important task: \"Go and make disciples of all nations... Teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you...\" The first Christians themselves went to the people and preached in the square, in the market and in private homes. Today, Jehovah's Witnesses also preach Bible truth wherever there are people and even here in court. Why do they do this? They love their neighbors, that is, all people, and therefore spare no time and effort to bring the Bible's message of hope and comfort. After all, everyone knows that a firm, well-founded hope gives strength to cope with difficulties and look to the future with joy. And this is so necessary for people now! And if Jesus said to preach, then I want to be obedient and act like the first Christians. That is why I came to Mrachko V. Y. and offered to learn about God from the Bible. First-century Christians were not extremists, and I, as one of Jehovah's Witnesses, did not do anything extremist. After all, being one of Jehovah's Witnesses is not a crime!\nJehovah's Witnesses have lived in Russia for more than 100 years. And for most of this time, they practice their faith without those LRO (local religious organizations) - legal entities that appeared in the late 1990s and lasted less than 20 years. In 2017, these legal entities were liquidated. And what is the result? The rights of ordinary citizens to freedom of religion, which are enshrined in Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation and which they used before the appearance of LRO legal entities, began to be violated. And I would very much like the rights referred to in the Constitution of the Russian Federation to apply to all citizens of the Russian Federation and not act selectively.\nWhy are Jehovah's Witnesses persecuted? The answer can be found in the Bible. The apostle Paul wrote in a letter to Timothy: \"And all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus (i.e., faithfully serve God) will be persecuted\" (2 Timothy 3:12). Jehovah's Witnesses lead a highly moral way of life: they do not smoke, do not swear, do not abuse alcohol, they have strong families, without adultery, respect any authority, and maintain Christian neutrality in matters of politics. Since this way of life is very disliked by God's enemy, the Devil, who, according to the Bible, rules the whole world, so Jehovah's Witnesses suffer persecution.\nEverything that is happening to me now in this court session has actually already happened in the history of our state. Thus, in April 1951, a campaign against Jehovah's Witnesses was carefully planned in the USSR, which was called \"Operation North\". Jehovah's Witnesses at that time, as well as I am now, were accused of undermining the state system. About 10,000 Jehovah's Witnesses were forcibly exiled to Siberia without the right to return. Their houses and possessions were confiscated, and some were even deprived of their lives for believing in God, which did not fit into the framework of Soviet ideology. But none of them hated people in general, or even their persecutors. They remained Christians and law-abiding citizens. Jehovah's Witnesses worked honestly on collective farms and industrial enterprises, and did not pose any threat to Soviet power. Also today, I comply with the laws of our country, do not undermine security and do not threaten the integrity of our state, and even more so - the constitutional order. How can I even do this, since everything I am accused of contradicts what my God Jehovah teaches me? Just as Jehovah's Witnesses were persecuted in the Soviet Union, unfortunately, this is still happening. But pay attention, dear court, in the early 1990s, Russia recognized the fallacy and illegality of the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses. The affected Jehovah's Witnesses were recognized as victims of political repression and fully rehabilitated.\nYour honor! One name was often heard here - Jehovah. Jehovah is the personal name of the Most High God, and in the Bible, in most translations, it occurs in at least one place where it says: \"The Lord is a man of battle, Jehovah is his name\" (Exodus 15 chapter 3 verse). I am in the courtroom today practically for the fact that I am associated with this name, I am one of Jehovah's Witnesses. But I declare with all responsibility that it did not even occur to me what I am accused of as a criminal. As one of Jehovah's Witnesses, I always try to live and act in a way that does not defame the holy name of God.\nMy faith in God means a lot to me. Until 1994, I knew nothing about Jehovah's Witnesses. But I began to think about the meaning of life from a young age, as I saw how hard life is and that the end result of all this little joyful life is the grave. Of course, I didn't like it and always wanted there to be another, more positive way out. So when Jehovah's Witnesses offered me a study of the Bible, I agreed, hoping to find a logical and satisfying answer to this question. Why in the Bible? I had heard a lot about this book as wise and authoritative, and later, when studying it, I became convinced of this, having received evidence that it contained the wisdom of God, and not of men. At that time, I was already disappointed in the contradictory human wisdom regarding the meaning of life, seeing how much grief and injustice in my life, and throughout the world. And I intuitively, unconsciously, sought wisdom and guidance for my life from above. And Jehovah God heard me and sent his servants, Jehovah's Witnesses, to help me understand his letter, the Bible. It turned out that this guide to a happy life was given by God a long time ago, and I did not know. How glad I was to receive an answer not only to the question: what is the meaning of life, but also to many others. Studying the Bible with Jehovah's Witnesses, I began to understand what the name Jehovah means and why only the Most High God can bear this name, why people suffer and die, what happens to the dead, what the future holds for people, why the Bible and God can be trusted, and much more. With this accurate Bible knowledge, my faith in Jehovah God and his promises to make the whole earth a paradise was strengthened. This belief of mine was based not on the hypotheses and theories of imperfect people who are prone to error, but on the truth of God's Word, the Bible, authored by God himself. This knowledge from the Bible gave me confidence and joy in life, gave me a firm, reasonable hope for a happy future without disease, old age and death. I have also made many true, loving friends who will never intentionally let me down or betray me. I also experienced the words recorded in James 4:8: \"Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you...\" I became convinced that it is possible to have the same intimate relationship with God as with a good friend. I also saw evidence that Jehovah is the living God, and that he is always there for those who reach out to him.\nOn the basis of my Bible knowledge of God, his attributes, and his purpose for the earth and mankind, and the evidence that the Bible is a book from God and can be trusted, I have made a deliberate decision to dedicate my life not to any organization, person, or cause, but to the one who gave me this life, Jehovah God, promising him to serve and live in accordance with his will and standards. Which is what he expects from everyone. And for this I needed to change and, as I learned from the Bible, you need to start with thinking. Paul's Epistle to the Ephesians 4:22-24 says, \"Put aside the old way of life of the old man, decaying in seductive lusts, And be renewed in the spirit of your mind And put on the new man, created according to God, in the righteousness and holiness of the truth.\" The fact that all our actions are preceded by thought was confirmed by Jesus Christ, who said: \"But that which proceedeth from the mouth proceedeth from the heart; This defiles man, For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery ... theft, perjury, blasphemy: it defiles a man...\" (Matthew 15:18–20)\nYour honor! I realized for myself that in order to please God and live in harmony with his standards and, accordingly, experience his blessings, I need to change my thinking. But how? In Philippians 4:8, the apostle Paul said, \"Finally, my brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honest, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is kind, whatever is glorious, whatever is only virtue and praise, think of it.\" It turns out that I had to fill my mind not only with everyday thoughts (home, work, garden, etc.), but also with useful thoughts from the Bible for spiritual development. Therefore, I decided for myself to read and meditate on the Bible daily, regularly attend services where we study the Bible, and share this Bible knowledge with others. Thanks to this, I learn to love people. To love even those who are hostile to me. This is not easy, but it is possible for everyone, because Jesus Christ said, \"Love your enemies\" (Matthew 5:44). The Bible teaches me to endure evil and not to speak offensively of anyone. And the more I read about it and think about it, the stronger the motivation to do good to all people.\nJehovah's Witnesses do good to people when they preach the good (or joyful) news from the Bible. It can be said that preaching is the calling card of Jehovah's Witnesses, as they fulfill the task of Jesus Christ throughout the world: \"And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world, as a witness to all nations; and then the end shall come\" (Matthew 24:14). Why can it be said that Jesus Christ gave this assignment not only to Christians in the first century, when he lived, but also to us? Because Jesus said, \"And then the end will come.\" So, at the end of this system of things, someone will preach the good news. According to biblical prophecies that are being fulfilled before our eyes, we live in these days. But how is it to be preached?\nSome of Jesus' instructions are recorded in Matthew 10:12–14: \"As you enter the house, greet those who are in it. If the house is worthy, let the world you wish for it come to it, and if it is unworthy, let your peace return to you. If somewhere you will not be accepted and will not be listened to, then, leaving that house or city, shake the dust off your feet. A clear and explicit instruction to talk to people from house to house about the good news, which is what I tried to do. But not for the purpose of involvement, as I am accused, but to bring this message to those who are interested. And Jehovah God \"attracts\" people. This is also what Jesus said in John 6:44: \"No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him...\" It is absolutely certain that it was not Jesus, not Jehovah, who did not authorize me to \"attract\" or \"involve\" someone. My goal is to witness to people and help those who want to learn about Jehovah God, remembering that everyone makes their own choices consciously and independently.\nTalking to people on biblical topics, reading and distributing religious literature, attending worship services, singing songs, praying - this is all a way of expressing my faith in God and worshiping him, and not an action prohibited by the LRO of Lesozavodsk. And I can't imagine how this peaceful worship of God can shake the constitutional order of the Russian Federation and be dangerous to others and to society as a whole. By reading the Bible and attending worship services, on the contrary, I learn to respect the authorities and their laws.\nI am also accused of being dangerous to the state and society, as I claimed that my religion was true. I would very much like to see a believer of any denomination who would declare that his religion is not true. Absurd! Everyone considers what they believe to be true.\nAll over the world, Jehovah's Witnesses are known as peace-loving people who have nothing to do with extremism. We follow the biblical counsel to respect \"all kinds of people,\" regardless of their religious beliefs (1 Peter 2:17). Jehovah's Witnesses have nothing to do with violence, do not take up arms, and follow the command recorded in Isaiah 2:4: \"... And they will hammer their swords into plowshares, and their spears into sickles: the people will not raise a sword against the people, and they will no longer learn to fight. For Jehovah's Witnesses, an intimate relationship with God and a desire not to grieve him are so important that they are ready to end up in prison rather than take up arms. This command of God to \"not learn to fight\" is so important to Jehovah's Witnesses that parents do not buy their children war toys (tanks, pistols, etc.) so that children do not learn to fight from childhood.\nI'm far from a perfect person. I have mistakes and mistakes in life, like all people, because we are all imperfect. But all of them are incommensurable with what I am accused of today. Perhaps not everyone likes what I believe in and how I express my views and beliefs. And someone fundamentally disagrees with me. But if you think that someone does something differently than many people, not in the way that is customary for others, but at the same time without breaking the laws, without harming anyone, will he be judged for this as a criminal and an extremist? Hardly. And today they judge and want to brand me with this word only because I believe in Jehovah God, pray to him and am a believing Jehovah's Witness. It is very sad if this happens.\nIn conclusion, I would like to thank you, Your Honor, the distinguished State Prosecutor and the Registrar for your hard work. Nowadays, being impartial and honest is really not easy. Special thanks to my defender Galina Vladimirovna for her caring attitude to her work.\nYour honor! My conscience is clear. I did not commit any crime either before people, or before the state, or before God. Therefore, hoping for your impartiality, I ask you to acquit me.\nYours sincerely,\nDefendant Kobeleva G. A.\n","date":"2022-10-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/217.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of Galina Alekseevna Kobeleva","type":"docs"},{"body":"On October 6, 2022, in the village of Yaroslavskiy (Primorye Territory), searches were carried out at 12 addresses of those whom the investigation considers to be Jehovah's Witnesses. Two believers—Boris Andreyev, 70, and Nataliya Sharapova, 49,—were detained. The next day, the court sent them to a pre-trial detention center.\nAccording to preliminary information, Andreyev is suspected of organizing the activities of a banned organization (part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation), and Sharapova of involvement in this activity (part 1.1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).\nIt is known that they will spend at least 22 days in a pre-trial detention center. Some believers, including the elderly, were seized phones by law enforcement officers. After the searches, several people were interrogated.\nUpdate. It became known that on October 12, another believer from the village of Yaroslavskiy, Anatoliy Lee, 37, was arrested. He spent a day in a temporary detention center located in the neighboring village of Khorol, after which the court ruled to send him to a pre-trial detention center until October 28, 2022. Lee is another person involved in the criminal case initiated against Boris Andreyev and Nataliya Sharapova. This is already the 17th criminal case for faith in Primorye Territory. Twelve Jehovah's Witnesses from the region have been convicted.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2022-10-06T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/handcuffs4_hu_6200a25980b6bbda.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/handcuffs4_hu_a08c3e9dbab91e95.jpg","webp":"/news/common/handcuffs4_hu_eb8956bd0efdb645.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/handcuffs4_hu_6fd28add97a300a1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/10/101633.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","search","elderly","282.2-1","282.2-1.1"],"title":"The Court Placed a Man and a Woman in a Pre-Trial Detention Center After a Wave of Searches at Believers in Primorye Territory","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 26, 2022, the Primorye Territory Court, having considered the appeal of six believers, upheld the guilty verdict. The decision of the court entered into force. Believers continue to insist on their innocence and can appeal the verdict in cassation.\nIn June 2022, the Leninskiy District Court of Vladivostok sentenced Valentin Osadchuk to 6 years of suspended sentence and 1 year of restriction of liberty. Five elderly women—Nadezhda Anoykina, Nina Purge, Raisa Usanova, Lyubov Galaktionova and Nailya Kogay—received 2 years of suspended sentence and 9 months of restriction of freedom.\nLitigation began in October 2019, when the believers' case first came to the Leninskiy District Court. At the request of the defense, a month later the court returned the case to the prosecutor's office. The prosecution repeatedly tried to appeal this decision, and in January 2021, the Ninth Cassation Court of General Jurisdiction nevertheless decided to return the case for consideration to the court of first instance, which ultimately convicted the peaceful believers.\nIn Primorye Territory, 12 Jehovah's Witnesses have already been convicted for peacefully practicing their faith. For six of them, the sentence has already entered into force.\nThe Supreme Court of the Russian Federationdid not prohibit Jehovah's Witnesses from discussing biblical issues in the circle of fellow believers or other persons and thus performing worship services. This constitutional right is reserved for every citizen of the country, however, more than 640 Jehovah's Witnesses in 71 regions of Russia have already become defendants in criminal cases for their faith.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-09-26T16:22:46+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/09/261622/image_hu_56d621276df00dc4.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/09/261622/image_hu_d18149093ec94cea.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/09/261622/image_hu_6364fbea0a3e6ebd.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/09/261622/image_hu_ea3f4241f1a109.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/09/261622.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","suspended","282.2-1","282.2-2","elderly"],"title":"Appeal in Vladivostok Approves Sentencing of Valentin Osadchuk and Five Women to Suspended Sentences for Believing in Jehovah God","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 5, 2022, Vologda City Court Judge Yelena Golovanova found Nikolay Stepanov and Yuriy Baranov guilty of organizing the activities of an extremist organization and handed the believers a four-year prison and four-year suspended sentence respectively. Stepanov was taken into custody in the courtroom.\nThe trial went on for over six months. Although there is not a single victim in the case, the prosecutor requested 7 years in prison for Nikolay Stepanov, and 7 years suspended sentence for Yuriy Baranov. The verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed. The men insist on their complete innocence.\nIn December 2019, massive searches were carried out in the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in Vologda, after which Stepanov and Baranov were detained. For more than two years, the senior investigator of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Investigative Committee for the Vologda Region A. A. Nesterov investigated their case.\nYuriy Baranov was under house arrest for more than 3 months. Under house arrest, the believer lived in a one-room apartment with a disabled mother, 94. Due to the stress of the persecution, Baranov's heart problems worsened and he was hospitalized. In view of his weakened health, investigator Nesterov released Yuriy uder recognizance agreement. Addressing the court with the last word, the believer noted: “The manifestation of enmity, violence and hatred is incompatible with my views. I respect representatives of other religions and nationalities. I don't understand why I'm accused of a crime. Obviously, the only reason is faith.”\nNikolay Stepanov spent 8 months in a pre-trial detention center, and then a month and a half under house arrest. Stepanov said: \"The most difficult thing was to be in a confined space every day, where everyone smokes.\" In addition, Nikolay was not allowed to see his family—only once was he allowed to call his son. Addressing the court with the last word, Nikolay emphasized: “Jehovah's Witnesses do not take up arms and do not learn to fight, we love all people and do not want to cause harm and suffering to anyone. For this reason, extremism is alien to me.”\nThe defendants said that they were greatly supported by those who came to court hearings and showed interest in the outcome of the case. Nikolay Stepanov added that letters gave him strength, the number of which reached 1150 during his imprisonment. According to fellow believers, Stepanov and Baranov have many friends and are \"always ready to help.\"\nDespite the fact that the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation issued a ruling in defense of the right of Jehovah's Witnesses to hold divine services and joint religious rites and ceremonies, the persecution of believers in the country does not stop.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-09-05T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/09/061424/image_hu_63cbe73e2aef48b3.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/09/061424/image_hu_1026a107c47c56de.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/09/061424/image_hu_a87fc3a0c0dfaf19.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/09/061424/image_hu_600c9985607c8392.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/09/061424.html","regions":["vologda"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["elderly","282.2-1","sentence","suspended","liberty-deprivation","health-risk","letters","disabled"],"title":"Vologda-Based Yuriy Baranov, 70, Was Handed a Four-Year Suspended Sentence, and Nikolay Stepanov, 48, Was Handed a Four-Year Prison Sentence for Their Belief in God","type":"news"},{"body":"In his appeal to the court, the believer stressed that extremism was alien to him: \"The manifestation of enmity, violence and hatred is incompatible with my views. I have respect for representatives of other religions and nationalities.\"\n","date":"2022-09-01T23:38:16+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/295.html","regions":["vologda"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Yuri Baranov in Vologda","type":"docs"},{"body":"Lyubov Galitsyna was chosen as a preventive measure in the form of detention in pre-trial detention center No. 3 in the city of Novocherkassk for 1 month and 25 days. At the courtroom, the believer is greeted with applause by 30 fellow believers who came to support her.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yeritsyan and Others in Novocherkassk","date":"2022-08-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocherkassk.html#20220817","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sizo","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the early morning of August 11, 2022, in Novocherkassk (Rostov region), security forces conducted searches at 10 addresses, after which local believers were interrogated. The court placed two men, Garegin Khachaturyan, 55, and Gevorg Yeritsyan, 35, in pre-trial detention center No. 3 in Novocherkassk for 2 months.\nThis is already the 11th criminal case against Jehovah's Witnesses in the Rostov Region. The news is being added.\nUpdate. It became known that Lyubov Galitsyna, 66, was detained and sent to a pre-trial detention center. Returning from vacation, she found out that she had been summoned for interrogation. Anticipating a possible arrest, the believer took essentials and medicines with her. Senior investigator R. A. Bakhramov charged her under Part 2 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and detained.\nThe Novocherkassk city court decided to send Galitsyna to a pre-trial detention center for 2 months. The woman was led to the courtroom and later to the paddy wagon to the applause of 30 fellow believers who came to support her.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2022-08-11T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/handcuffs_hu_b6ca7f3cd23e85ec.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/handcuffs_hu_f47ea6c9b3e41490.jpg","webp":"/news/common/handcuffs_hu_8bb78431f945f72f.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/handcuffs_hu_edc8ca526712631.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/08/161428.html","regions":["rostov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","search","interrogation","new-case","282.2-2","elderly"],"title":"Searches Were Carried Out at the Homes of Local Jehovah's Witnesses in Novocherkassk. Two Believers Were Placed in a Detention Center","type":"news"},{"body":"On August 10, 2022, the Eighth Court of Cassation in Kemerovo denied Yuriy Savelyev his complaint. A 68-year-old believer from Novosibirsk remains in the penal colony.\nThe decision was made by a panel of judges consisting of Svetlana Zorina and Oksana Lazareva, chaired by Yevgeniy Kolchanov. This is the second consideration of Savelyev's case in the Eighth Court of Cassation.\nEarlier, a prosecutor who did not agree with the additional punishment imposed on the believer filed a cassation appeal against the decision of the Novosibirsk Regional Court. In addition to 6 years in prison, he demanded that the believer be given an additional punishment: to deprive Savelyev of the right to engage in activities related to leadership and participation not only in public, but also in religious organizations for 3 years. Then the cassation returned the case to the stage of appeal, which granted the prosecutor's request. Yuriy Savelyev decided to challenge this verdict, too, by filing a complaint with the Court of Cassation.\nDuring the session in the Court of Cassation, Savelyev managed to have a little video conference call with his friends who came to support him. As it turned out, he had been in a punishment cell for the last 14 days, where he had to spend another 7 days, allegedly because of a violation of the regime. Prior to this, the believer was not given his summer shoes, and only in the middle of summer, after the lawyer turned to the head of the penal colony, the problem was resolved. Despite the difficulties in court, Yuriy Savelyev behaved with dignity and confidently spoke to the judges.\nIn June 2021, while being transferred to a penal colony, Savelyev was already placed in a punishment cell on trumped-up charges. On August 17, the Altai Regional Court will consider the believer's appeal against this penalty.\nOn June 7, 2022, the European Court of Human Rights declared the accusations against Russian Jehovah's Witnesses groundless and awarded them millions of euros in compensation for unfair criminal prosecution.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-08-10T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/08/151420/image_hu_677114f3e131680d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/08/151420/image_hu_6abc3cdbc4444972.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/08/151420/image_hu_96bbaaf5c6e08046.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/08/151420/image_hu_73f9b08f1f05d6bf.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/08/151420.html","regions":["novosibirsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["282.2-1","2-cassation","elderly","shizo"],"title":"An Appeals Court Again Reviewed the Case of Yuriy Savelyev and Upheld the Sentence","type":"news"},{"body":"On August 5, 2022, the judge of the Zelenogorsk City Court of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, Marina Petukhova, found 62-year-old Aleksandr Kabanov guilty of extremist activities and sentenced him to 2 years of suspended sentence.\nAt the end of December 2019, a series of searches were carried out in the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in the closed city of Zelenogorsk. Law enforcement officers interrogated 8 people, among whom were minors. The Investigative Committee of Russia for the Krasnoyarsk Territory and the Republic of Khakassia opened a criminal case against Aleksandr Kabanov, the security forces detained him at his workplace. Later, his home was searched. He was arrested and placed in a temporary detention center for a day. The believer was charged under Part 1 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of the activities of an extremist organization). Later, the article of the charge was mitigated by Part 2 of Art. 282.2 (participation in the activities of an extremist organization).\nAccording to investigators, Kabanov \"organized... the activities of 24 groups of members of the banned organization and supervised their activities,\" which consisted of holding peaceful meetings where believers read and discussed the Bible. The security forces also considered it a crime to talk about God with those who do not share the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nThe investigation went on for 1 year and 2 months, and on February 15, 2021, the case was submitted to the Zelenogorsk City Court of the Krasnoyarsk Territory. After about 10 months of court hearings, instead of announcing the verdict, the court returned the case to the stage of judicial investigation.\nAs emphasized by the defense and Aleksandr Kabanov himself, there is not a single evidence in the case that he caused any harm to anyone. During the court hearings, the secret witness also did not confirm the charges against the defendant. Nevertheless, state prosecutor A.V. Ermakova asked the court to sentence the believer to 2.5 years in prison.\nThe verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-08-05T14:53:09+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/08/051453/image_hu_26c4a8542c89f5ad.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/08/051453/image_hu_c94cb16afaf61287.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/08/051453/image_hu_7102f7adbe39efa1.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/08/051453/image_hu_eb893b3bf2e1006b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/08/051453.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-2","secret-witness","elderly"],"title":"A Court in the Krasnoyarsk Territory Sentenced one of Jehovah's Witnesses, Aleksandr Kabanov, to a Suspended Sentence for Discussing the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"Lyubov Serebryakova is being prosecuted as a defendant in violation of Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation in the activities of an extremist organization). The woman is accused of attending services of Jehovah's Witnesses and telling other people about her faith.\nThe believer is again interrogated and a preventive measure is chosen for her in the form of a recognizance not to leave and proper behavior.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Serebryakova in Novokuznetsk","date":"2022-07-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novokuznetsk3.html#20220722","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement","282.2-2","interrogation","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Vladimir Skachidub in the colony. Vladimir is not discouraged and maintains a positive attitude. He has all the necessary medicines, the barracks are clean, there is a refrigerator, enough food. The believer also has a Bible. He continues to receive a large number of letters and devotes a lot of time to answering them.\nVladimir has good relations with other prisoners and the administration. He generously shares with others, treats others kindly. All this, as well as the venerable age of the believer, cause him to be treated with respect.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skachidub in Pavlovskaya","date":"2022-07-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya3.html#20220721","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["life-in-prison","elderly","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator for particularly important cases of the SO in the city of Novokuznetsk of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation in the Kemerovo Region - Kuzbass, Captain of Justice Vladislav Minaev initiates a criminal case against Lyubov Serebryakova. According to the investigation, she \"conducted conversations\" of a religious nature, and also participated in religious services.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Serebryakova in Novokuznetsk","date":"2022-07-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novokuznetsk3.html#20220708","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On June 14, 2022, at least 5 civilians were subjected to searches in the town of Baley, Trans-Baikal Territory. These are Lidiya Bzovi, Yelena Baylukova, 71-year-old Tatyana Kuznetsova and the Saranchuk spouses: 75-year-old Valeriy and 71-year-old Tatyana.\nThe elderly believer Lidiya Bzovi is facing religious persecution for the second time in her life. In 1951, by order of Joseph Stalin, she was exiled to Siberia along with other Jehovah's Witnesses. That sad page in the history of Soviet repressions was called Operation North.\nThe searches were initiated by the investigator of the Nerchinsk Interdistrict Investigation Department N. O. Buintseva. In June 2022, she opened a criminal case No. 12202760012000028 under Part 2 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation in extremist activities). The search warrant was given by the judge of the Baley City Court of the Trans-Baikal Territory O. Yu. Shcheglova.\nIn 2020, the previous wave of searches struck local Jehovah's Witnesses in the Trans-Baikal Territory. They were accompanied by beatings and torture. A criminal case was initiated against seven detainees. One of the believers in June 2022 was sentenced to 6 years in prison, two — to 6.5.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2022-06-23T10:01:33+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/omon_hu_11bbc66d2d8c2c39.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/omon_hu_d20f9df989c07de4.jpg","webp":"/news/common/omon_hu_db2bffea003fac12.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/omon_hu_456ac374822db718.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/06/231001.html","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","elderly","282.2-2","families","ussr"],"title":"New Searches in Homes of Believers in the Trans-Baikal Territory. For One Victim, History Repeats Itself 71 Years Later","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 21, 2022, a panel of judges of the Krasnoyarsk Regional Court, chaired by Yuriy Tsybulya, upheld the decision of the lower court regarding Anatoliy Gorbunov, 64. The sentence for faith in Jehovah God — 6 years in a penal colony — came into force.\nHearings in the court of first instance lasted more than a year, all this time the believer was under a recognizance not to leave. After the verdict was announced, he spent more than four months in a pre-trial detention center awaiting an appeal.\nThere are no victims in the case of Anatoliy Gorbunov. The prosecution only proved that he belonged to the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, while not presenting a single fact of extremist actions on the part of the defendant. The believer still insists on his innocence and can appeal the verdict on cassation.\nIn the Krasnoyarsk Territory, 27 of Jehovah's Witnesses have already been prosecuted, including one woman, whose charges were dropped. Five other believers were sentenced to various types of punishment: two to six years in prison, one was fined, and two more received suspended sentences.\nAddressing the court, Anatoliy Gorbunov recalled that the Supreme Court did not forbid Jehovah's Witnesses from practicing their faith — this is their right, enshrined in the Constitution of the Russian Federation.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-06-22T09:29:37+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/06/220929/image_hu_470e073529f4b9d1.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/06/220929/image_hu_6ad5a1dc6d1c47b9.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/06/220929/image_hu_f96d0d35c9c26402.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/06/220929/image_hu_b55d822621d5a3c4.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/06/220929.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","282.2-1","liberty-deprivation","elderly"],"title":"The Court of Appeals Sentenced Anatoliy Gorbunov, a Retiree From Krasnoyarsk, to Serve a Six-Year Sentence in a Penal Colony","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 3, 2022, Timur Yusupov, judge of the Pervomaisky District Court of Kirov, convicted six believers and sentenced them to 2.5 to 6.5 years of suspended imprisonment, considering reading and discussing the Bible together extremism. Polish citizen Andrzej Oniszczuk, 53, was sentenced to 6 years and 6 months; 29-year-old Andrey and 44-year-old Evgeniy Suvorkov got 6 years and 3 months each; Maksim Khalturin, 47, - 6 years and 2 months; Vladimir Korobeynikov, 69, was sentenced to 3 years and 3 months, and Vladimir Vasilyev, 65, — to 2 years and 6 months. Yuriy Geraskov, who died during the investigation, was also found guilty of extremism, but the criminal case was dismissed due to the death of the defendant. Earlier, the prosecutor asked the court to impose a prison sentence on everyone except Vladimir Vasilyev, while Vasilyev was to be fined 900,000 rubles.\nThe criminal prosecution of civilians in Kirov began with mass searches in 2018. The Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Kirov Region opened a criminal case on charges of organizing the activities of an extremist organization, participating in it and financing it. According to the prosecution, the believers “organized meetings of followers and members of this association [Jehovah’s Witnesses] in various apartments in compliance with the actions characteristic of this association, expressed in the joint singing of biblical songs, improving the skills of carrying out missionary activities, and studying religious literature.”\nThe residents of Kirov was detained and placed in a pre-trial detention center, where they spent from 3 to 11 months. After 70 days of imprisonment in solitary confinement, the court placed Vladimir Korobeinikov under house arrest, since his wife is seriously ill, and his daughter Nina is not able to provide her with the necessary support, since she herself is a group I disabled person. The rest of the believers were also under house arrest for 6 to 9 months after imprisonment.\nThe investigation lasted over 2 years. A week before the start of the hearing, Yuriy Geraskov died due to a long illness, aggravated by the stress of the criminal prosecution.\nTraditionally for such trials, there were no victims in the case. Vladimir Korobeynikov, in his last word in court, said: “My convictions are exclusively peaceful, therefore there are no victims in this case. For me, the humiliation of human dignity, the undermining of the foundations of the constitutional order, the incitement of religious or racial hatred are unacceptable. And the prosecution during the entire trial did not provide a single piece of evidence to the contrary!” Andrzej Oniszczuk, in turn, emphasized: “Biblical principles and inner convictions do not allow me to oppose the state system and cause harm and pain to someone.” Vladimir Vasilyev, addressing the court, was perplexed: “Like other disciples of Jesus Christ, by reading everything that is written in the Bible, I am learning to live as Jesus commanded. Can this be called a crime? According to Yevgeniy Suvorkov, \"It is clear that Jehovah's Witnesses are being tried only for their faith, and not for any crime.\" Andrey Suvorkov added: “All our actions were dictated only by love for God and neighbor!” Maksim Khalturin, in whose care the elderly parents are, urged the court: “Please do not bring me to criminal liability for following the commandments of Christ.”\nThe verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-06-03T16:27:01+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/06/031626/image_hu_d951a71c53ac5.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/06/031626/image_hu_b348c13ac8e4f1fc.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/06/031626/image_hu_dc8ef49ff91111e5.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/06/031626/image_hu_263c8a6419b897bc.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/06/031626.html","regions":["kirov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["families","282.2-1","282.2-2","282.3-1","elderly","died","sentence","suspended"],"title":"Six Jehovah's Witnesses in Kirov, Including a Polish Citizen, Received Suspended Sentences for Reading the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 1, 2022, the judge of the Leninsky District Court of Vladivostok, Maksim Anufriyev, convicted Valentin Osadchuk, Nadezhda Anoykina, Nina Purge, Raisa Usanova, Lyubov Galaktionova, and Nailya Kogay for their faith.\nThe defendants were sentenced to various types of punishment: Valentin Osadchuk received 6 years suspended and 1 year of restriction of freedom; the rest of the defendants received 2 years of suspended imprisonment and 9 months of restriction of freedom. The verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed. The believers insist on their complete innocence.\nDespite the absence of a single victim in the case, the prosecutor asked the court to sentence Valentin Osadchuk to 6.5 years in prison, and elderly women, the eldest of whom is 81 years old, to 5 years of suspended imprisonment. Valentin was accused of organizing the activities of an extremist organization, and five women were accused of participating in it.\nThe believers have been subject to criminal prosecution since April 2018. The Federal Security Service of Russia for the Primorye Territory opened a criminal case against Valentin Osadchuk under Part 2 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. As part of this case, searches were carried out. Valentin spent 9 months in a pre-trial detention center and another 2.5 months under house arrest. In April 2019, part of the article under which he was accused was replaced — now he was charged with organizing extremist activities.\nAt the same time, six women were charged with extremism. They were under recognizance agreement for four years. The case against Yelena Zayshchuk was later suspended.\nAfter 2 years and 9 months of investigation, in January 2021, the case was submitted to the Leninsky District Court of Vladivostok. While the proceedings went on, Nailya Kogaiy's husband died. “It's like losing one leg,” she says. “He was very worried about me. My persecution took a toll on his health. He died of cardiac arrest.\" The believer herself underwent a surgical operation during the same period.\nDue to criminal prosecution, chronic diseases have worsened among older believers. Lyubov Galaktionova, 80, who has a group II disability, says: “I experienced great stress during the search. It was bad physically and emotionally. The most difficult thing was to survive the interrogations and the first days after it ... It was difficult to understand the course of the criminal case and what they generally talked about in court.”\nAll defendants in the case were included in the List of extremists and terrorists of Rosfinmonitoring. In her last speech, Nadezhda Anoykina said: “I still can’t receive my pension normally, because my card is blocked ... I continue to work to help sick parents, and it hurts me a lot that I can’t receive even my modest salary.\"\nA total of 39 Jehovah's Witnesses in Primorye Territory are persecuted for their faith, and five have already been sentenced. The Russian authorities continue to maintain that this religion is not banned.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-06-01T14:04:55+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/06/011404/image_hu_2d6bd1128cad97.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/06/011404/image_hu_613b8b745f418d95.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/06/011404/image_hu_90c7f37996aa053f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/06/011404/image_hu_4fe312343991dc26.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/06/011404.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["elderly","282.2-1","282.2-2","sentence","suspended"],"title":"Six Jehovah's Witnesses in Vladivostok Received Suspended Sentences for Reading the Bible Together","type":"news"},{"body":"The Leninsky District Court of Vladivostok sentences the believers: Valentin Osadchuk is sentenced to 6 years of suspended imprisonment and 1 year of restriction of liberty. Lyubov Galaktionova, Nailya Kogai, Nina Purge, Nadezhda Anoykina and Raisa Usanova receive 2 years suspended and 9 months of restriction of freedom.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Osadchuk and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2022-06-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok3.html#20220601","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["sentence","elderly","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Vladimir was taken to the place of serving his sentence - to Correctional Colony No. 6 in the Ryazan Region. It is located 1200 km from the believer's house.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skachidub in Pavlovskaya","date":"2022-05-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya3.html#20220531","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["life-in-prison","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Despite her advanced age and poor health, the believer was able to tell the court about how the Bible helped her change for the better. She drew the court's attention to the fact that both neighbors and work colleagues know her as a kind and peaceful person.\n","date":"2022-05-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/196.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Lyubov Galaktionova in Vladivostok","type":"docs"},{"body":"In her final statement, the defendant described how Bible truths have changed her life for the better and why Jehovah's Witnesses, as sincere believers, cannot be classified as extremists: \"I have not killed anyone, I have not robbed anyone, I have not harmed anyone. There are no victims in our case.\"\n","date":"2022-05-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/197.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Nadezhda Anoykina in Vladivostok","type":"docs"},{"body":"Nailya Kogai drew attention to the fact that Jehovah's Witnesses freely practice their faith in most countries of the world, which means they do not pose a danger. She also reminded the court that in modern Russia, followers of this confession were recognized as victims of political repression and rehabilitated.\n","date":"2022-05-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/198.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Nailya Kogai in Vladivostok","type":"docs"},{"body":"In her appeal to the court, the believer spoke about her life and how in the Bible she found answers to all her questions about suffering and death. She said, \"If people read the Bible and lived in harmony with it, I think there would be no wars, no anger, no hatred.\"\n","date":"2022-05-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/199.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Nina Purge in Vladivostok","type":"docs"},{"body":"Addressing the court, Raisa Usanova compared modern prisoners of conscience with first-century Christians. The believer said, \"Jesus Christ warned that his followers would be brought to court 'for my name to bear witness to them.' Today, his words are coming true – I stand before you.\"\n","date":"2022-05-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/200.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Raisa Usanova in Vladivostok","type":"docs"},{"body":"Assuring the court of respect for the state and its laws, referring to the example of the first Christians and proving the groundlessness of the accusations brought against him, the believer said: \"We were deliberately soiled in the mud, and now we are forced to prove that we are not villains.\"\n","date":"2022-05-23T15:03:19+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/195.html","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Vladimir Korobeynikov in Kirov","type":"docs"},{"body":"\"Being one of Jehovah's Witnesses is not a crime,\" the defendant stressed. He explained that Jehovah's Witnesses teach people about God, his qualities and promises, and his Kingdom. \"This is a manifestation of love, and certainly not a continuation of the activities of a banned organization,\" the believer said.\n","date":"2022-05-23T14:54:19+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/192.html","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Vladimir Vasiliev in Kirov","type":"docs"},{"body":"By the decision of the Deputy Head of the Second Department for the Investigation of Particularly Important Cases of the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Arkhangelsk Region and the Nenets Autonomous Okrug, Colonel of Justice D.V. Vereshchagin, the criminal case and criminal prosecution No. 11907110001000008 against V.A. Teterin, A.N. Maksimovich and S.A. Potylitsyn were terminated due to the lack of corpus delicti.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Teterin and Others in Severodvinsk","date":"2022-05-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/severodvinsk.html#20220517","regions":["arkhangelsk"],"tags":["case-dismissed","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Supreme Court of the Republic of Khakassia does not satisfy the prosecutor's appeal against the court's decision of February 22, 2022. The believer receives parole. Valentina Baranovskaya is released.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Baranovskiy in Abakan","date":"2022-05-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/abakan.html#20220504","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":["release","life-in-prison","mitigation","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On May 4, 2022, the Supreme Court of the Republic of Khakassia approved the decision of the Ust-Abakan district court about the parole of 71-year-old believer. She was greeted on her way out of the colony by her many friends.\nThe court considered the appeal of the prosecutor against the decision of the judge of the Ust-Abakan district court Maria Zablotskaya of February 22, 2022. A few months earlier the believer had petitioned for parole. The court granted it, but Abakan's assistant prosecutor V. Hasan filed a complaint against this decision. The woman was forced to remain behind bars until the appeal hearing. This further aggravated her health condition, as Valentina suffered a stroke in 2020.\nIn October 2021, the believer, who is convinced that she did not commit anything illegal, had already asked for a commutation of her sentence due to her illness. She had petitioned the same court, but was denied. Her next petition for parole, filed several months later, was granted.\nAlmost three years ago, in April 2019, a criminal case was opened against Valentina Baranovskaya and her son Roman Baranovskiy under the article \"participation in the activities of a liquidated organization.\" This is how law enforcers regarded the usual practice of believers to meet and discuss the Bible in a circle of friends. Mother and son received unprecedentedly harsh sentences: Valentina received two years in prison and Roman received six years. Roman Baranovskiy remains in a penal colony, where he will spend another five years.\nThere are still 13 Jehovah's Witnesses over the age of 60 in prisons at the moment. The oldest is Vilen Avanesov, who will turn 70 in 2022.\nUnfortunately, such unjustified persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses continues in dozens of Russian regions. The world community condemns the persecution of peaceful believers simply because they remain faithful to their religious beliefs.\n","category":"sentence","date":"2022-05-04T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/05/050853/image_hu_9bb0466e7ee7133.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/05/050853/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/05/050853/image_hu_b923de70e23258a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/05/050853/image_hu_8b2dbb31012c60c9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/05/050853.html","regions":["khakassia"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["elderly","release","parole","appeal","families","282.2-2"],"title":"The Oldest Believer Was Released From Prison on Probation. The Court of Appeal Approved the Decision to Release Valentina Baranovskaya","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 15, 2022, nine dwellings of Jehovah's Witnesses from Yoshkar-Ola and the village of Silikatny (Mari El), as well as in Nizhny Novgorod, were searched. They affected at least 15 people, including an 83-year-old woman. The security forces detained 39-year-old Yevgeniy Plotnikov. He was sent to a detention center.\nSearches of peaceful believers began in the morning and lasted from 6 to 8 hours. The security forces were looking for \"extremist literature and computer and other equipment, through which communication was carried out with unidentified persons during worship.\" Electronic devices, bank cards, storage media, notepads and postcards were confiscated.\nP. Betkanov, the FSB investigator for the Republic of Mari El, summoned the believers for interrogation. Some subpoenas do not indicate the investigating body, the interrogating officer and the status of the summoned citizens.\nAs part of the same criminal case in Nizhny Novgorod, a search was carried out at the home of a young family with a newborn child, who had recently moved from Yoshkar-Ola to live with their parents. The raid was led by investigator Mikhail Zaulin and detective Vyacheslav Kalistov. The security forces behaved rudely and exerted psychological pressure, forcing the believers to incriminate themselves. The young father was summoned for interrogation in Yoshkar-Ola, 350 km from home.\nUpdate. On April 17, 2022, A. Nikolayev, judge of the Yoshkar-Ola City Court of the Republic of Mari El, placed Yevgeniy Plotnikov in custody for two months. It became known that he is in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in Yoshkar-Ola. Letters of support can be sent by regular mail or through the FSIN-letter system. ","category":"siloviki","date":"2022-04-19T13:28:04+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/handcuffs_hu_b6ca7f3cd23e85ec.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/handcuffs_hu_f47ea6c9b3e41490.jpg","webp":"/news/common/handcuffs_hu_8bb78431f945f72f.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/handcuffs_hu_edc8ca526712631.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/04/191328.html","regions":["mari-el","nizhegorod"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","elderly","interrogation","sizo"],"title":"Jehovah's Witnesses' Homes Were Searched in Mari El, Including the Home of an 83-Year-Old Woman. One Believer Was Arrested","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 7, 2022, a panel of judges of the Tomsk Regional Court chaired by Andrey Kaplyuk commuted the sentence of Aleksey YErshov from Seversk. Instead of 3 years in prison, the 69-year-old Jehovah's Witness was given 3 years of suspended sentence. The verdict has entered into force.\nIn July 2020, employees of the Investigative Committee and the FSB broke into the homes of five families of Jehovah's Witnesses at the same time and searched their homes for several hours. As in the case of 5 other believers from Seversk, the accusation of extremism against Aleksey Yershov was based on the testimony of Kira Klisheva, who collaborated with the FSB, and pretended to be interested in the Bible.\nThroughout the investigation of the criminal case—almost 11 months—the believer was under house arrest. On January 19, 2022, immediately after the Severskiy City Court sentenced the pensioner to 3 years in prison, he was taken into custody, and he spent a month and a half in a pre-trial detention center awaiting an appeal.\nYershov still insists on his innocence. Now he can appeal the verdict in cassation.\nThe criminal prosecution of Russian Jehovah's Witnesses was condemned by the Council of Europe, the OSCE, the European Union and many other Russian and international organizations. The new clarifications of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of Russia dated June 28, 2011 state that communal worship in itself does not constitute a crime under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, which the security forces use as justification for the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-04-07T16:20:26+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/04/071620/image_hu_b6619821f947f755.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/04/071620/image_hu_da837353b7345d70.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/04/071620/image_hu_7571255e90682136.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/04/071620/image_hu_144cc6a5b1bada64.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/04/071620.html","regions":["tomsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","suspended","282.2-2","elderly","secret-witness"],"title":"An Appeal Overturned Seversk-Based Aleksey Yershov's Initial Prison Term for Practicing One's Faith and Replaced It With a Three-Year Suspended Sentence","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 4, 2022, the judge of the Abakan City Court, Yuriy Lotsky, sentenced Matrena Spiriadi and Aleksandr Vergunov to 2.5 years of suspended sentence. By its decision, the court equated the discussion of the Bible among friends with participation in the activities of an extremist organization.\nThe criminal case against the civilians of Khakassia—Aleksandr Vergunov, Matrena Spiriadi and Irina Sidorova—was initiated on April 20, 2020 by the investigative department for the city of Abakan of the Investigative Committee of the Investigative Committee for the Krasnoyarsk Territory and the Republic of Khakassia. Three months later, 44-year-old Irina Sidorova died in the hospital after two surgeries. Her minor child was left without a mother.\nA year after the initiation of the case, the senior detective of the CPE of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Republic of Khakassia, police major Artem Kononov, searched the homes of Vergunov and Spiriadi. The believers were under an obligation to appear promptly when summoned by an interrogating officer, investigator, or to court.\nAt the time of the initiation of the case, Aleksandr Vergunov was doing alternative civilian service in a medical center for newborns. The draft board took into account his beliefs that did not allow him to take up arms.\nMatrena Spiriadi grew up in a large family, she was the youngest of 11 children. Now the believer lives with a disabled grandson suffering from cerebral palsy, whom she continues to take care of, despite her own health problems: she suffers from hyperglycemia. Due to the nervous shock after the searches, the blood sugar level of an elderly woman rose to a critical level. In this regard, she constantly has to take many medications. The investigation did not consider the life situation of the elderly woman as a mitigating circumstance.\nThe Abakan City Court has been hearing the case since June 29, 2021. To prove the guilt of the believers, the prosecution brought in 42 witnesses, most of whom were not acquainted with the defendants and had a superficial understanding of Jehovah's Witnesses. One of the two secret witnesses under the pseudonym \"Nadezhda Petrova\" for some time made secret audio recordings of conversations with believers, providing information to law enforcement officers. Many witnesses were unable to recognize the defendants in the courtroom, while others were confused in their testimony.\nThe line of accusation, as in many similar cases against Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, was based only on proving the defendants' religious affiliation. Among the evidence are books “evidencing involvement in the organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses.” The file contains the conclusions of religious expert examinations of audio recordings of “meetings to glorify Jehovah and sermons on specific topics: ‘Do not give up, doing good!’, ‘Forgive your enemies,’ and others.” At the same time, no specific facts of the commission of unlawful actions by believers at the trial were provided.\nAleksandr Vergunov drew the court's attention to this in his final statement: \"All the evidence collected only shows that I was exercising my constitutional right to freedom of religion.\"\nSpeaking before the court with her last word, Matrena Spiriadi said: “As a believer, I profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. It is a peaceful Christian religion whose teachings are based solely on the Bible. I have been studying the Bible for a long time and it does not make me worse. On the contrary, this holy book helped me to break with bad habits in due time. I also learned from the Bible how to build relationships with people and keep peace with them.”\nAlthough there is not a single victim in the case, the prosecutor asked the court to sentence the believers to 5 years in a penal colony, but the court limited itself to a suspended sentence. Vergunov and Spiriadi insist on their complete innocence. The verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed.\nThe case against Aleksandr Vergunov and Matrena Spiriadi was separated from another high-profile case against believers in Abakan, Roman Baranovskiy and his mother Valentina . A 70-year-old believer and her son are sent to a colony for their faith in God.\nAccording to clarification of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, the profession of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses cannot in itself be considered extremism. The world community expresses its concern about the unlawful use of anti-extremist legislation to organize religious repression.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-04-04T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/04/051433/image_hu_8ba177ff54ec1ce8.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/04/051433/image_hu_b2a0ca225a226a6d.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/04/051433/image_hu_aaabfe4c8fd8c527.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/04/051433/image_hu_b6e23cac9ae597eb.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/04/051433.html","regions":["khakassia"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-2","elderly","died","minors","secret-witness"],"title":"Matryona Spiriadi, 68, and Aleksandr Vergunov, 24, Based in Abakan, Were Each Handed a Two-and-a-Half-Year Suspended Sentence for Reading the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Valentina Baranovskaya in the penal colony. The woman continues to struggle with the progressive disease, in addition, she feels the pressure from the institution. For example, the administration of the colony took away from her the Bible in the Synodal translation of the Orthodox publishing house, referring to a certain explanation of the priest serving at the colony. A lawyer's request was sent to the administration of the colony on this fact.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Baranovskiy in Abakan","date":"2022-03-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/abakan.html#20220318","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":["life-in-prison","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On March 18, 2022, the Volgograd Regional Court upheld the conviction of Valeriy Rogozin, Igor Egozaryan, Denis Peresunko and Sergey Melnik. They will get jailed for their faith in Jehovah God.\nIn September 2021, the court of first instance sentenced Rogozin to 6 years and 5 months in a penal colony, Peresunko to 6 years and 3 months, and Melnik and Egozaryan to 6 years in a penal colony. The verdict has entered into force, but believers can appeal it in cassation.\nWhen the criminal prosecution began, the wife of Denis Peresunko died of COVID-19, and the believer himself was placed in a pre-trial detention center for 5 months. He is on disability and the resulting stress has exacerbated his condition. A long stay in the pre-trial detention center also seriously undermined the health of Valeriy Rogozin. Egozaryan and Melnik are raising their underage sons.\nIn 2019, law enforcement officers arrested four believers and accused them of organizing extremist activities, and later two of them — Peresunko and Rogozin — also of financing it. At the same time, recordings of religious meetings of Volgograd Jehovah's Witnesses, at which they discuss Bibles, sing songs and pray to God, were used as material evidence of their “guilt.”\nIn court, the prosecution interrogated classified witnesses. One of them kept a covert record of worship and stated that the unlawful activities of the defendants consisted in the fact that they \"obey God.\" Another secret witness said that he had never heard threats, calls for violence or the overthrowing of power from the defendants. Some witnesses openly stated that their testimony had been falsified by the investigator.\nThe scheme, according to which Volgograd residents were convicted, is used by law enforcement agencies throughout Russia against peaceful believers. As in the Rogozin case, the indictments mention “propaganda of the cult of religious superiority of the teachings of Jehovah’s Witnesses” as evidence of extremism. However, human rights activists in Russia and abroad consider this approach to be erroneous and unconstitutional. In particular, back in 2017, Lyudmila Alekseyeva, a member of the Presidential Council of the Russian Federation for the development of civil society and human rights, noted with concern: “What believer does not consider his faith to be true? Jehovah's Witnesses is a church that has branches in many countries. They everywhere freely profess their faith and nowhere are they considered extremists. And we have Jehovah's Witnesses, as sincerely believing people, very exemplary citizens: hard-working, honestly treating their families, their children.”\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-03-18T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/03/210919/image_hu_2732fe5363de3e1.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/03/210919/image_hu_cbb9e39241901ba6.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/03/210919/image_hu_b7a38a535bf0ceb0.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/03/210919/image_hu_da1ff0e38414cbfe.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/03/210919.html","regions":["volgograd"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","liberty-deprivation","282.2-1","282.3-1","disability","minors","health-risk","fabrications","secret-witness","hidden-surveillance","elderly"],"title":"An Appeal in Volgograd Upholds the Sentence of Four Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 17, 2022, the Chelyabinsk Regional Court, with the participation of state prosecutor Sergey Gorshkov, considered the appeal of Lyudmila Salikova and approved the sentence—6 years of suspende sentence for believing in Jehovah God.\nThe panel of judges, chaired by Alexandr Rozhnov, considered the verdict of the first instance justified, despite the fact that there is not a single fact of the defendant committing extremist actions in the case file. The testimonies of witnesses also refuted the accusations, and the attached expert examination was carried out by persons without a religious education.\nIn her last speech, Lyudmila Salikova, a veteran of labor and the nuclear industry, said: “Since I became acquainted with the Bible and became a Jehovah's Witness, the commandments ‘love God’ and ‘love your neighbor’ have become the main principles in my life. I try to show love not only to my fellow believers, but even to those who do not share my religious beliefs, who betray me and oppose me. It is impossible to deny that love and extremism are two completely opposite concepts”.\nThe verdict has entered into force. The believer considers the decision unfair and insists on her innocence. The criminal prosecution damaged her reputation and she had to resign from the Municipal Administration, where she had worked for many years as an energy engineer. Salikova has the right to file a cassation appeal.\nDespite the clarifications of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation and the appeals of Russian and foreign human rights organizations, Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia are becoming victims of repression due to the unlawful application of anti-extremist legislation.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-03-17T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/03/211426/image_hu_3722d72c8d2a5ba2.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/03/211426/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/03/211426/image_hu_7f47c0accd9e023c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/03/211426/image_hu_bb55443202536892.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/03/211426.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","suspended","282.2-1","elderly","work-restrictions"],"title":"An Appeal in Chelyabinsk Left Unchanged Snezhinsk-Based Lyudmila Salikova's, 70, Sentence — A Six-Year Suspended Sentence for Practicing Her Faith in Jehovah God","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 15, 2022, in Kostroma, employees of the Investigative Committee conducted searches in the homes of four women, three of whom are of retirement age. A month earlier, a criminal case on extremism was initiated.\nLaw enforcement officers searched the apartments of 68- and 72-year-old believers (the latter’s garage was also searched). At the same time, the security forces behaved politely, in one case they apologized for the inconvenience before leaving. The women’s electronic devices were seized as well as the Bible, religious literature and personal notes.\nTwo other women, aged 31 and 63, who were also searched, are not Jehovah's Witnesses.\nThe searches were authorized by Marina Zaikina, a judge of the Dimitrovskiy District Court of the city of Kostroma. Aleksandr Sizov, an investigator for especially important cases of the Factory Interdistrict Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, petitioned for the searches. On February 17, he initiated a criminal case under Part 2 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. According to him, “an unidentified person at an unspecified time […] took an active part in the activities of a religious organization by systematically attending religious meetings ... studying and discussing articles of religious texts.”\nFollowers of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses are erroneously charged with crimes under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Often, even random persons mistaken for Jehovah's Witnesses by mistake become victims of searches and detentions.\nThis is the third criminal case in the Kostroma region. Dmitriy Terebilov is serving a three-year term in a strict regime colony for his faith. Spouses Sergey and Valeriya Rayman received suspended sentences.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2022-03-15T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/criminal_case_hu_35e13635d4d2f17a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/criminal_case_hu_8fcc889250eb8195.jpg","webp":"/news/common/criminal_case_hu_5b10c52717b70cbc.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/criminal_case_hu_d5a2dedee669b9ce.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/03/171107.html","regions":["kostroma"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","elderly"],"title":"As Part of a New Criminal Case Investigation in Kostroma, Four Women Were Searched, the Oldest of Whom Is 72 Years Old","type":"news"},{"body":"The believer referred to numerous documents, court decisions and statements of the President of the Russian Federation, proving that the repressions against Jehovah's Witnesses are unreasonable. \"Any individuals, including myself, have the right to practice the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses after April 20, 2017,\" Spiriadi said.\n","date":"2022-03-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/171.html","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Matryona Spiriadi in Abakan","type":"docs"},{"body":"Assistant to the Abakan prosecutor V. Hasan appealed against the parole of 70-year-old believer Valentina Baranovskaya. She remains in the penal colony at least until the appeal decision. Hasan continues to insist that since the believer did not renounce her faith in Jehovah, then she did not repent of the crime committed. Valentina Baranovskaya insists that she did not take part in extremist activities and did not resume the activities of a banned organization, but simply exercises her right to freedom of religion.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Baranovskiy in Abakan","date":"2022-03-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/abakan.html#20220304","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":["life-in-prison","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On March 3, 2022, at least 2 families of Jehovah's Witnesses were searched in the Knyaz-Volkonsky rural settlement (Khabarovsk Territory). Valeriy Rabota was detained and on March 6, by a court decision, was sent to a pre-trial detention center for 2 months.\nA search was conducted in the house of Valeriy, 60, and his wife Elvira, during which electronic devices, various translations of the Bible, personal notes, video cassettes, a camera and a video camera were seized.\nAfter the search, the spouses were taken to the investigative department for the Industrial District of Khabarovsk for interrogation. Valeriy and Elvira took advantage of the right guaranteed by Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation not to testify against themselves. Then Valeriy Rabota was detained and sent to a temporary detention facility.\nEarlier in the Khabarovsk Territory, criminal cases had already been opened against 23 Jehovah's Witnesses, one of whom, unfortunately, died in the hospital during the trial.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2022-03-03T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/handcuffs4_hu_6200a25980b6bbda.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/handcuffs4_hu_a08c3e9dbab91e95.jpg","webp":"/news/common/handcuffs4_hu_eb8956bd0efdb645.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/handcuffs4_hu_6fd28add97a300a1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/03/071359.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation","ivs","sizo","elderly"],"title":"Searches Took Place in the Khabarovsk Territory. A Believer, 60, Was Detained and Placed in a Pre-Trial Detention Center","type":"news"},{"body":"Judge of the Ust-Abakan District Court Maria Zablotskaya satisfies Valentina Baranovskaya's petition for parole. This decision was opposed by the prosecutor and the administration of Correctional Colony No. 28, arguing that Valentina \"did not repent\" because she did not stop professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Within 10 days, the prosecutor's office may appeal the court decision. The elderly woman has been behind bars for a year.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Baranovskiy in Abakan","date":"2022-02-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/abakan.html#20220222","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":["life-in-prison","mitigation","release","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator A. Garmash initiates a new criminal case against a resident of the village of Vyselki. 76-year-old Vladimir Kolesnikov is suspected of organizing an extremist association (Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).\nThe reason for initiating the case is a report based on the materials of operational-search activities provided by the department of the FSB in the Krasnodar Territory in the city of Tikhoretsk.\nAccording to the investigation, Kolesnikov, together with Ushakov, Bochko, Vechkaev and Shubnikov, carried out \"illegal\" activities: \"convening, opening and closing meetings, organizing religious speeches and services at these meetings, coordinating meetings, proposing topics for discussion, and carrying out other preaching activities.\"\n","caseTitle":"The case of Ushakov and Others in Vyselki","date":"2022-02-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki.html#20220221","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On February 14, 2022, the Tomsk Regional Court approved the sentence for teacher Yelena Saveliyeva: 4 years of suspended sentence for practicing her religion.\nAddressing the panel of judges, the believer emphasized the absurdity of the sentence passed on her: \"My faith teaches me not to kill, not to deceive, not to be a vile person, not to wish harm to my neighbor, not to envy, to be kind and compassionate, to be a humble and conscientious person, to see good in everyone, to wish my neighbor all the best, to help, love and enjoy life. And for this, dear court, I was recorded as an extremist.\"\nThe decision of the court entered into force. The believer still insists on her innocence. She has the right to appeal the verdict in the cassation procedure, as well as in international instances.\nTwo months earlier, a judge of the Severskiy District Court of the Tomsk Region found Yelena Saveliyeva guilty of involving persons in the activities of an extremist organization. This is how the court interpreted the believer's peaceful conversations about the Bible with other people.\nThe believer spent more than 9 months under house arrest. The criminal prosecution caused great damage to Saveliyeva's reputation. She has worked at the school for over 40 years and was awarded an honorary diploma from the Ministry of the Russian Federation for Atomic Energy.\nRussian President Vladimir Putin called the recognition of Jehovah's Witnesses as extremists \"nonsense.\" He stated that they are “also Christians” and “what they are being persecuted for” is not clear.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-02-14T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/02/150931/image_hu_175d6b9e239c5c96.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/02/150931/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/02/150931/image_hu_452a9682704073b8.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/02/150931/image_hu_ec0e85a99a3c1cf.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/02/150931.html","regions":["tomsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","suspended","elderly","282.2-1.1"],"title":"An Appeals Court Upheld the Verdict of an 80-Year-Old Widow From Seversk: a Four-Year Suspended Sentence for Reading the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"As part of the criminal case, at least 31 searches are being carried out in the villages of Vyselki, Berezanskaya, Buzinovskaya, Novodonetskaya, Zhuravskaya, in the village of Gazyr, the village of Zarya, and the Beysuzhek Second farm. Another search is taking place in Novorossiysk. In total, at least 51 people are affected, including those who are not Jehovah's Witnesses. Among the victims of the actions of the security forces are three elderly women, one of whom is 75 years old, and the other two are over 80. Electronic devices, bank cards and personal records were seized from believers.\nVitaliy Ushakov and Yevgeniy Bochko are interrogated at the Korenovsk Investigative Committee. Aleksey Shubnikov is being interrogated at the Investigative Committee department in Vyselki, where he was obliged to report on his own. After the interrogations, Vitaliy is placed in a temporary detention facility, and Yevgeniy and Aleksey are allowed to go home.\nLaw enforcement officers do not find Valery Vechkayev at home, so they break down the front door and conduct a search without the presence of the owners. The security forces armed with machine guns who came home to Vechkayev's youngest daughter and mother-in-law are not allowed to enter. They spend several hours on the street, as a result of which the daughter falls ill.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Ushakov and Others in Vyselki","date":"2022-02-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki.html#20220213","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["search","interrogation","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On February 10, 2022, Sergey Orlov, judge of the Kalininsky District Court of Cheboksary, found three local Jehovah's Witnesses guilty of extremism. Vladimir Dutkin was sentenced to a fine of 500,000 rubles, while Valeriy Yakovlev and Vladimir Chesnokov were fined 400,000 rubles.\nThe convicts have professed the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses since the early 1990s, but the authorities began persecuting them for their faith only in the fall of 2020, when the local FSB organized a wave of searches in Cheboksary and Novocheboksarsk. As indicated in the documents of the investigation, the believers “organized and held meetings of the religious group of Jehovah’s Witnesses in the city of Cheboksary in specially rented premises” what the security forces considered the organization of the activities of an extremist organization (part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).\nFor six months, the prosecution presented evidence to the court not of any crimes, incitement of religious hatred or propaganda of superiority on the part of believers, but that Dutkin, Yakovlev and Chesnokov were discussing the Bible with others. It is noteworthy that the printed materials and audio recordings considered by the court contained calls on believers to avoid nationalism and anger and to show love for others.\nThere are no victims in this case, but there are inconsistencies and violations. So, the secret witness \"Ivanov\" testified about the events that took place long before the period imputed to the fault. Also in the case file was a psycholinguistic examination carried out by the FSB officer Komleva, although according to the law an independent specialist was supposed to prepare it. In it, she gave, among other things, a religious assessment of the activities of believers, although she does not have a religious education.\nThe prosecutor asked to send the believers to a colony for terms ranging from 6 to 6.5 years, but the court limited itself to fines. Convicts consider the verdict illegal and can appeal against it.\nDuring the criminal prosecution due to stress, the father of many children, Valeriy Yakovlev, worsened a chronic disease, pensioner Vladimir Chesnokov began to experience tachycardia attacks and shortness of breath at night. “One of the interrogations was particularly harsh and was accompanied by intimidation on the part of the investigator,” he said. Vladimir Dutkin, an insurance agent, was practically deprived of the opportunity to fully work and provide for his family, because the security forces confiscated all means of communication from him. The court also seized his car. Dutkin was under house arrest for more than a year, and Chesnokov and Yakovlev for more than 7 months.\nRussian authorities have repeatedly assured that the Jehovah's Witnesses faith is not banned. As the Russian Supreme Court Plenum explained on October 28, 2021, worship by Jehovah's Witnesses does not by itself constitute an \"extremist\" crime, despite the liquidation of their legal entities.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-02-10T09:48:21+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/02/110948/image_hu_bc70d1d702b0f644.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/02/110948/image_hu_22c634cbc7fe5ff4.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/02/110948/image_hu_d9091b20b078c0b5.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/02/110948/image_hu_6007a289ede875e5.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/02/110948.html","regions":["chuvashia"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","fine","282.2-1","secret-witness","elderly"],"title":"A Chuvashia Court Fined Three Witnesses of Jehovah for Talking About God","type":"news"},{"body":"Materials against 71-year-old Lyubov Serebryakova, containing information about \"committing a crime under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation\", are separated from the criminal case of Sergey Sushilnikov into a separate proceeding.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Serebryakova in Novokuznetsk","date":"2022-02-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novokuznetsk3.html#20220210","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["282.2-2","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On February 7, 2022 Novosibirsk Regional Court upheld the sentence of Leninsky District Court of Novosibirsk against Yuriy Saveliyev — 6 years in a general regime colony and 1 year of restricted freedom for believing in God.\nAs an additional punishment, the court deprived the believer of the right to engage in activities related to administration and participation in public and religious organizations for a period of three years.\nSaveliyev called the charges against him trumped up and called himself a victim. He stated: \"I lost my health, I lost my property, my reputation suffered, and now I bear the shameful mark of a 'criminal\". He can appeal the verdict in cassation and international structures.\nAn appellate court in a different composition reconsidered the verdict to the believer after the Eighth Court of Cassation of General jurisdiction returned the case to the appellate stage on November 24, 2021.\nAfter his arrest, Yuriy Saveliyev has been behind bars for more than three years. In the colony, where the believer was sent after his conviction, there were attempts to force him to undergo treatment without grounds — in the summer of 2021 Yuriy was sent to Barnaul to a medical correctional facility specializing in the treatment of prisoners with alcoholism and drug addiction, although he does not suffer from either of these diseases. Saveliyev was repeatedly forced to sign a consent to medical procedures. In Correctional Colony No. 1 in the Altai Territory, photos of Yuriy with the caption \"prone to extremism\" were hung above his bed. The elderly believer should be released in August 2023.\nThe criminal prosecution of Russian Jehovah's Witnesses was condemned by the Council of Europe, the OSCE, the European Union and many other Russian and international organizations. The new clarifications of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of Russia dated June 28, 2011 state that communal worship in itself does not constitute a crime under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, which the security forces use as justification for the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-02-07T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/02/091403/image_hu_2c5ce28d00c01eeb.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/02/091403/image_hu_866190025538a22a.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/02/091403/image_hu_dfe9c2ec451516a9.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/02/091403/image_hu_467b1055f1046376.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/02/091403.html","regions":["novosibirsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["2-appeal","liberty-deprivation","282.2-1","fabrications","elderly"],"title":"A Secondary Appeal in Novosibirsk Upheld an Imprisonment Term for 68-Year-Old Yuriy Saveliyev","type":"news"},{"body":"In his final statement, the believer said that neither the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, nor the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, nor the President of Russia consider the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses to be illegal. Chesnokov stressed that \"the Bible does not encourage extremism, but honesty, morality and mercy.\"\n","date":"2022-02-03T14:46:28+02:00","permalink":"/en/docs/167.html","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Vladimir Chesnokov in Cheboksary","type":"docs"},{"body":"On February 2, 2022, Mariya Kunik, judge of the Oktyabrsky District Court of Krasnoyarsk, found 64-year-old Anatoliy Gorbunov guilty of extremism and sentenced him to 6 years in a penal colony. The believer is taken into custody.\nIn Soviet times, Anatoliy Gorbunov's father and grandfather were declared \"enemies of the people\" and exiled to Siberia. In 1993 they were rehabilitated. Now Anatoliy was subjected to groundless repressions for his beliefs. In November 2018, he was searched, accompanied by pressure and threats. 17 months later, a criminal case was opened against Gorbunov. According to investigators, the believer organized discussions with fellow believers about the Christian way of life. This allegedly was the organization of the activities of a banned religious organization (part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of Russia).\nThe court hearings continued for more than a year. In anticipation of the verdict, the believer spent more than 13 months on bail.\nDuring the hearings in court, not a single fact was presented that would prove Gorbunov's guilt in real crimes. Among the materials of the case are 7 discs with records of religious meetings and Bible discussions. No calls for violence, inciting hatred or other illegal actions were recorded on them. The secret witness “Salov”, whose testimony, according to the prosecution, was supposed to prove the guilt of the defendant, admitted that he saw Anatoliy only once and did not hear anything extremist from him. There are no victims in the case. Despite this, the prosecutor asked to send Anatoliy to a colony for 8 years.\nThe believer insists on his complete innocence. In court, Anatoliy drew attention to the fact that the Supreme Court did not prohibit Jehovah's Witnesses from practicing their faith, this right is enshrined in the Russian Constitution.\nIn the Krasnoyarsk Territory, 25 Jehovah's Witnesses have already been prosecuted. Five of them were sentenced to various punishments: 2 were sentenced to 6 years in prison, 1 was fined, and 2 received suspended sentences.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-02-02T11:11:11+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/02/021055/image_hu_c21453ae34f1f896.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/02/021055/image_hu_6219a22bc2f3d256.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/02/021055/image_hu_17d3c44cc12d68ec.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/02/021055/image_hu_870774c3138cee6e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/02/021055.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["liberty-deprivation","sentence","elderly","282.2-1","hidden-surveillance"],"title":"A Krasnoyarsk Court Sentenced Anatoliy Gorbunov to a Six-Year Prison Term for Discussing the Bible With Fellow Believers","type":"news"},{"body":"On January 31, 2022, Judge of the Pozharsky District Court of Primorsky Krai, Yevgeny Stefanyuk, found 66-year-old Sergey Sergeyev and 57-year-old Yuriy Belosludtsev from Luchegorsk guilty of extremism for talking about God and sentenced both to a suspended sentence of 5 years.\nUpdate. According to updated data, the court sentenced Sergey Sergeyev and Yuriy Belosludtsev to 6 years of suspended term with a probationary period of 5 years and restriction of freedom for 1 year and 9 months. Sergey Sergeyev said before the verdict: “I have never had a desire to harm someone ... I am accused of committing a serious crime, not because I did something bad or harmed someone, but because I am one of Jehovah's Witnesses.\"\nYuriy Belosludtsev also pleaded not guilty: “I have nothing to do with extremism, as it contradicts the biblical principles on the basis of which I try to build my life. And there is not the slightest hint of extremism in the case file.”\nThe verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed.\nYuriy and Sergey were detained during mass searches and interrogations in Luchegorsk in March 2019. The local branch of the Investigative Committee of Russia opened a criminal case against them, accusing them of participation (part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) and involvement in the activities of an extremist organization (part 1.1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). One of the key witnesses in the case is FSB officer Prokhor Vasin, who secretly filmed conversations with believers. According to him, their extremism consisted in discussing the Bible with him. The intelligence officer did not report any real crimes. There are no victims in the case. Nevertheless, the prosecutor asked to send Belosludtsev to a colony for 5.5, and Sergeyev - for 5 years in a colony.\nBelievers have already had to spend half a year in a pre-trial detention center, then another almost 5 months under house arrest and more than a year under house arrest.\nIn total, in Primorsky Territory, criminal cases for faith were initiated against 39 people: 20 men and 19 women, some of whom are elderly.\nHuman rights activists unanimously condemn the repression of Jehovah's Witnesses. The Russian authorities have repeatedly stated that the decisions of Russian courts to liquidate the legal organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses do not prohibit their beliefs or restrict their right to gather for worship.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-01-31T15:56:43+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/01/311556/image_hu_b898818e710709a3.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/01/311556/image_hu_5eb1f47152e5e78d.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/01/311556/image_hu_e558f701997060de.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/01/311556/image_hu_aa8d38c0fe83904e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/01/311556.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","282.2-2","282.2-1.1","elderly","suspended"],"title":"A Primorye Court Sentenced Two Jehovah's Witnesses to a 6-Year Suspended Sentence for Talking About God","type":"news"},{"body":"Addressing the court with the last word, the believer explained that he discussed the Bible with his friends and prayed to God solely out of good intentions, so he believes that calling him and his co-religionists criminals is fundamentally wrong.\n","date":"2022-01-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/178.html","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Sergey Kulakov in Nevelsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"Judge of the Oktyabrsky District Court Aleksandr Verkhohlyad issues a search in the home of Pavel Sidorenko, who lives in the village of Prigorodny.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sidorenko in Krasnodar","date":"2022-01-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnodar2.html#20220127","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["search","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior investigator of the FSB of the Russian Federation for the Krasnodar Territory, Lieutenant Colonel of Justice Nikita Rudenko initiates a criminal case against 64-year-old Pavel Sidorenko.\nThe investigation claims that no later than February 15, 2019, Sidorenko \"had a criminal intent to commit illegal actions for further participation in the activities of a local religious organization prohibited by law.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sidorenko in Krasnodar","date":"2022-01-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnodar2.html#20220126","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["new-case","elderly","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On January 20, 2022, the judge of the Snezhinskiy City Court of the Chelyabinsk Region Timofey Smolyuk found Lyudmila Salikova guilty of organizing the activities of an extremist community and gave her a 6-year suspended sentence with a 4-year probation period for not giving up her faith in Jehovah God.\nSpeaking before the court, the believer said: \"The goals of Jehovah's Witnesses are the most peaceful, and I am guided in my life exclusively by the Bible.\" She also noted: “I want to emphasize once again that my intent was not aimed at resuming the activities of any legal entities, but solely at exercising my right to profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.”\nOn November 30, 2020, the investigator of the Investigative Committee for the Chelyabinsk Region, Alexandr Chepenko, searched Lyudmila Salikova, and 9 months later brought her in as a defendant under a serious criminal article. This is not the first time investigator Chepenko has initiated the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Chelyabinsk region and personally initiated at least 5 criminal cases against believers. Among those who have already received suspended sentences for their faith are pensioners Vladimir Suvorov and his wife Valentina.\nChepenko investigated the case for a year, and in November 2021 it was taken to court. The consideration of the case took two months. For six months the believer was under house arrest. Because of the criminal prosecution, the woman's reputation suffered, and Salikova had to resign from the Department of Municipal Services, where she worked as a leading engineer.\nThe charges were based on the testimony of an infiltrated FSB agent, Vera Kotelnikova, who feigned an interest in the Bible and made video and audio recordings of conversations. Later, they were sent for examination to three teachers of the Chelyabinsk State University: Andrey Konyuchenko, Yekaterina Zabelina and Olga Khokhlovskaya. After examining the conversations about God, they concluded that Lyudmila Salikova allegedly persuaded Kotelnikova to participate in the activities of the \"Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia\" and the local organization. However, according to the law, the production of a forensic examination could not be entrusted to these specialists, since they are not state experts and do not have a religious education.\nAlthough there is not a single victim in the case, the prosecutor asked the court to sentence the pensioner to 6.5 years in a penal colony.\nThe entire logic of Salikova's accusation was based on the fact that faith in God is \"a continuation of the activities of an extremist organization.\" Consequently, instead of searching for and proving Lyudmila's \"guilt\", the prosecutor's office was busy proving that she professed the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, despite the fact that the believer never hid this fact. In addition, no religion is prohibited in Russia, and on October 28, 2021, the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation confirmed this when it clarified that the worship of Jehovah's Witnesses, their joint rites and ceremonies do not constitute a crime in themselves. Nevertheless, the court equated the peaceful pensioner with dangerous criminals and convicted her.\nLyudmila Salikova became the fifth woman in Russia to be convicted not for participating, but for organizing an extremist community just because of reading the Bible, praying and singing songs. Sentences under Part 1 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation for Valeriya Raiman, Yekaterina Pegasheva, Nataliya Sorokina and Mariya Troshina have already entered into force. The conviction of Lyudmila Salikova has not entered into force and can be appealed. The believer insists on her complete innocence.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-01-20T14:29:15+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/01/201429/image_hu_890962870931d9a0.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/01/201429/image_hu_98ee6be6c288754f.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/01/201429/image_hu_22c83ebea0b92266.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/01/201429/image_hu_ddbfaa7a087ead75.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/01/201429.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","elderly","suspended","282.2-2","studies-violations"],"title":"A Court Convicted 70-Year-Old Ural-based Retiree Lyudmila Salikova to Serve a Six-Year Suspended Sentence for Reading the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"Judge of the Snezhinskiy City Court of the Chelyabinsk Region Timofey Smolyuk convicts 70-year-old Lyudmila Salikova: 6 years of suspended imprisonment.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Salikova in Snezhinsk","date":"2022-01-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/snezhinsk.html#20220120","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["sentence","elderly","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On January 19, 2022, Yalchin Badalov, Judge of the Seversk City Court of the Tomsk Region, found 68-year-old Jehovah's Witness Aleksey Yershov guilty of participating in extremist activities and sentenced him to 3 years in a penal colony. He is taken into custody in the courtroom.\nAt the court hearing that preceded the sentencing, Aleksey Ershov stated that he had not committed anything extremist. Faith helped him keep his family together and lead a respectable life: “The facts … prove that Jehovah's Witnesses do not resort to violence, work conscientiously, pay taxes honestly, as a rule, have strong friendly families.”\nAleksey Ershov was brought up without a father in a large family. He worked as an engineer and teacher, held a position of a local deputy.\nIn the summer of 2020, a series of searches took place in Seversk, including at Aleksey’s home. A few months later, the local department of the Investigative Committee opened a criminal case against him, accusing him of participating in the activities of an extremist organization (part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation), undermining the foundations of the constitutional order and state security, which was expressed in \"active participation in meetings\" where local believers peacefully discussed the Bible. Aleksey did not commit any real crimes.\nThe accusation is based on the testimony of Kira Klisheva, who collaborates with the FSB. When asked on what grounds she determined that Jehovah's Witnesses were extremists, Klisheva replied in court: \"Because they pronounce the name of God - Jehovah.\" Similar testimonies of this witness are the basis for accusations against 5 other believers from Seversk.\nThe guilty verdict of the Seversky City Court against Aleksey Ershov has not entered into force and can be appealed. In November 2021, the same court sentenced 80-year-old Yelena Savelyeva, a teacher with forty years of experience, to four years suspended, also for talking about the Bible. In total, since last years, 7 criminal cases against Jehovah's Witnesses have been initiated in the Tomsk Region.\nThe repression of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia is carried out despite repeated assurances from the authorities that the religion is not banned.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-01-19T13:17:16+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/01/191317/image_hu_544d49eeb39dce8c.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/01/191317/image_hu_f2f79eab1f233040.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/01/191317/image_hu_c9cc5cd5d121061c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/01/191317/image_hu_393401e5763308a6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/01/191317.html","regions":["tomsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","282.2-2","liberty-deprivation","elderly"],"title":"A Seversk Court Sentenced Aleksey Yershov, a Retiree, to Three Years in Prison for Participating in Christian Meetings","type":"news"},{"body":"Judge Yalchin Badalov sentenced Ershov to 3 years in a penal colony.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ershov in Seversk","date":"2022-01-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/seversk3.html#20220119","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["sentence","elderly","liberty-deprivation","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In his final statement, Alexei Yershov, a former deputy, described how the Bible changed his life: \"I began to pay more attention to my wife and children ... I learned to manage my emotions. I became a more balanced and happy person.\"\n","date":"2022-01-18T16:09:56+02:00","permalink":"/en/docs/160.html","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Alexei Ershov in Seversk","type":"docs"},{"body":"On January 18, 2022 the Kamchatka Regional Court, for the second time considering the case of spouses Konstantin and Snezhana Bazhenovs and Vera Zolotova, found them not guilty of extremism. This is the second acquittal of Jehovah's Witnesses charged under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code since the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation issued an explanation.\n\"I would like to thank the panel of judges for the fair outcome of the case. Appeals hearings are now taking place all over Russia regarding the illegal convictions of Jehovah's Witnesses. We hope that the Kamchatka example will be effective for other judges, and they will take the courage to correct the mistakes made by their colleagues,\" commented Yaroslav Sivulsky, representative of the European Jehovah's Witnesses Association, on the court decision.\nIn September 2020, the Yelizovsky District Court sentenced three local residents to 2 years of suspended sentence, considering that 75-year-old Zolotova and 44-year-old Bazhenovs participated in the activities of an extremist organization by discussing the Bible with fellow believers. The appeal left the verdict unchanged, but the believers appealed it in the cassation instance, which returned the case for a second appeal hearing. The acquittal verdict, issued by judges D. E. Urban, A. Y. Ivakin and O. F. Slobodchikov, came into force immediately.\nTwo months earlier the Ninth Cassation Court in Vladivostok, having cancelled the appellate decision of the lower court, recommended that the regional court take into consideration the explanation of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation from 28 October 2021, which stated that the worship of Jehovah's Witnesses and their joint rites and ceremonies do not by themselves constitute a crime under Article 282.2 of the Russian Criminal Code.\nThe Russian government has repeatedly stated that decisions of Russian courts to liquidate and ban Jehovah's Witnesses organizations \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses and do not contain restrictions or prohibitions on the individual practice of the above-mentioned doctrine.\"\n","category":"victory","date":"2022-01-18T14:08:30+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/01/181408/image_hu_b05506e0277806bb.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/01/181408/image_hu_b0d75ecffb005917.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/01/181408/image_hu_2aefedfbdfd2ba63.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/01/181408/image_hu_b05f493ee70eb1b2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/01/181408.html","regions":["kamchatka"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["2-appeal","acquittal","282.2-2","families","elderly"],"title":"A secondary appeal acquitted three believers accused of extremism in Kamchatka","type":"news"},{"body":"\"The explanations of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation indicate the erroneous conclusions of the prosecution about my guilt in committing a crime, since the court was not presented with a single evidence that I committed any illegal actions,\" the believer said in court.\n","date":"2022-01-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/162.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Lyudmila Salikova in Snezhinsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"It becomes known that at about 11:00 Yen Sen Lee died in the hospital from COVID-19, and did not have time to restore his good name. He would have turned 70 in March.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Baranov and Li in Vyazemskiy","date":"2022-01-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy.html#20220103","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In her appeal to the court, the defendant said that faith in God is not forbidden. Referring to the explanations of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation dated 28.10.2021, she explained that her actions did not contain signs of extremism.\n","date":"2021-12-28T15:28:32+02:00","permalink":"/en/docs/156.html","regions":["penza"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Maya Krupnova in Nikolsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"On December 6, 2021 the Rostov Regional Court examined the appeal of 69-year-old Vilen Avanessov and his son, Arsen, as well as 54-year-old Aleksandr Parkov. They are all residents of Rostov-on-Don. The panel of judges headed by Gennadiy Peschanov left the sentence of the first instance unchanged: Parkov and Arsen Avanesov were sentenced to 6.5 years of real imprisonment and Vilen Avanesov - to 6.\nThe verdict came into force. The men insist on their complete innocence. They have the right to appeal the decision in cassation and international instances.\nIn July 2021, the prosecutor requested 7 to 7.5 years in a general regime penal colony for the believers. Vladimir Khudaverdyan, a judge of the Leninskiy District Court, found the law-abiding citizens to be extremists, but slightly commuted the sentence. The believers have de-jure served more than half of their sentence, as they were in the pre-trial detention center for 2.5 years while the investigation and the trial were going on.\nIn the late 1980s, the Avanessovs were forced to flee to Russia because of the war in Nagorno-Karabakh. However, there they suffered repressions because of their faith.\nArsen is worried about his retired parents who have poor state of health. In addition, his mother was left alone without proper support. The investigating authorities did not allow her to see either her husband or her son for more than a year. Aleksandr Parkov had immune system problems. His wife Galina, who in January 2021, was also found guilty under the \"extremist\" article, is very worried about her husband's health: \"The conditions in the detention center are not good, he often had stomach aches.\"\nOn May 22, 2019, officials of the Investigative Committee of Russia conducted mass searches in the homes of Rostov residents suspected of practicing the faith of Jehovah's Witnesses. On the same day, a criminal case was opened against Parkov, as well as father and son Avanesov for their religious beliefs alone. Immediately after the searches, the men were taken into pre-trial detention.\nThe charges against the believers were based on numerous falsifications. For example, at one hearing the court questioned a secret witness who had been instructed by the FSB to provoke Jehovah's Witnesses to criticize various denominations and the state. Two other witnesses claimed that their testimony was distorted. According to one of them, during the interrogation a whole paragraph of someone else's statements was attributed to her.\nThe believers repeatedly drew the court's attention to the fact that the religious meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses are not extremist activities, but a peaceful manifestation of faith. They also emphasized the peacefulness of their beliefs. \"In their relations both with the authorities and with other people, Jehovah's Witnesses try to be correct, not to respond to rudeness, but to take the example of the first Christians and Jesus Christ,\" said Arsen Avanesov at one of the court hearings.\nEarlier, convictions of six other Jehovah's Witnesses were confirmed in Rostov-on-Don because of their belief in God. They all received two to four years of suspended sentences.\nThe Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation on 28 October, 2021, brought attention to the inadmissibility of prosecuting Jehovah's Witnesses for their participation in peaceful meetings. According to its ruling, worship of Jehovah's Witnesses and their joint rites and ceremonies do not by themselves constitute a crime under the Article 282.2 of the RF Criminal Code, despite the liquidation and prohibition of their legal entities.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-12-06T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/12/071458/image_hu_6e6e64895debd565.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/12/071458/image_hu_92ea482798a1fef2.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/12/071458/image_hu_a770fd2d959588bb.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/12/071458/image_hu_ec1d0992db8a3d8d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/12/071458.html","regions":["rostov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","liberty-deprivation","families","elderly","fabrications","secret-witness"],"title":"Rostov Regional Court Approved Six to Six and Half Years in Prison for Three of Jehovah's Witnesses. They Have Already Served Half of Their Sentence in Pre-Trial Detention","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 24, 2021, the Eighth General Jurisdiction Court of Cassation canceled the appeal ruling against 67-year-old Yuriy Savelyev and returned the case to the stage of appeal consideration in a different composition of the court. The believer's defense hopes for his acquittal.\nBack in December 2020, the Leninskiy District Court of Novosibirsk sentenced Yuriy Savelyev to 6 years in prison. The believer appealed against the verdict in the Novosibirsk Regional Court. The appeal upheld the the term of imprisonment, but changed the additional punishment, which imposed restrictions on Savelyev's activities after serving the term. In response, the deputy prosecutor of the Novosibirsk region, M.I. Askerov, filed a cassation appeal, demanding that Savelyev be deprived of the \"right to engage in activities related to leadership and participation in public and religious organizations.\" This submission was satisfied by the cassation panel of judges consisting of E.V. Starchikova, E.V. Volkova and O.V. Plastinina.\nSince the sentence to Savelyev is now considered not to have entered into force, Yuriy cannot apply for a mitigation of punishment or ask for parole. The believer has been behind bars for over 3 years.\nThe appellate instance in the new composition may issue an acquittal in the Savelyev case in connection with the new version of the ruling of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of June 28, 2011, which states that joint services in themselves do not constitute a crime under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, which the security forces use to organize the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses. These amendments have already been applied in the criminal case of Dmitriy Barmakin from the Primorsky Territory, and he was fully acquitted.\n","category":"trial","date":"2021-11-30T13:20:51+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/11/301320/image_hu_2f66d8edcd0c7a30.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/11/301320/image_hu_b38b732c7ec5a05c.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/11/301320/image_hu_a4930f7a59dfdc1d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/11/301320/image_hu_1757c58f06249e7d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/11/301320.html","regions":["novosibirsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["cassation","2-appeal","liberty-deprivation","282.2-1","elderly"],"title":"The Cassation Court Returned to the Appeal Stage the Case of Yuriy Savelyev, Who Is Serving a Sentence in a Colony for His Faith in Jehovah God","type":"news"},{"body":"In Zheleznovodsk, searches are being carried out at eight addresses, including Zinaida Minenko. The security forces confiscate religious literature, media, electronic devices, documents, as well as jewelry and savings belonging to her.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Minenko in Zheleznovodsk","date":"2021-11-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zheleznovodsk.html#20211126","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["search","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On November 26, 2021 searches were conducted in the resort town of Zheleznovodsk. Officers from the FSB and the Center for Counteracting Extremism entered the homes of what they believe to be Jehovah's Witnesses. A criminal case was initiated against Zinaida Minenko, 82, and she had to sign not to leave agreement.\nInvestigations in the town began around 7 a. m. and lasted from 1 to 5 hours. In several cases, according to believers, operatives planted flash drives with unknown content as well as books from the Federal List of Extremist Materials in their homes. Electronic devices, media, photographs, personal records, and bank cards were taken from the believers; one of the victims had a large amount of personal savings.\nUpdate. In the early morning, the security forces came to Zinaida Minenko, who will turn 82 in January, and read her a search warrant. The believer is a visually impaired group I. The surprise of the elderly woman, who almost can’t see, found it difficult to understand what was happening. A year ago, she was widowed, and now she lives alone, so there was no one to help her. The security officials said that they \u0026ldquo;found\u0026rdquo; a prohibited publication on her. However, according to Zinaida, it was a toss. Without giving her the opportunity to eat or drink water, the operatives took her away to search the garage. The elderly believer became very cold, and later she became ill with her heart. She was taken to a hospital where she was treated and then taken home. According to Zinaida, no one took into account her limitations and age, she felt insulted, not understanding why she was being treated this way. It also became known that the searches affected three women who were not Jehovah's Witnesses.\nBack in 2016, believers in Stavropol Territory reported that security forces were planting prohibited items on them. Sometimes this was clearly recorded by surveillance cameras. As a result, criminal cases were brought against 14 Jehovah's Witnesses from this region for their belief in God. 90-year-old Rimma Vaschenko from Nevinnomyssk was the oldest \"extremist\" in Russia. She died in January 2021, not having had time to defend her good name in court.\n","category":"crime","date":"2021-11-26T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/police_hu_2f65dda10841e67d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/police_hu_2b40327c6e1ef222.jpg","webp":"/news/common/police_hu_3a4c01a862f01eb1.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/police_hu_513decae2289ba0d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/12/061134.html","regions":["stavropol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","elderly","disability","plant"],"title":"At Least Six Searches of Jehovah's Witnesses Took Place in the Stavropol Territory. A Criminal Case Was Brought Against an 82-Year-Old Visually Impaired Woman","type":"news"},{"body":"Pavel Gogolin, senior investigator of the Pyatigorsk Investigation Department of the Stavropol Territory Investigative Committee, is initiating a criminal case against 81-year-old Zinaida Minenko. According to the investigator, the believer, \"acting deliberately, together with persons unidentified by the investigation, on a date and time not established by the investigation ... took part in the activities of the LRO of Jehovah's Witnesses in the city of Zheleznovodsk... through interviews to promote its activities, recruit new members, and participate directly in the organization's activities.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Minenko in Zheleznovodsk","date":"2021-11-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zheleznovodsk.html#20211125","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A criminal case is being opened against the believer under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. According to investigators, Oleinik's extremist actions boil down to the fact that she provided her apartment and electronic devices for religious meetings with fellow believers, and also participated in worship services herself.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Oleynik in Novosibirsk","date":"2021-11-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk6.html#20211118","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["282.2-2","new-case","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On November 17, 2021, the judge of the Seversk City Court of the Tomsk Region Svetlana Chebotareva found Yelena Saveliyeva, a teacher with forty years of experience, guilty under the article on the activities of an extremist organization and sentenced her to four years of suspended sentence for talking about the Bible.\nThe verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed. The believer insists on her complete innocence. There are no victims in the case. The prosecutor asked the court to impose a fine of half a million rubles on the believer.\nYelena was born at the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, the first years of her life were spent in poverty, hunger and fear. She was raised by her grandmother and later returned to be raised by her mother and stepfather, who abused her. Yelena left home early to study and devoted her life to teaching. Currently, 80-year-old Yelena Saveliyeva is a widow. The criminal prosecution damaged the reputation of the peaceful pensioner and caused her a lot of grief.\nThe case against Yelena Saveliyeva was opened on March 25, 2021 by the investigator A. G. Kolpakov. It was investigated for about 3 months by the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation in the Tomsk Region. The criminal case was based on testimony from two women who portrayed an interest in the Bible. FSB agent Kira Klisheva and Rosgvardia employee Yelena Studenova recorded conversations with an elderly woman on a dictaphone and a video camera, and transferred these recordings to law enforcement agencies.\nFrom the indictment in the case of Yelena Saveliyeva in the commission of a crime, it is clear that the criminal prosecution of an elderly believer is carried out only for religious reasons. Peaceful conversations with people about God are interpreted as \"persuading, recruiting and involving\" other persons in the activities of an organization banned in Russia.\nIn total, 7 criminal cases were initiated against Jehovah's Witnesses in the Tomsk Region. In 2020, the court sentenced one of them - Sergey Klimov - to 6 years in prison in a general regime colony only because of his faith in Jehovah God.\n“Innocuous believers are accused of 'grave crimes', but there are no victims in the case, nor any signs of real crimes against a person or the state,\"— Yaroslav Sivulskiy, a representative of the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses, comments on the current situation in Russia.\nRussian and foreign leaders and organizations unanimously condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. This is how the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) comments on the situation in Russia: “All people, including Jehovah's Witnesses, should be able to peacefully and without discrimination enjoy freedom of religion and assembly, as guaranteed by the Constitution of the Russian Federation and Russia's international obligations, including Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the European Convention on Human Rights. In light of this, we call on the authorities to drop charges against all detainees for exercising their rights to freedom of religion, expression and peaceful assembly, and to release them.”\nOn October 28, 2021, the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation ruled that the divine services of Jehovah's Witnesses, their joint rituals and ceremonies do not in themselves constitute a crime under Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, despite the liquidation of their legal entities. During the meeting of the Plenary Session, Judge-Rapporteur Yelena Peysikova separately noted that new clarifications had appeared in pursuance of the instructions of the President of Russia.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-11-17T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/11/181626/image_hu_259f212630edfd3b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/11/181626/image_hu_3058861249cb0df9.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/11/181626/image_hu_bedaa4373ab27ccc.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/11/181626/image_hu_b4752e8310201295.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/11/181626.html","regions":["tomsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["suspended","sentence","elderly","282.2-1.1","secret-witness"],"title":"The Court in Seversk Sentenced the 80-Year-Old Widow Yelena Saveliyeva to Four Years of Suspended Sentence for Talking About Jehovah God","type":"news"},{"body":"In her appeal to the court, Yelena Savelyeva spoke about the groundlessness of persecuting Jehovah's Witnesses for their faith. \"Neither the Bible nor the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses calls for violence, extremism, enmity and disobedience to the authorities,\" she said.\n","date":"2021-11-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/146.html","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Elena Savelyeva in Seversk","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his final remarks, Alexander Kostrov explained the preaching work of Jehovah's Witnesses. The accusations of extremism against believers are absurd because they strictly adhere to the laws of both God and the state.\n","date":"2021-11-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/144.html","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Alexander Kostrov in Lipetsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"At 6 o'clock in the morning, investigator Zorina issues a decision to search the 63-year-old resident of Prokopyevsk, Pavel Brilkov. At about 8:00 a.m., the senior investigator of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee Kuzmina comes to his home to carry out investigative actions.\nAlso, a search is taking place at 46-year-old Yuri Chernykh, the father of a minor child. This is the second search in the Chernoy family. Previously, Brilkov and Chernykh were witnesses in the case of Andrei Vlasov. Now the investigation imputes these men to participate in the activities of a banned organization.\nInvestigator Zorin interrogates Yuri Chernykh. He uses Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, which gives him the right not to testify against himself and his loved ones. The investigator hands over to the believer the decision to initiate criminal case No. 12102320012000120 against him. Yuriy is obliged to appear. The investigator is also questioning Pavel Brilkov and his wife. Believers also use Article 51 of the Constitution.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vlasov in Prokopyevsk","date":"2021-11-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopevsk.html#20211110","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["search","interrogation","summon","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The searches that took place in Moscow and Moscow region on October 20, 2021, were not without violations of the rights of special categories of citizens — sick and pensioners. According to eyewitnesses, at times the security forces resorted to groundless threats, and one of the task forces took an unhealthy man away for questioning only because his mother was a Jehovah's Witness.\nAs a reminder, as a result of the raids, three Jehovah's Witnesses were detained, two of them — Roman Mareyev and Sergey Tolokonnikov — were sent to a pre-trial detention center.\nAs the believers said, during the searches, on the whole, the operatives behaved respectfully, but there were exceptions. For example, in one of the cases, the security forces came to a believing woman early in the morning when she was at work. She had to hurriedly return home, because the unexpected visit greatly frightened her sick son, a disabled person of the II group, suffering from mental illness. To avoid aggravating her son's condition, the woman asked law enforcement officers let her son not be present during the search and to wait at her neighbor's, but she was refused. She says: “My son was stressed. He hit the wall with his fist and kept asking: 'Won't you take me away?'\nAlthough the security forces did not want to take the believer's son away for interrogation, at the insistence of their superiors, they nevertheless brought both of them to the police station. “The son was nervous and cried loudly,” the woman said. During the interrogation, the investigators asked the detainees to describe Jehovah's Witnesses, express their \"attitude towards priests,\" and also inform them if they saw fellow believers at home.\nA group of six security officials broke into the apartment of a 71-year-old believer and her husband with diabetes mellitus at 6 a.m. The operatives violently searched woman's room: they threw all things out of the closets and turned over the beds. They confiscated a tablet, a telephone, a hard drive and unbanned editions of the Bible in the Synodal Translation and Archimandrite Macarius' translation from the hostess. Mockery and threats were poured at the believer. The law enforcers said: “You are extremists! You will go to jail. \" After a three-hour search, the spouses were taken for interrogation, despite the elderly woman's poor health and high temperature.\nOn the same morning, a task force of 6 people came to the 83-year-old believer. The officers confiscated from her a laptop, an e-book, a telephone, a Bible in the translation of Archimandrite Macarius, letters, several photographs and a postcard. After an almost 4-hour search, the believer was taken to the police station. The electronic devices were returned to the pensioner on the same day.\nThus, after new searches, already seven believers from Moscow and the Moscow region are in jail. One of them, Sean Pike, faced manifestations of domestic racism there.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2021-11-01T11:03:03+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/2020-07-20%20102849_hu_5783e3cbd337048b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/2020-07-20%20102849_hu_a234457528dca01e.jpg","webp":"/news/common/2020-07-20%20102849_hu_8f79b96ea004e7e2.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/2020-07-20%20102849_hu_1501106046a48824.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/11/011103.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","disabled","sizo","interrogation","elderly","disability"],"title":"During Searches of Jehovah's Witnesses in Moscow, Security Forces Detained a Disabled Person with a Mental Disorder and Threatened the Elderly","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 20, 2021, at least 8 home searches took place in different districts of Moscow and one in the Odintsov City District of the Moscow Region. 67-year-old Anatoliy Marunov, 49-year-old Sergey Tolokonnikov and 43-year-old Roman Mareev were detained. At least one criminal case has been opened.\nThe searches began early in the morning and often lasted an unusually long time, up to 9 hours. Law enforcers were looking for \"extremist literature,\" in particular the Bible, as well as weapons and drugs. Investigative actions were initiated by Christina Moskalets, an investigator for especially important cases of the Department for especially important cases of the Investigative Directorate (previously, Moscow believers had already been searched on her initiative). Interrogations of believers in the new criminal case took place in that location.\nThe Tolokonnikov family, living in a garden non-profit partnership (SNT) in the village of Solmanovo (Odintsovo urban district of the Moscow region), was invaded by a group of 8 law enforcement officers in masks and camouflage, one of them was armed with a machine gun, at about six in the morning. They tried to enter the apartment under a false pretext, but later directly stated that the police had come. In addition to the spouses, Sergey's 74-year-old mother-in-law was in the house at that time, who did not share his religious views. The security forces seized her pension and social cards. Electronic devices and personal records were seized from believers, as well as money belonging to members of the SNT and intended to pay utility bills.\nAfter a 7-hour search in Odintsovo, law enforcement officers took the Tolokonnikov family to Moscow to search their apartment in the city. Sergey's mother-in-law became ill, and the security officials, having interrogated her right on the bus, allowed her to return home. After the second search, the spouses were taken for interrogation to the Investigative Committee. Sergey was detained and placed in a temporary detention center. His wife was released and told that \"it makes no sense to wait for her husband in the next seven years.\"\nThe security officials also came to the Marunov family, living in the Khoroshevskiy District of Moscow, at about 6 am. A group of 8 people conducted the search for 9 hours. Various editions of the Bible, personal records, and electronic devices were seized from the family, including from their son, who is not one of Jehovah's Witnesses. All three were taken to the Investigative Committee. After an hour of interrogation, Anatoliy Marunov's wife and son were released, and he himself was detained.\nUpdate. On October 22, 2021, Dmitriy Neudakhin, judge of the Savelovsky District Court of Moscow, selected a measure of restraint in the form of house arrest for Anatoliy Marunov. He is prohibited from leaving his home, using communication devices and the Internet, and sending and receiving correspondence until December 20, 2021. The investigation accused the law-abiding pensioner of committing extremist activities (part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code).\nIt also became known that Roman Mareev and Sergey Tolokonnikov are under quarantine in pre-detention center No. 7 in Moscow on Verkhniye Polya Street, 57.\nThe family of Roman Mareev, living in Vykhino-Zhulebino, was woken up by the security forces at 5 am. The whole group was in civilian clothes, no documents were presented. Entering the apartment, the security forces shouted: \"Down on the floor!\" After Roman's 71-year-old mother, pointing to the floor, asked: \"Right here?\" — the security forces allowed her to keep standing.\nRoman's elderly father was also at home, who, after two heart attacks and a leg injury, walks on crutches. He and his wife are on disability, so what is happening was a great shock for them. The search lasted 9 hours. During all this time, the security forces did not allow Roman to eat. Digital equipment was seized from the believer, as well as a large amount of money collected to buy a dacha. Law enforcement officers told Roman that a criminal case had been opened against him. He was detained.\nLaw enforcement officers in uniform and with weapons came to Mikhail Zubkov at 6 am. Having learned there were children in the apartment, the security forces behaved correctly and did not even conduct a search in the children's room. After 5 and a half hours, the spouses were taken for interrogation to the Investigative Committee.\nIn addition, searches were carried out in the apartments of four women of different ages.\nAt the moment, five believers are behind bars in Moscow and the Moscow region, and five more are under house arrest. On July 20, 2021, the Moscow Regional Court approved suspended sentences of 2 to 6 years for four believers from the town of Chekhov near Moscow.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2021-10-22T15:33:29+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/search1_hu_160c1337eb3e8062.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/search1_hu_dfb9691ac463f37a.jpg","webp":"/news/common/search1_hu_fb8ed82d5eed3b74.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/search1_hu_79022f8381b9b2b3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/10/221533.html","regions":["moscow","moscow_obl"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","new-case","ivs","elderly","interrogation"],"title":"In Moscow, 3 Believers Sent to Temporary Detention. New Criminal Case Opened Against Jehovah's Witnesses, Raids Took Place","type":"news"},{"body":"The Ust-Abakan District Court denies Valentina Baranovskaya early release from the colony.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Baranovskiy in Abakan","date":"2021-10-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/abakan.html#20211018","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":["mitigation","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On October 18, 2021, the Ust-Abakan District Court of the Republic of Khakassia refused to release 70-year-old Valentina Baranovskaya, convicted of her faith, from the colony. The assigned term of imprisonment for the believer expires in January 2023.\nIn June 2021, Valentina filed a petition for release from serving her sentence on the basis of Article 81 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation \"Release from punishment due to illness.\" Baranovskaya's defense provided the court with a medical report confirming the diagnosis.\nBack in the summer of 2020, Valentina was diagnosed with cerebral infarction. Despite this, after the verdict was passed, the woman was placed in the Detention Center No. 1 of Abakan, where she spent about four months.\nThe elderly believer's lawyer appealed to various authorities to draw attention to the situation of the sick woman in the remand prison.\nIn June 2021, Valentina was transferred to a colony to serve a 2-year sentence. After additional examinations, she was prescribed the necessary medications. “The attending physician visited Valentina in the colony and issued his opinion. The administration of the colony agreed with him, they give her everything that is prescribed, they treat her every day. The therapist and the head of the medical unit treat her well. The treatment is good for her,” the lawyer told the believer.\nMeanwhile, Valentina's son Roman Baranovskiy is in correctional colony No. 3 of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia for the Trans-Baikal Territory, where he will have to spend about 5 and a half more years just because he did not give up his faith in Jehovah God.\n","category":"sentence","date":"2021-10-18T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/referee%27s%20hammer2_hu_cdc5fb2172564231.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/referee%27s%20hammer2.jpg","webp":"/news/common/referee%27s%20hammer2_hu_f79c615f28bc8443.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/referee%27s%20hammer2_hu_813ead7c958d760f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/10/201540.html","regions":["khakassia"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["mitigation","elderly","families"],"title":"The Court Refused to Early Release 70-year-old Valentina Baranovskaya From the Colony, Despite Her Serious Illness","type":"news"},{"body":"The Chelyabinsk Regional Court, with the participation of prosecutor Vladimir Makhov, is considering an appeal against the sentence to Vladimir Suvorov on charges of organizing extremist activities. The court upholds the verdict of the first instance.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Suvorov in Chelyabinsk","date":"2021-10-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk3.html#20211015","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["appeal","elderly","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On October 15, 2021, the Chelyabinsk Regional Court upheld the sentence to Vladimir Suvorov - 6 years suspended for organizing \"extremist activities\". The verdict has entered into force. The believer still insists on his innocence. He has the right to appeal the verdict in cassation, as well as in international instances.\nThe court of first instance did not satisfy the prosecutor's request to send the believer to jail for 7 years. On July 1, 2021, Oksana Mitina, judge of the Metallurgicheskiy District Court of Chelyabinsk, convicted the 75-year-old Jehovah's Witness and sentenced him to 6 years of suspended imprisonment for talking to people about God, holding worship services, singing hymns and prayers. The judge considered it to be the organization of the activities of a banned community.\nVladimir Suvorov has hypertension and a sick heart. His 73-year-old wife, Valentina, was also prosecuted simply because she is one of Jehovah's Witnesses. The court also found her guilty of extremism and sentenced her to 2 years of suspended imprisonment. All this was a new blow after the couple lost their only son a few years ago.\nIn July 2020, Vladimir Suvorov was included in the \"List of Terrorists and Extremists\" of Rosfinmonitoring. This seriously complicated the financial condition of the elderly spouses. In addition, the believer spent about a year under recognizance not to leave.\nVladimir has been one of Jehovah's Witnesses for almost 30 years. Russian courts began to recognize ordinary religious practices as extremist activities and an encroachment on the constitutional order of Russia. Neither the venerable age of the defendants, nor the absence of victims and evidence of guilt in the case stop judges from sentencing believers.\nThe conflict between law and law enforcement practice in Russia, according to the European Court of Human Rights, occurs due to a number of erroneous stereotypes about Jehovah's Witnesses. The ECHR gave this a legal interpretation.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-10-15T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/10/180949/image_hu_3b6a272cde455c9f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/10/180949/image_hu_ee55e53b64517fdf.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/10/180949/image_hu_b3666bfe839127e1.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/10/180949/image_hu_525bbaa5f73c6f19.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/10/180949.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","suspended","282.2-1","elderly","families","rosfinmonitoring"],"title":"The Court of Appeal in Chelyabinsk Upholds the Conviction of 75-Year-Old Jehovah's Witness Vladimir Suvorov","type":"news"},{"body":"Igor Kletkin and Vladislav Markov are charged with committing a crime under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\nNadezhda Korobochko is being interrogated as a suspect in the case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kononenko and Others in Nikolayevsk-on-Amur","date":"2021-10-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nikolayevsk_na_amure.html#20211012","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["282.2-2","interrogation","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A. Borsuk, senior investigator of the Nikolaev-on-Amur Interdistrict Investigation Department of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee for the Khabarovsk Territory and the Jewish Autonomous Region, initiates a criminal case under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code against 60-year-old Igor Kletkin and 38-year-old Vladislav Markov. Searches are being conducted at the homes of Kletkin, Markov and 78-year-old Nadezhda Korobochko. Men are detained.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kononenko and Others in Nikolayevsk-on-Amur","date":"2021-10-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nikolayevsk_na_amure.html#20211011","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["new-case","search","recognizance-agreement","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On the evening of October 11, 2021, in Nikolaevsk-on-Amur, searches were carried out in the homes of local believers, including the home of a 78-year-old woman. Two men were detained for 48 hours. Details are being specified.\nNikolaevsk-on-Amur has become the seventh settlement in the Khabarovsk Territory, where the authorities unreasonably persecute believers on religious grounds. Prior to that, criminal cases against 20 local residents were initiated in Khabarovsk, Komsomolsk-on-Amur, Vyazemsky, Bikin, Sovetskaya Gavan and the village of Solnechny. Jehovah's Witnesses are accused of gathering to read the Bible and pray together, including online. Security officials often interpret these actions as the activities of a banned extremist organization. This contradicts the provision of the Russian Constitution, which enshrines the right to profess any religion, as well as the assurances of the authorities that the faith of Jehovah's Witnesses is not prohibited.\nUpdate. As it became known, on October 11, 2021, a criminal case was initiated under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation against local believers. The next day, 60-year-old Igor Kletkin, who was detained after the search, was charged by the security forces. On October 13, 2021, Nikita Rubtsov, judge of the Nikolaevsky-on-Amur Court of the Khabarovsk Territory, rejected the investigator\u0026rsquo;s petition to detain the believer and placed him under a recognizance agreement. The investigator also brought in another man as a defendant in the case, and a 78-year-old believer as a suspect. They also chose a measure of restraint in the form of a written undertaking not to leave. ","category":"siloviki","date":"2021-10-11T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/police_hu_2f65dda10841e67d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/police_hu_2b40327c6e1ef222.jpg","webp":"/news/common/police_hu_3a4c01a862f01eb1.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/police_hu_513decae2289ba0d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/10/131059.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","elderly","recognizance-agreement"],"title":"Searches at Homes of Jehovah's Witnesses Were Again Carried Out in the Khabarovsk Territory. At Least Two Believers Were Detained","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 11, 2021, the criminal case against 19 Jehovah's Witnesses from Surgut and one person mistakenly accepted by the investigation as a Jehovah's Witness was transferred to the Surgut City Court. The case has been assigned to judge Dmitriy Lupin.\nThere were 19 believers in the dock, aged 22 to 71. Among them is one woman.\nIn 2019, Surgut became the first city in modern Russia where the Witnesses were brutally tortured by the security forces. During interrogation in the Investigative Committee, seven detained men (six of them are now in the status of defendants) were tortured with electric current, beaten and strangled until they lost consciousness, forcing them to incriminate themselves and their loved ones. From the stories of the victims, it follows that among the torturers there was a special group of security officials specially assigned to the region, who have the practice of beating testimonies from detainees.\nVictims of torture filed complaints with the European Court of Human Rights, reported the incident to the Human Rights Ombudsman for the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug, employees of the offices of the Human Rights Ombudsman of the Russian Federation, as well as Mikhail Fedotov, head of the Council under the President of Russia for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights (HRC). The latter said: : \"We cannot allow such an evil to exist on our land.\"\nNevertheless, until now none of the officers involved in the torture in Surgut has been brought to justice. Impunity led to the subsequent torture of Jehovah's Witnesses by the security forces in other regions. The last of the recorded cases occurred in Irkutsk during searches of believers.\n","category":"trial","date":"2021-10-11T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/10/211504/image_hu_ba0a7fc346b467cc.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/10/211504/image_hu_d59161ded58471d5.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/10/211504/image_hu_b4a6c8558fb88e1b.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/10/211504/image_hu_99b96686041d6097.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/10/211504.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["to-court","elderly"],"title":"Trial Begins in Surgut in the Case Against 19 Jehovah's Witnesses, Six of Whom Were Tortured During Interrogation","type":"news"},{"body":"On 4 October 2021, starting at 6:00 a.m., brigades of armed Rosgvardiya officers led by investigators surrounded the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in Irkutsk and the village of Pivovarikha. At least nine searches are known to have been carried out at different addresses. Windows were broken in one of the houses.\nBelievers are detained for interrogation. Some were released. Among others, searches are being conducted in the family home of 52-year-old Yaroslav Kalin, as well as in the home of 63-year-old Nikolay Martynov. The news is being updated.\nUpdate. According to updated information, searches were carried out in 13 families of Jehovah's Witnesses. Six believers were sent to jail: 52-year-old Yaroslav Kalin, 34-year-old Mikhail Moish, 45-year-old Alexei Solnechny, 61-year-old Sergey Kosteev, 63-year-old Nikolai Martynov and 46-year-old Andrey Tolmachev. Another, 70-year-old Sergey Vasilyev, was placed under house arrest after 2 days behind bars.\nThe issue of choosing a preventive measure for the detained believers was decided in the Irkutsk court on October 5 and 6, 2021. On the first day, about 300 people gathered outside the courthouse, wishing to support their fellow believers. After a while, they were approached by women living nearby, who learned that there were believers in court. They brought hot tea with them to express their sympathy.\nPhoto: In Irkutsk, about 300 of their friends came to the courthouse, where the measure of restraint was chosen for 6 believers, to support them After 2017, followers of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses are erroneously charged with crimes under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code, as investigators interpret ordinary religious practice as participation in the activities of an organization banned by the court. Often the victims of searches and detentions are also acquaintances, relatives of believers or even random persons taken for Jehovah's Witnesses by mistake.\nIrkutsk Region became the 69th region in Russia where residents are criminally prosecuted for believing in Jehovah's God. Jehovah's Witnesses have lived in this area since the days of Operation \"North\", when they were victims of the largest confessional deportation in Soviet history. The believers were later rehabilitated, so the mass roundups and criminal cases against Jehovah's Witnesses in contemporary Russia are of concern to historians and legal scholars.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2021-10-04T15:29:55+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/vtorzghenie%20v%20hmao_hu_229e631042cd16de.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/vtorzghenie%20v%20hmao.jpg","webp":"/news/common/vtorzghenie%20v%20hmao_hu_39c2864546161103.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/vtorzghenie%20v%20hmao_hu_6e6fc384b7db62d4.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/10/041529.html","regions":["irkutsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation","sizo","house-arrest","elderly"],"title":"In the Irkutsk Region, the Officials Conducts Searches in the Families of Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Valentina in the colony. He notes her positive attitude. Despite her serious health problems, she helps other prisoners with cleaning, and this has a positive effect on her relationships with others.\nIn the colony, Valentina was visited by a doctor who confirmed her earlier diagnosis. The administration and medical staff of the colony listened to the expert's opinion, thanks to which Valentina was able to receive the necessary daily treatment. This had a beneficial effect on the health of the elderly believer.\nValentina intends to apply for parole and is already trying to do everything possible to avoid complaints from the administration. But in case of refusal, the believer is ready to serve her term in full.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Baranovskiy in Abakan","date":"2021-09-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/abakan.html#20210909","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":["life-in-prison","prison-treatment","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Chepenko is prosecuting 70-year-old Lyudmila Salikova as a defendant under a more serious article - organizing the activities of a banned organization (part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). According to the investigation, Lyudmila Salikova, \"using her authority as an experienced follower of the religious teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses, organized the admission of new members to the Religious Organization 'Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia' ... imported and imported into the Russian Federation for subsequent illegal mass distribution of religious information materials included in the federal list of extremist materials\".\n","caseTitle":"Case of Salikova in Snezhinsk","date":"2021-08-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/snezhinsk.html#20210826","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["282.2-1","elderly","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A panel of three judges of the Primorsky Krai Court, headed by Svetlana Gumenchuk, leaves the verdict for faith unchanged. 73-year-old Lyudmila Shut is still at large.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shut in Razdolnoye","date":"2021-08-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volno-nadezhdinskoye2.html#20210825","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["appeal","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On July 28, 2021 the panel of judges of the Primorsky Krai Court, chaired by Svetlana Gumenchuk, approved the verdict for Lyudmila Shut on appeal. The disabled person from the village of Razdolnoye was sentenced to 4 years of suspended imprisonment with probation for 3 years and restriction of freedom for 1 year for reading and discussing the Bible.\nOn May 19, 2021 Nadezhdinsky district court of Primorskiy region found Lyudmila Shut guilty of \"committing crime according to part 2 Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation\" (participation in activity of prohibited organization). The court sentenced her to four years of suspended imprisonment. The believer received such a verdict because she had participated in peaceful religious meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses and talked to others about God. The believer appealed the verdict because she considers herself completely innocent.\n\"I will not make excuses, because I never understood what exactly I am being judged for. My conscience is clear before God and before people... In the indictment there are no facts of the crimes of which I am accused. It turns out that I am being accused for the fact that I try to live honestly, respect and observe the laws of the state and do no harm to anyone,\" said Lyudmila in her last speech during the appeal hearing.\nNevertheless, the appeal panel of three judges decided to uphold the conviction. The believer has the right to appeal it in cassation, as well as in international instances.\nThe criminal prosecution of Lyudmila Shut began on July 19, 2018, when searches were conducted in the homes of local Jehovah's Witnesses in the village of Razdolnoye. After that, Lyudmila was summoned for questioning several times over a year and a half. Investigator Denis Shevchenko opened a criminal case against her on 10 February 2020.\nWitnesses in the Shut case, according to their statements, were subjected to pressure from the security forces, the investigative measures were carried out with violations of the rules of jurisdiction, and the court during the hearings considered the conclusions of a specialist who is not an expert in the field of law.\nDuring the entire investigation Liudmila Shut was under house arrest. After 5 months of court proceedings, the state prosecutor called off judge Natalia Derevyagina, and Lyudmila Setrakova was appointed the new judge. The believer, who can move around only with the help of others or on crutches, was forced to go through all stages of the trial anew. The prosecution worsened Lyudmila's health, her eyesight deteriorated and she needed an operation. After the interrogations, she repeatedly had to call an ambulance.\nAlready 36 residents of Primorye are trapped in the grip of the Russian judicial system simply for their belief in their God Jehovah. In March 2021 Lyudmila's fellow villager, 77-year-old Vladimir Filippov, was sentenced to 6 years of suspended imprisonment for participating in peaceful worship services.\nRussian and foreign activists and organizations unanimously condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. Vladimir Ryakhovsky, Honorary Advocate of Russia, Member of the Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights: \"It always started with Jehovah's Witnesses and then reflected on everyone.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-08-25T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/08/251431/image_hu_18250a4fb073e53d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/08/251431/image_hu_13722ac3f8d2c6da.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/08/251431/image_hu_6562c1d4fe513441.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/08/251431/image_hu_effab4b09ad5d306.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/08/251431.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","suspended","282.2-2","elderly","disability"],"title":"Appeal in Vladivostok Approved the Sentence of Four Years of Conditional Imprisonment for a 73-Year-Old Believer","type":"news"},{"body":"On August 23, 2021, the Perm Regional Court rejected the appeal of five Jehovah's Witnesses. Boris Burylov, Viktor Kuchkov, Alexandr Inozemtsev and Yuriy Vaag were found guilty of participation, and Igor Turik was found guilty of organizing and financing extremist activities. The sentence imposed by the court of first instance has not changed.\nIn May 2021, the judge of the Industrial District Court of Perm, Viktor Podyniglazov, sentenced Igor Turik to 7 years of suspended imprisonment with a probationary period of 4 years; Boris Burylov, Viktor Kuchkov, Alexandr Inozemtsev and Yuriy Vaag received 2.5 years of probation with a probation period of 3 years. Believers still insist on their innocence. They have the right to appeal against the verdict in cassation procedure, as well as in international instances.\nBoris Burylov is already over 80. He is a respected person who has almost half a century of work experience, he has been repeatedly awarded for conscientious work. 52-year-old Igor Turik is raising two children. Alexandr Inozemtsev is 48 years old, he also has a child who is still a minor. For 45-year-old Yuriy Vaag, the criminal case was a continuation of the tragic history of the family: during the Soviet era, his parents were exiled to Siberia on a national basis.\nOn September 17, 2018, in Perm and other cities of the Perm Territory, searches were carried out in the homes of peaceful believers. FSB officers threatened them with lengthy prison terms. As it turned out, the special services tapped the phones of Turik, Kuchkov and Burylov and conducted covert surveillance behind them.\nIgor Turik and Viktor Kuchkov spent 3 days in the temporary detention facility, 101 days under house arrest, and more than 2 years under recognizance agreement. Alexandr Inozemtsev, Yuriy Vaag and Boris Burylov were under recognizance agreement for more than 2.5 years. According to Alexandr Inozemtsev, due to being included in the federal list of Rosfinmonitoring, at first, their family faced serious financial difficulties: “I had to borrow money, since we live in a rented apartment, and the bank account was blocked.”\nThe believers were helped by the support of relatives, friends and fellow believers from different countries. Igor Turik recalls: “I received a lot of letters and postcards, [friends] gave money and food. There were calls and letters from Poland, Germany, Spain, Austria, USA, Japan... For example, it was very touching to learn that fellow believers in the distant country of Gabon pray for us by name. During this time, we never once needed, although there was no income and we had to pay for a rented apartment.\"\nThis is the third verdict that came into force on believers from the Perm Territory. In September 2019, the court upheld the sentence to Alexandr Solovyev, who was fined 300,000 rubles for his faith in Jehovah God. In April 2021, a court in Chelyabinsk approved a fine of 350 thousand rubles to Alexey Metzger.\nDespite the fact that there is not a single victim in the criminal case against Turik, Inozemtsev, Burylov, Kuchkov and Vaag, and the faith of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia is not prohibited, believers have had to defend their innocence in courts for almost three years. The prosecution was able to prove only the fact that the men are Jehovah's Witnesses, although they never hid it.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-08-23T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/08/241019/image_hu_cd8180bf690cb93b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/08/241019/image_hu_6fa9506ff9be28e.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/08/241019/image_hu_77dc4ffe80b18557.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/08/241019/image_hu_cc201bf290bf23e3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/08/241019.html","regions":["perm"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","suspended","282.2-2","282.2-1","282.3-1","elderly"],"title":"The Court of Appeal in Perm Upheld the Verdict Against 5 Believers. Conditional Terms From 2.5 to 7 Years Were Approved","type":"news"},{"body":"Olga Opaleva, a 69-year-old pensioner from Primorye, has been prosecuted for her faith in Jehovah for the third year. The security forces searched and detained the believer, knowing that she had a heart attack the night before. A few months later, on the way to the hearing, Olga suffered a stroke. In another city, Olga's son, Vitaliy Ilinykh, is on trial for his convictions.\nThe criminal case against Olga was initiated on November 12, 2018. A few days later her house was searched. Recalling those events, Olga says: “They took a grinder and sawed the door for me. They asked me: ‘Why didn’t you open it?’ I couldn’t answer, because I had a heart attack right the night before”. Despite this, law enforcement officers forcibly took the elderly woman for questioning to the investigator. Olga Opaleva spent the next two days in a temporary detention center. The believer says: “After a heart attack, of course, I felt very bad. They put handcuffs on me, brought me to court, put me in a cage.\" The judge put the elderly woman under house arrest.\nA few months later, Olga Opaleva suffered a stroke when a Federal Correctional Service vehicle came for her to take her to the hearing. As a result, an ambulance took her to the intensive care unit of a local hospital. The believer's lawyer Aleksey Izbrekht says: \"According to the documents, she was admitted to a medical institution in a serious condition.\" Vitaliy, Olga's son, recalls: “When I saw her in this state, to say simply that I was worried is, in principle, to say nothing. When our eyes met, the first thing she did was smile, she burst into tears. \"\nJust a few days later, Vitaliy Ilinykh himself was detained because of his faith in Jehovah God. Now both mother and son are involved in criminal cases. Vitaliy explains: “With the criminal prosecution of my mother, the litigation began, which now affected me. As the investigator told me, if you remain Jehovah's Witness, in fact, if you have not renounced your religion, then you are an extremist. When I tried to explain what is the difference between a faith and a legal entity, the investigator simply refused to listen and said: “I don't care. I do my job, I am told what to do and I do it. \" The court chose a preventive measure against Vitaliy in the form of a recognizance not to leave the place.\nOlga Opaleva's lawyer notes: “She is accused of talking to people on biblical topics. And such talk about the Bible is imputed by the investigation as recruitment. The prosecution itself does not deny the fact that no damage, no real damage from Opaleva's actions arose.” He adds: “To suspect such people in actions of an extremist nature is, of course, an absurd accusation.”\nOlga and Vitaliy assure that the persecution did not deprive them of their peaceful convictions and did not shake their faith in God. Vitaliy is sure: “It's better with God in prison than without God at liberty.”\n","category":"eyewitnesses","date":"2021-08-09T16:01:50+03:00","duration":"3:52","image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/08/091601/image_hu_117eef9d58047f1c.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/08/091601/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/08/091601/image_hu_15e2eb3a139deb77.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/08/091601/image_hu_83fbd624e57730da.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/08/091601.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["video","elderly","health-risk","families"],"title":"\"After a Heart Attack, I Was Put Into a Cage in Handcuffs.\" The Story of the Persecution for Faith of Olga Opaleva and Her Son in Primorye","type":"video"},{"body":"The case against Galina Kobeleva is being separated into a separate proceeding in connection with the serious illness of a 65-year-old believer.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Grinenko and Others in Lesozavodsk","date":"2021-08-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesozavodsk.html#20210805","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On July 30, 2021 a search was conducted in the house of 68-year-old Aleksandr Shutov and his wife in the village of Kotikovo in Vyazemskiy district. During the raid, the believer's blood pressure spiked critically, but he was taken away for questioning 150 km away from his place of residence. Aleksandr was accused of extremism. He signed a not to leave the place.\nThe criminal case was initiated under Part 2 of Article 282.2 (participation in activities of a banned organization). The prosecution was initiated by lieutenant of justice S. V. Nemtsev, investigator of the Investigatory unit of Directorate of FSB of Russia for Khabarovsk territory. Nemtsev was joined in the search of the elderly couple's home by FSB officer Aleksey Svetochev, who organized the criminal persecution of other Jehovah's Witnesses in the town of Vyazemsky. After the search, Aleksandr Shutov was taken to Khabarovsk for questioning.\nEarlier, criminal cases were already filed against 68-year-old En Sen Li, 29-year-old Ilya Degtyarenko, 30-year-old Sergey Kuznetsov and 19-year-old Yegor Baranov, who is the only son of a single mother in the area.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2021-08-04T15:43:58+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/constitution-upk_hu_a24241a26f392f42.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/constitution-upk_hu_2d2146de0b155902.jpg","webp":"/news/common/constitution-upk_hu_6136702b1d047fac.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/constitution-upk_hu_d45896703299d623.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/08/041543.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","elderly","new-case","282.2-2","interrogation","health-risk","recognizance-agreement"],"title":"Another Search in Khabarovsk Territory. A Criminal Case Was Brought Against 68-Year-Old Aleksandr Shutov for His Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 29, 2021 the Amur Regional Court upheld the sentence of Vasiliy Reznichenko, a Jehovah's Witness from Zeya convicted earlier to 2 years of suspended imprisonment for talking on religious topics—the court considered it \"participation in the activity of an extremist organization.”\nThe verdict came into force: 2 years of suspended sentence and 6 months of restriction of freedom. The verdict can be appealed in cassation and international instances.\nIn three weeks after the appeal decision, labor veteran Vasiliy Reznichenko will be 79 years old. Most of them he led a habitual Soviet way of life, and for a long time he worked as a captain of a motor ship. Vasiliy and his wife familiarized themselves with the Bible and became Jehovah's Witnesses in the 1990s. For years, the newfound faith of Vasiliy and his co-religionists did not raise any questions from the authorities.\n\"Around 2005 or 2006, the police detained me and my wife several times while we were talking to people about God. We were taken to the police and interrogated. The attitude of the police was not strict. They even took magazines [on Biblical topics] from us to read,\" Vasiliy says. After identification, the believers were released.\nIn 2016, Vasiliy was widowed. About three years later, in March 2019, criminal proceedings began against him.\n\"On the morning of the day I was searched when I was reading the daily scripture. I heard the knock on my door. I thought it was one of the neighbors in the entryway. I opened the door, and there were people I didn't know. One showed his FSB ID and introduced himself. The second wore a mask and had a gun. The others were witnesses. The FSB officer said that I was about to be searched. He warned me not to resist and that everything would be fine,\" Vasiliy said, adding that he was most worried when he was called in for questioning. When I came out of the FSB building to the street after the interrogation, I felt better.\"\nSince March 21, 2019, Vasiliy Reznichenko has been under house arrest, and in November 2019 he was placed on the state List of Terrorists and Extremists. On this basis, the bank blocked all of his personal savings, a significant amount that the pensioner had been saving for many years for his own needs, as well as to help his loved ones. Moreover, at the request of the investigator, the elderly believer had to travel to Blagoveshchensk (almost 600 km away) in order to undergo forensic psychiatric examination.\n\"I am subjected to criminal prosecution for being a Christian, for being a Jehovah's Witness [...] I do not consider it a crime under the Russia’s law. No one has forbidden the Jehovah's Witnesses religion in Russia,\" the believer said in his final statement before the court of first instance ruling.\n15 believers in the Amur Region have already faced criminal prosecution simply because of their religion.\nRussian and foreign opinion makers unanimously condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. Among them is Richard Clayton, Queen's Counsel, UK Representative to the Venice Commission. He notes: \"Recognizing Jehovah's Witnesses as extremists will do nothing to help Russia consolidate its reputation as a civilized country. Any decision against Jehovah's Witnesses will affect others [...] This application of laws forms the image of religious freedom in Russia as extremely negative: ‘You can believe in anything, as long as you believe in what I tell you.’ In my opinion, this is a shocking example of how a bad law is being used for an even worse purpose.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-07-30T18:35:24+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/07/301142/image_hu_cdbd92fe334aebca.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/07/301142/image_hu_7e4d5f2b4963cc75.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/07/301142/image_hu_f4c984cd4600e0c3.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/07/301142/image_hu_65f595403a8f3a9c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/07/301142.html","regions":["amur"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["elderly","appeal","suspended","282.2-2","rosfinmonitoring"],"title":"Appeal Court in Blagoveshchensk Left Unchanged the Verdict for Faith Against 78-year-old Vasiliy Reznichenko","type":"news"},{"body":"In the morning, the Shutov family is searched with the participation of the investigator of the investigation department of the FSB Directorate for the Khabarovsk Territory S.V. Nemtsev and the head of the FSB department for the Vyazemsky district Alexei Svetachev, as well as two detectives and witnesses.\nDuring the search, Aleksandr Shutov and his wife's blood pressure rises to dangerous levels. In this state, Alexander is taken away for interrogation, which lasts 2 hours. Investigator Nemtsev brings Shutov as a defendant in criminal case No. 12107080001000053. After interrogation, the believer is released on his own recognizance.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Shutov in Vyazemsky","date":"2021-07-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy4.html#20210730","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["search","interrogation","recognizance-agreement","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Amur Regional Court upheld the verdict. The Amur Regional Court upheld the verdict.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Reznichenko in Zeya","date":"2021-07-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya.html#20210729","regions":["amur"],"tags":["appeal","elderly","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"D. S. Pozdnyakov, senior investigator-criminalist of the Investigative Department of the FSB of Russia in the Khabarovsk Territory, makes a decision to initiate a criminal case against 68-year-old Alexander Shutov under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation in the activities of an extremist organization).\n","caseTitle":"The case of Shutov in Vyazemsky","date":"2021-07-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy4.html#20210726","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On July 19, 2021, the judge of the Leninskiy District Court of Kirov, Sergey Shvaytser, sentenced 30-year-old Andrey Shchepin to a fine of 500,000 rubles, 60-year-old Aleksandr Shamov - 420,000 rubles, and 72-year-old Yevgeniy Udintsev - 200,000 rubles.\nThe guilt of the convicts lies in the fact that they did not stop believing in Jehovah and talking about the Bible, which the court considered the organization of an extremist community. Initially, the believers were also accused of financing the extremist community, but later the prosecutor dropped this charge. Believers insist on their complete innocence. The verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed in the appellate court.\nOn the morning of March 26, 2019, a series of searches took place in the homes of Kirov residents. On the same day, the Directorate of the Investigative Committee for the Kirov Region opened a criminal case against the three men. The investigation lasted just over 9 months. The investigation relied on the testimony of the witness Potekhin, an employee of the Center for Combating Extremism (CPE). Later it turned out that about half of his testimony, recorded in the protocol by the investigator, coincided with the article on Jehovah's Witnesses from Wikipedia, along with typos and errors in it. As it turned out, the special services also sent an agent named Plastin to the believers, who, pretending to be interested in the Bible, secretly recorded conversations with the accused and worship services. Later, already at the stage of the court hearings, which lasted 1 year and 3 months, a secret witness was questioned, claiming that he was Jehovah's Witness. At the same time, he referred to publications that believers have not used for a long time. Two other prosecution witnesses stated that their testimony was completed by the investigator. There was not a single victim in the case.\nDespite the inconsistencies in the case, the state prosecutor Kolosova asked for severe punishment for the defendants: Shchepin and Shamov – to 4 and 2 years in a general regime colony, respectively, and Udintsev – to a fine of 600 000 rubles.\nIt is paradoxical that Andrey Shchepin, whom the investigation accused of inciting religious hatred, calls for violence and disobedience to the authorities, at one time, out of peaceful convictions, achieved alternative civilian service instead of serving in the army, which he served for 21 months. At the same time, he had the opportunity to get a military ID if he agreed to participate in military training for just a month. The case materials contain positive characteristics of a young believer from a gymnasium, from a place of alternative civilian service, from work and from an elder at home. In them, Andrey is called a non-conflict and non-aggressive person, always ready to help.\nDuring the criminal prosecution, the rights and freedoms of believers were limited. After being detained, Andrey Shchepin spent two days in a temporary detention facility, after which he was banned from certain actions for 2 years and 4 months, and later under recognizance not to leave. All of this made it difficult for Andrey to help his wife take care of a mother who needed special care due to her disability.\nAleksandr Shamov himself is on a disability pension, recovering from a heart attack and heart surgery.\nEvgeniy Udintsev's health also leaves much to be desired: in June 2020, he was forced to leave the meeting due to poor health. Despite the fact that Udintsev is at risk due to age, prosecutor Kolosova, in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, insisted on continuing the meetings in person. The believer was under recognizance not to leave until the verdict was pronounced.\nEarlier in the Kirov region, another Jehovah's Witness, Anatoly Tokarev , was fined 500,000 rubles. Now the case of seven more Kirov believers is pending in court (one of them, Yuriy Geraskov, died under investigation).\nIn July 2020, at a meeting of the Permanent Council of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), 30 member States criticized the repression of Jehovah's Witnesses by the Russian authorities. Their joint statement reads: \"All people, including Jehovah's Witnesses, must be able to peacefully exercise their rights, including the right to freedom of religion, peaceful assembly and expression without discrimination, as guaranteed by the Constitution of the Russian Federation and Russia's OSCE commitments and international law.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-07-19T16:07:37+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/07/191607/image_hu_d31bf6b783b0fe27.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/07/191607/image_hu_4aba966a24720a49.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/07/191607/image_hu_902a4ed783279c92.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/07/191607/image_hu_28971c0198f7f3ba.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/07/191607.html","regions":["kirov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","fine","282.2-1","disability","elderly"],"title":"In Kirov, Andrey Shchepin, Aleksandr Shamov and Yevgeniy Udintsev Got Big Fines for Their Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"Judge of the Kurgan City Court Yevgeny Kolesov chooses Lubin a measure of restraint in the form of detention for a period of 2 months - until September 13.\nNeither the investigator nor the court take into account that the believer has a group II disability. According to the submitted medical certificates, Lubin's detention in the pre-trial detention center poses a real danger to his health and life.\nSince 2018, he has been in need of planned hospitalization. So, in 2020, the believer was treated in a hospital 8 times, and the next planned hospitalization should take place in August 2021. According to the doctors' prescription, Alexander must use an oxygen cylinder for 16 hours a day, which is impossible in an isolation ward. The requirements for prisoners and the daily routine in the pre-trial detention center are an unbearable burden for the believer, since due to constant pain in the hip joints, he can hardly move.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lubin in Shadrinsk","date":"2021-07-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shadrinsk.html#20210716","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["sizo","disability","elderly","medical-rights","health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Addressing the court with the last word, the believer stressed that living the way Jesus Christ taught - according to high standards of morality and purity - is not a crime. He said: \"We live in a state governed by the rule of law, and it is my constitutional right to communicate with fellow believers on spiritual topics.\"\n","date":"2021-07-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/122.html","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["elderly","final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"Vilen Avanesov's last word in Rostov-on-Don","type":"docs"},{"body":"Nikolay Astapov, an investigator for particularly important cases of the First Department of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Kurgan Region, initiates a criminal case against Alexander Lubin and unidentified persons under Parts 1 and 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The investigation interprets peaceful meetings of believers as \"actions of an organizational nature aimed at the continuation and resumption of the activities of a banned organization.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lubin in Shadrinsk","date":"2021-07-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shadrinsk.html#20210713","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","282.2-2","disability","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In her address to the court, the believer emphasized: \"My conscience is clear before God, people and you, dear court. I am glad that I have had the privilege of defending my right to worship the only true God, Jehovah.\"\n","date":"2021-07-12T10:09:09+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/111.html","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Olga Ganusha in Rostov-on-Don","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his last word, the believer drew the court's attention to how the Bible helped him make his marriage happy: \"The fact that the husband is in charge does not mean that he will communicate with his wife as with a stool: where I put it, there you will stand. A husband must learn to love his wife as he loves himself.\"\n","date":"2021-07-09T14:46:39+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/119.html","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Yevgeny Udintsev in Kirov","type":"docs"},{"body":"On February 24, 2021, the Abakan City Court convicted 70-year-old Valentina Baranovskaya and her son, Roman. Both are Jehovah’s Witnesses. Following the verdict, they were immediately taken into custody from the courtroom. Sadly, three months later the appeal court upheld the unjust verdict. They were cruelly and inhumanely sentenced to two and six years in prison, respectively.\nYegiazar Chernikov, attorney: “There is no way that it can be said that they committed any crime. They were just practicing their religion.”\nFriends of the family say what happened is beyond their comprehension: “Why did they imprison such an old and sick woman, and for that long?” A friend of Valentina: “When the ruling was announced, someone was crying quietly because it was impossible to accept this without tears.” A friend of Roman: “It lies outside the realm of human reason that they could possibly be “extremists.””\nHer sentence is the first one in modern-day Russia where a court has convicted and imprisoned a female Witness for her faith, and a 70-year-old at that. She is also the first Witness to be imprisoned for participating in, not organizing, a banned organization. Prior to this, Jehovah’s Witnesses who were accused of violating this article were fined or given a suspended prison sentence.\nAbout the reasons and prerequisites for the absurd verdict says lawyer Yegiazar Chernikov: “The main grounds for prosecuting Valentina and her son are once again the [Supreme Court] decision, which I would call egregious, that was handed down on April 20, 2017. On page 32 of the decision, the Supreme Court specifically noted that the ruling did not interfere with or violate the rights of citizens to meet together or worship freely. Nevertheless, the courts of the Russian Federation who are using this decision are totally ignoring the language in that section.” There is a curious detail in the case. “The charges were based on the evidence of one woman, who, pretending to want to study the Bible, recorded everything on camera; all their discussions, and handed it over to the FSB,” says Valentina's friend, who followed the trial.\nThe criminal case against Valentina and Roman was initiated in April 2019. Their home was subsequently searched. Then in July 2020, due to being under constant stress, Valentina suffered a stroke. Yegiazar Chernikov, attorney: “She was hospitalized, and then they discovered that she had heart problems as well. But despite those circumstances, the court still decided that she needed to be imprisoned, isolated from society.” A friend of Valentina: “Sometimes they had to call an ambulance five or six times a week because her blood pressure would skyrocket, and she would have problems with her heart.”\nDespite Valentina’s health problems and advanced age, the detention authorities forced her to wash the floor of her cell. According to their friends, Valentina and Roman are managing to stay positive despite being imprisoned and separated. In letters, Valentina relates that she eagerly awaits the time when they will be released and reunited. A friend of Roman: “Roman is very worried about his mother. I know that for now, while they’re still in the pretrial detention facility, they’re allowed to write to each other.”\nHow did the Baranovskys meet the hardships that befell them? A friend of Valentina: “The Baranovskiys handled this persecution in a praiseworthy manner. They never panicked. They remained calm and viewed it as something to be expected, and what every Christian should be ready for.” The lawyer who visited Valentina in the detention center said: “Every time I met Valentina, I never heard her express any negative sentiments with regard to her persecutors. She understands what is happening and why it is happening. But she will not renounce her faith just to make life easier, although she was given the opportunity to do so in the course of the investigation.”\nEven this shameful and inhuman verdict did not frighten Valentina and Roman. They remain loyal to their faith. Their friends hope that justice will soon be restored and that this elderly mother and her son will once again enjoy freedom.\n","category":"eyewitnesses","date":"2021-07-06T15:54:15+03:00","duration":"4:14","image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/07/061554/image_hu_53ccfd0c081a294.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/07/061554/image_hu_c57ef60be8ada404.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/07/061554/image_hu_8132a3658fa576dd.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/07/061554/image_hu_9c2d342360ebb0eb.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/07/061554.html","regions":["khakassia"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","families","liberty-deprivation","elderly","sentence","282.2-1","282.2-2"],"title":"What Happened in Abakan? Details Around the Sentence that Sent a 70-Year-Old Woman and Her Son to Prison for Believing in Jehovah","type":"video"},{"body":"On July 1, 2021, Oksana Mitina, a judge of the Metallurgical District Court of Chelyabinsk, found an elderly believer guilty of organizing the activities of a banned organization. She sentenced Vladimir Suvorov to 6 years of conditional imprisonment.\nThe believer will be deprived of the right to engage in activities related to leadership and participation in the activities of religious organizations for a period of 5 years, and will also be restricted in freedom for 10 months with a trial period of 4 years.\nThe verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed. The believer insists on his complete innocence.\nAlthough there is not a single victim in the case, the prosecutor asked the court to sentence Vladimir Suvorov to 7 years in prison.\nThe 75-year-old believer suffers from hypertension and serious heart problems. In 2013, he lost his only son. In March 2021, Vladimir's wife, Valentina, received a 2-year suspended sentence for her faith.\nThe case was initiated on January 16, 2020 by Aleksandr Chepenko, an investigator for the Internal Affairs Directorate of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation in the Chelyabinsk Region. The investigation was entrusted to 8 investigative officers and lasted almost 10 months. In November 2020, the case was filed with the Metallurgical District Court of Chelyabinsk. The case materials amounted to 17 volumes, more than 200 witnesses were interviewed. The court hearings lasted about 8 months.\nIn July 2020, Vladimir Suvorov was included in the \"List of Terrorists and Extremists\" of Rosfinmonitoring, which is why he was limited in terms of financial support from the state. The believer spent about a year under recognizance agreement.\nSpeaking his last word in court, Suvorov noted: “Neither the Supreme Court, nor the Constitutional Court, nor the Government of the Russian Federation considers it illegal to practice the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. [...] However, the prosecution presents me with a choice: either I refuse to worship God in the circle of people close to me, or I will be prosecuted. I believe that it is illegal to force me, on pain of criminal liability, to go against faith and conscience.\"\nVladimir, a former theater actor, has been a Jehovah's Witness for 28 years. He notes: “I am charged with communicating on biblical topics. All over the world, Jehovah's Witnesses are known to cherish family ties and to have strong marriages. This is not because they are better or worse than others. Not. Jehovah's Witnesses are ordinary people with their own positive qualities and their own shortcomings. But the principles of the Bible are important to us. \"\nIn total, criminal cases were opened against 4 believers in the Chelyabinsk region. Two of them have already been sentenced. Dmitry Vinogradov and Valentina Suvorova received a suspended sentence of two years in prison. The case of Pavel Popov is at the stage of preliminary investigation.\nThe prosecution regarded Suvorov's conversations with people about God, his holding of divine services, the performance of chants and prayers as a crime, and the presence of literature in electronic form was declared \"measures of conspiracy.\" Vladimir himself has repeatedly emphasized at the trial that he only dealt with matters familiar to any believer.\nThe groundlessness of the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses on the basis of religion has been repeatedly emphasized by Russian and foreign experts. In May 2021, the association of former prisoners of the Dachau concentration camp (Lagergemeinschaft Dachau) sent an open letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin condemning the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-07-01T14:17:34+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/07/011417/image_hu_1ec92dfab687c2f6.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/07/011417/image_hu_f939098782432b38.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/07/011417/image_hu_d04c3de08b66999.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/07/011417/image_hu_43cdd2dc5b38a442.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/07/011417.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","elderly","282.2-1","families"],"title":"75-year-old Vladimir Suvorov from Chelyabinsk was sentenced to 6-year suspended sentence for faith in Jehovah","type":"news"},{"body":"Judge of the Metallurgichesky District Court of Chelyabinsk, Oksana Mitina, finds the elderly believer guilty of organizing the activities of a banned organization and sentences him to 6 years of suspended imprisonment with deprivation of the right to engage in activities related to leadership and participation in the activities of religious organizations for a term of 5 years, as well as restriction of liberty for 10 months and a probationary period of 4 years.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Suvorov in Chelyabinsk","date":"2021-07-01T14:15:22+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk3.html#20210701","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["sentence","suspended","elderly","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In his address to the court, Vladimir Suvorov stressed that \"the great power of love, the mercy of God are incompatible with hatred and enmity.\" The believer said that through Bible study he learned to love people and felt God's fatherly care for himself.\n","date":"2021-06-30T16:24:16+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/109.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Vladimir Suvorov in Chelyabinsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his last speech, the believer told the court that he had always wanted people to live together in peace and harmony. He explained how to achieve this: \"The moral laws and commandments written in the Holy Scriptures are what is necessary for the harmonious development of human society.\"\n","date":"2021-06-28T14:45:36+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/108.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Sergey Sergeev in Luchegorsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"After the examination of Vladimir Piskarev in the regional hospital, it turns out that he suffered a stroke. According to eyewitnesses, Vladimir is experiencing tremors and is so weak that during a break in one of the court hearings he could not even hold a glass of water in his hand. Despite the detected stroke and problems with hypertension, the medical examination in the pre-trial detention center cannot be completed for 4 months. Given the state of health of Vladimir Piskaryov, staying in the pre-trial detention center poses a real threat to the life of the believer.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Piskarev and Others in Oryol","date":"2021-06-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol3.html#20210624","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["medical-rights","health-risk","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In his appeal to the court, the believer expressed his attitude to the charges: \"Extremism and the manifestation of violence or hatred towards others are unacceptable for me. Such behavior indicates a rejection of faith and is completely contrary to God's standards.\"\n","date":"2021-06-22T17:15:31+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/103.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Sergei Yavushkin in Kemerovo","type":"docs"},{"body":"On June 11, 2021, in the town of Asha, Chelyabinsk Region, several apartments of local believers were searched. After interrogations, the believers were released.\nUpdate. According to updated data, five families of Jehovah's Witnesses in Asha and neighboring Minyar (Chelyabinsk Region) were searched. On June 9, 2021, Oksana Makarenko, judge of the Tractorozavodsky District Court of Chelyabinsk, issued an order to search the home of 49-year-old Andrey Perminov, a disabled person, as part of a criminal case under part 1 Article 282.2 of the Russian Criminal Code. The believer moves around in a wheelchair and can't do without assistance.\nAt 6:30 a.m. there was a knock at the door of Perminovs' couple. Guests introduced themselves as employees of the housing management company. Five people, headed by an investigator for particularly important cases Yevgeny Dolgayev and accompanied by two riot policemen and an employee of the management company, entered the apartment. The search lasted about two and a half hours, during which Andrey was forced to stay in bed. They confiscated electronic devices, bank cards, data storage devices, and personal records.\nOnly after the search, Andrey was allowed to get dressed and get into his wheelchair. Due to the believer's state of health, the interrogation was conducted on the spot. The law enforcers were asked, \"How can you explain the lectures found in your possession about the worship of Jehovah God?\" During the interrogation, the couple used Article 51 of the Russian Constitution, even though Natalia was threatened that she would be put in jail for it. The Perminovs experienced severe stress, a sense of helplessness, and fear for their family's future.\nAnother local believer, 28-year-old Andrey Fedorov, had his car alarm go off at 5:30 in the morning. When he went out to check if everything was all right, he was attacked from behind and laid face down on the pavement. Eight law enforcers, two of whom were FSB officers in camouflage and with guns, put Andrey, his wife, and his sister against the wall and read the search warrant. Electronic devices, data carriers, personal records, and bank card were seized from them.\nSimultaneously, law enforcers searched the neighboring house, where Andrey's father, 52-year-old Vadim Fedorov, lives. That morning there were only two underage children and their grandmother at home. One of the law enforcers threatened Andrey that if he did not report the whereabouts of his father, the children would be taken away by guardianship.\nVadim Fedorov soon arrived from a nearby town, where he was with his wife on business, worried that the family members were not in touch. Law enforcement officers were waiting outside the house for the believer. They reported that in his absence they searched the house and seized a Bible, a computer, a Bible game, and two walkie-talkies.\nAfter the search believers were taken for questioning to the Investigative Committee. They were asked if they knew Andrey Perminov, if they were members of Jehovah's Witnesses organization and if they conducted worship services with the help of Zoom. Vadim was threatened with the fact that if he did not cooperate with the investigation he would ruin his and his children's lives and the \"extremist\" article would become a \"stigma for life.\" The believers took advantage of Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation and were released 20 minutes later.\nThe raid in Asha and Minyar is not the first case of harassment of Jehovah's Witnesses from the Chelyabinsk region. Dmitry Vinogradov was recently convicted for his belief in God.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2021-06-11T14:03:39+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/omon_hu_11bbc66d2d8c2c39.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/omon_hu_d20f9df989c07de4.jpg","webp":"/news/common/omon_hu_db2bffea003fac12.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/omon_hu_456ac374822db718.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/06/111403.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","disability","interrogation","elderly","minors"],"title":"Police Raids Jehovah's Witnesses in Asha, Chelyabinsk Region","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 8, 2021, in the city of Novokuznetsk law enforcement officers raided 3 houses of believing pensioners, as well as another apartment whose residents are not Jehovah's Witnesses.\nAt about 6 am the law enforcement officers broke into the home of a 74-year-old sister proceeding with the raid. They confiscated her Bible and the postcards, after that she was taken away for interrogation. The second victim of law enforcement officers was an elderly woman who does not leave home. Seven people invaded her home, nothing was confiscated.\nThe third search was carried out in the house of an elderly couple; a car of special police forces (OMON) was seen nearby. The couple was later taken to the police station for questioning. In the evening they were released, and the man was ordered not to leave his place.\nUpdate. According to 64-year-old Sergey Sushilnikov, he and his wife were woken up with long bells at the door. When the believer opened the door, three riot policemen burst into the apartment with machine guns, masks and bulletproof vests. Shouting \"everyone, on the floor!\" siloviki knocked down Sergey, and his wife was pushed against the wall. After that, two FSB operatives entered, accompanied by a specialist from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and attesting witnesses. The senior investigator of the Novokuznetsk Investigation Department, Pavel Nekhoroshev, read the order and began the search, which was carried out for 3.5 hours. By their actions, law enforcement officers have caused damage to property, in connection with which the apartment now requires repair. Electronic devices and data carriers were seized from the spouses.\nAfter the search, the Sushilnikovs were taken to the investigation department, where they waited for interrogation for three hours, guarded by riot police. From the stress experienced, Sergei's blood pressure rose.\nAnother search took place in the apartment where Jehovah's Witnesses used to live, but now other people live there.\nNovokuznetsk has become the seventh settlement in the Kemerovo Region where authorities have raided believers’ homes since the Supreme Court ruled to liquidate and ban all 396 registered religious organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. At present, some believers from this region, namely 48-year-old Vadim Levchuk and 55-year-old Sergey Britvin, are already serving their sentences in the general regime colony No. 3 in the Novosibirsk region.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2021-06-10T08:23:30+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/sobr_hu_524da15daf549c42.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/sobr_hu_13ae63a0e3ccdd28.jpg","webp":"/news/common/sobr_hu_2a3f85fab90e6abe.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/sobr_hu_ed1287b1364e74e1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/06/100823.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","elderly","recognizance-agreement","interrogation"],"title":"Novokuznetsk: Law Enforcement Officers Search Elderly People, Suspecting Them of Worshiping Jehovah's God","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 2, 2021 judge of Zeya district court of Amur region Oksana Brylyova sentenced Vasiliy Reznichenko to 2-year imprisonment conditionally with an 8-month probationary period for \"participation in the activity of extremist association\" - this is how the court interpreted the religious belonging of the resident of Zeya.\nThe court imposed exactly the punishment recommended by the state prosecutor. The verdict has not come into force and can be appealed. The believer insisted on his complete innocence.\nVasiliy Reznichenko worked for a long time as a captain of a motor ship, for which he received the title \"veteran of labour of the USSR\". In 2016 he lost his wife, and for the last two years, a criminal case for extremism has been under investigation against him. The elderly man has been searched and interrogated, and his movement is restricted by his recognizance not to leave. All of this has weakened his health. In November 2019, he was put on the Rosfinmonitoring's list of terrorists and extremists, which caused all of his bank accounts to be blocked.\nIt all started on March 21, 2019, when law enforcement officers came to the pensioner's home with a search. They seized his laptop, phone, personal records and photos. The criminal case was initiated on March 11, 2019.\nThe case of Vasiliy Reznichenko was investigated for a year and a half by V. S. Obukhov, investigator of the Department of the Federal Security Service of Russia in the Amur region. On September 11, 2020, the case went to the Zeya District Court of the Amur region. By the beginning of the debate, the case contained nine volumes.\nThe court heard transcripts of worship meetings held in 2018. The believer's accusation was based on two prayers and several thoughts on a biblical topic expressed in a circle of fellow believers. This is interpreted by law enforcement officials as a security threat to Russian society and the state.\nAddressing the court with his last word, Vasiliy Reznichenko expressed bewilderment: \"The FSB officers consider me a dangerous criminal, while I am trying to understand what is so dangerous and terrible against the state or people I have committed? Why am I being treated this way? I asked this question to the FSB officers, but I did not receive a comprehensible answer. In the court hearing, listening to the testimony of witnesses and experts, I also tried to understand what my guilt was, what I had to do or not to do so that I wasn't considered a criminal. But I never got an answer to my question. [...]\nA total of 5 criminal cases were opened in the Amur region, 4 of which are being investigated by V. S. Obukhov. Another Jehovah's Witness, Konstantin Moiseenko, is on trial in Zeya.\nBack in 2018, the Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights of the Russian Federation gave an unambiguous description of the repression of Jehovah's Witnesses: \"The charges brought against believers in all cases are based on the allegation that a group of believers held a worship service. Accusations of citizens reading the Bible together and praying to God are interpreted as \"continuing the activities of an extremist organization. The Council believes that such an interpretation is inconsistent with the legal position of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation. There is a contradiction between the stated position of the Government of the Russian Federation and law enforcement practice. This cannot but cause concern, since criminal prosecutions and arrests have become systemic in nature.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-06-02T16:42:31+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/06/021418/image_hu_f1be9e5105b55042.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/06/021418/image_hu_835c2d472e93dc5.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/06/021418/image_hu_d369f8abe2d0e3fe.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/06/021418/image_hu_c28d073256aa837d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/06/021418.html","regions":["amur"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-2","elderly"],"title":"In Amur Region, 78-Year-Old Vasiliy Reznichenko Was Given a Two-Year Suspended Sentence for Meetings with Fellow Believers","type":"news"},{"body":"Judge of the Zeysky District Court of the Amur Region Oksana Brylyova sentences 78-year-old Vasily Reznichenko and finds him guilty of participating in the activities of an extremist association. The believer was sentenced to 2 years of suspended imprisonment with a probation period of 8 months.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Reznichenko in Zeya","date":"2021-06-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya.html#20210602","regions":["amur"],"tags":["sentence","elderly","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In his final statement, the 78-year-old believer explained: \"To be Jehovah's Witness is to hold to high biblical standards of morality [...] And no matter what pressure is taken against me, I will not depart from the Almighty Creator of the universe, Jehovah God. My life depends on it in the future.\"\n","date":"2021-05-31T14:25:24+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/96.html","regions":["amur"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Vasily Reznichenko in Zeya","type":"docs"},{"body":"Since the morning of May 27, 2021, security guards have been searching the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in Barnaul, the capital of Altai Territory, and Rubtsovsk, about 300 km away. At least eight people are being detained for interrogation. According to preliminary data, a criminal case has been opened against a 24-year-old believer.\nUpdate. It has become known that mass searches and detentions took place in the cities of Barnaul, Zarinsk and Rubtsovsk, the settlement of Telmenka and the villages of Troitskoye and Shakhi during a police special operation codenamed \"Armageddon\". Believers reported the use of physical force by security forces. At least 17 people were taken for interrogation to the UVS and the Extremism Combating Center. Ekaterina Popova, a judge of the Oktyabrsky District Court of Barnaul, issued a warrant for searches in Barnaul and four other locations. Police Major Yaroslav Medvedev was among the leaders of the operation.\nAt 6 a. m. the law enforcers burst into the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses. Electronic devices, data carriers, biblical literature, books and personal records were seized from them. In some cases, law enforcement officers broke down the doors and forced believers to lie on the floor. During the interrogations there was psychological pressure. Investigators asked questions: \"How long have you been reading the Bible? What is written there? Is Jesus the son of God? How long have you been a member of the Jehovah's Witnesses \"sect\"? Have you participated in Zoom conferences? How do you preach? How do you attend meetings?\" The believers used Article 51 of the Russian Constitution.\nThe special operation was carried out within the criminal case that was initiated on May 11, 2021 against 24-year-old Pavel Kazadaev, a resident of Novokuznetsk. Senior investigator Evgeny Kozuchenko saw in the actions of the young man signs of a crime under part 2 of clause 282.2 of Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation in activities of extremist organization). Pavel and his wife were detained and brought to Barnaul, 350 kilometers away from home. The believer was sent to custody. The next day, an investigator petitioned the court for a measure of restraint to be chosen for Pavel in the form of house arrest. As a result, he was released on his own recognizance not to leave.\nLaw enforcement officers also searched the place of registration of Pavel Kazadaev in the village of Lugovoi, where his relatives live. Presenting themselves as the police, the operation officers and OMON riot police entered the house. They also searched the garage, car, bathhouse, and yard. Due to the stress, the elderly woman had to call an ambulance.\nFour other families of Jehovah's Witnesses were searched and questioned in Rubtsovsk. One of the worshippers had his notebook and cell phone hacked and then confiscated in his presence. According to him, the operatives also took his personal savings of 100,000 rubles.\nAltai Krai has become the 66th region of Russia in which law enforcement agencies prosecute Jehovah's Witnesses. Security officials perceive joint meetings of believers to read and discuss the Bible, as well as conversations about God, as the activities of an extremist organization, although no Russian court has banned the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, and the authorities have emphasized that believers are allowed to gather for collective worship.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2021-05-27T14:16:11+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/police_hu_2f65dda10841e67d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/police_hu_2b40327c6e1ef222.jpg","webp":"/news/common/police_hu_3a4c01a862f01eb1.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/police_hu_513decae2289ba0d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/05/271415.html","regions":["altaisky"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation","new-case","siloviks-violence","ivs","recognizance-agreement","282.2-2","elderly"],"title":"In Altai, in two cities, Jehovah's Witnesses are being searched, there are detainees","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 24, 2021, the Supreme Court of the Republic of Khakassia denied Valentina and Roman Baranovsky their appeals against the lower court's unprecedentedly cruel sentence. For the first time a 70-year-old woman was sentenced to actual imprisonment.\nValentina Baranovskaya suffers from a variety of illnesses. She suffered an ischemic stroke in July 2020 and needs constant medical supervision. Roman is her only son, she depends on his help.\nThe verdict came into force. Believers still insist on their innocence. They have the right to appeal the verdict in cassation, as well as in international instances.\nThe first instance sentence was handed down on February 24, 2021. The assistant prosecutor of Abakan Svetlana Shestakova asked to sentence 69-year-old Valentina Baranovskaya to 5 years in prison and a year of restricted freedom, Roman - to 8 years in a colony with the same restriction. Judge of Abakan city court Elena Shcherbakova sentenced Valentina Baranovskaya to 2 years in prison under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code (participation in an extremist organization), and her son Roman - to 6 years in prison under Part 1 of the same article (organization of an extremist organization).\nLate in the evening of April 10, 2019, armed law enforcement officers in masks invaded the homes of at least three residents of Abakan. On the same day, criminal charges were filed against him and his mother.\nOne of the prosecution witnesses stated in her testimony that she \"dislikes ... [the Baranovskiy family] because they are Jehovah's Witnesses.\" Meanwhile the right to choose and practice any religion is enshrined in Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, and the statement of the Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights of 20.06.18 says: \"The [Supreme] Court decision does not contain conclusions about banning the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses as such\".\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-05-24T19:21:52+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/02/16/image_hu_618a9c61d73da651.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/02/16/image_hu_8ecc16093772bd64.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/02/16/image_hu_2f23ee7286e2b2d4.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/02/16/image_hu_2dd8e83fbaa115a9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/05/241921.html","regions":["khakassia"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["liberty-deprivation","elderly","families","health-risk"],"title":"The verdict came into force: Valentina Baranovskaya, 70, Is Sentenced to a Penal Colony for Two Years, Her Son is Sentenced for six years. They Are Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 19, 2021 the judge of Nadezhdinskiy District Court of Primorye Territory Lyudmila Setrakova found the disabled woman Lyudmila Shut guilty of participation in activities of extremist organization. A pensioner from the village of Razdolnoe was sentenced to four years of suspended imprisonment.\nThe verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed. The believer insists on her complete innocence.\nThough there were no victims in the case, the court fully satisfied the prosecutor's recommendation: the state prosecutor asked the court to sentence the believer to four years of suspended imprisonment with a probation period of three years and one year of restricted freedom. The state prosecutor also asked to deprive the believer of the right to engage in activities related to participation in public organizations for 4 years. She has been kept on her own recognizance for over a year.\nLyudmila could hardly move on crutches. Since she was a little girl she did a lot of hard physical labor, helping her mother with household chores. During her life she worked as a turner, milkmaid, headed a warehouse and was manager of a state farm. She was widowed 18 years ago. She has three children and three grandchildren. Criminal prosecution further undermined her health, her eyesight deteriorated and she needed an operation. After the interrogations she repeatedly had to call an ambulance.\nIn her final statement, Lyudmila Shut said: \"I have the right to be a religious person! I do not agree with the charges. I am not a criminal and not an extremist. I do not know such a scary word at all, it is alien to me and completely contradicts my religious views.\"\nOn July 19, 2018, searches were conducted in the homes of believers from the village of Razdolnoye, after which Lyudmila Shut was summoned for interrogations several times over the course of a year and a half. On February 10, 2020, investigator Denis Shevchenko opened a criminal case against her. The investigation lasted about 3 months, it was led by the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of Russia in Primorye Territory.\nSince November 2017 there was hidden video recording of worship services in the settlement of Razdolnoye. Later, based on the materials of operational investigative activities, law enforcement officers concluded that some believers were allegedly the leaders of the banned organization, and others were participants, including Lyudmila Shut. However, while watching these recordings in court, the participants of the trial were convinced that the believers did not speak about their superiority over members of other faiths at the services, as the prosecutor claimed.\nOn April 28, 2020, Lyudmila Shut's case was brought to the Nadezhdinskiy District Court for consideration by judge Natalia Derevyagina. After 5 months of hearings, the state prosecutor challenged the judge, pointing out that she had previously assessed Shut's actions as a witness in another believer's case. The new judge, Lyudmila Setrakova, actually started the trial all over again, and the elderly believer on crutches had to go through all stages of the trial again.\nIn their testimony in court, witnesses in Shut's case confirmed that the Supreme Court decision did not ban Jehovah's Witnesses from holding meetings. They also gave a positive characteristic of Lyudmila and said that they had never heard extremist statements from her.\nA total of 36 people from Primorye were taken to the millstone of the judicial system just for believing in Jehovah's God. Lyudmila's fellow villager, 77-year-old Vladimir Filippov, has already received a 6-year suspended sentence for participating in peaceful worship services.\nThe OSCE, the European Union, Russian human rights activists and many others condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-05-19T13:40:32+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/05/191340/image_hu_30cad66467ea81c1.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/05/191340/image_hu_859563a0d3858f1f.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/05/191340/image_hu_7a8564e1bb8e4fbb.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/05/191340/image_hu_2d7c9046a830b507.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/05/191340.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","elderly","282.2-2","disability"],"title":"In Razdolnoe Village a 73-Year-Old Believer Lyudmila Shut Received a 4-Year Suspended Sentence for Reading the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"Judge of the Nadezhdinskiy District Court of Primorsky Krai Lyudmila Setrakova finds believer Lyudmila Shut guilty of participating in the activities of an extremist community and sentences her to 4 years of suspended imprisonment with a probation period of 3 years and restriction of liberty for 1 year.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shut in Razdolnoye","date":"2021-05-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volno-nadezhdinskoye2.html#20210519","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["sentence","elderly","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On May 18, 2021 the judge of Leninsky district court of Rostov-on-Don Alexander Osipov found Lyudmila Ponomarenko guilty of participation in extremist activity - this is how the court interpreted her religious beliefs. The believer was sentenced to 2 years of suspended imprisonment—the exact amount the prosecutor asked.\nThe verdict has not come into force and can be appealed. The pensioner insists on her complete innocence. There are no victims in the case.\nOn June 6, 2019, the First Investigation Department (based in Rostov-on-Don) of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation opened a criminal case against Lyudmila Ponomarenko under Part 2 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation for participation in divine services and preaching. Earlier, in the spring of the same year, law enforcement officers came to her apartment with a search. They confiscated a phone, a tablet, Bibles in various editions, a Bible dictionary, a reference book and a religious studies monograph from a pensioner who was caring for her sick husband. On August 18, 2020, she found herself under recognizance not to leave. On September 30, the case went to court.\nSpeaking in court with the last word, Lyudmila Ponomarenko noted: “The indictment does not indicate with what words, when, under what circumstances I advocated the advantage of some people over others. Also, it is not indicated in what way, on what date, at what time and who exactly I encouraged to refuse medical care, to reject state bodies or to break off family relations. I did nothing of the kind and no evidence to the contrary was presented in court. It turns out that I am being judged for being an honest person who respects and observes the laws of the country in which I live; as a believer, I love people and is not able to harm them; I abide by the laws of the country and exercise my right to profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses in accordance with Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation. \"\n9 criminal cases against believers from the Rostov region are at different stages of production. Three of Jehovah's Witnesses have already received convictions and have entered into force. Earlier, in 2016, under Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, 16 believers from Taganrog were found guilty.\nIn 2018, 60 prominent Russian human rights defenders issued a statement saying: “What is happening to them is, in fact, happening to us. This is a test of the immune forces of society. The persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses shows the groundlessness of anti-extremist legislation in general. If society does not protect Jehovah's Witnesses, if they are not restored to their rights, this will mean that anyone can be declared an extremist. […] In the story of how a person found answers from Jehovah's Witnesses to questions that a Catholic priest could not resolve, the courts saw propaganda of religious superiority — that is all extremism. Such \"extremism\", and much more brutal, can be found in doctrinal, liturgical and other texts of most confessions. If one approaches religious scriptures with the same yardstick, all religions will have to be banned. \"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-05-18T17:32:37+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/05/181732/image_hu_57927aaa0204e3ff.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/05/181732/image_hu_3a5901c115d1e9a7.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/05/181732/image_hu_98e4e49713cbab8c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/05/181732/image_hu_342512713c21972a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/05/181732.html","regions":["rostov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","elderly","282.2-2"],"title":"A Court in Rostov-on-Don Sentenced a 71-Year-Old Woman to Two Years of Suspended Imprisonment for Believing in Jehovah's God","type":"news"},{"body":"The judge of the Leninsky District Court of Rostov-on-Don, Alexander Osipov, sentences Lyudmila Ponomarenko to be found guilty of participating in extremist activities and sentenced to 2 years of suspended imprisonment.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ponomarenko in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2021-05-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don8.html#20210518","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sentence","suspended","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On May 14, 2021, the Primorye Territory Court in Vladivostok upheld the sentence to Vladimir Filippov for his faith. The court considered the peaceful confession of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses to be the activity of a banned legal entity. However, the court overturned the order to destroy material evidence.\nThe verdict was handed down by a panel of judges composed of Tatiana Medvedeva, Svetlana Nikolina and Tatiana Shcherbak, and came into force. The believer still insists on his innocence. He has the right to appeal against the verdict in cassation, as well as in international instances.\nOn March 15, 2021, the judge of the Nadezhdinsky District Court of the Primorye Territory, Diana Merzlyakova, sentenced the 77-year-old former military man to 6 years of suspended sentence with a probation period of 4 years and restriction of liberty for 1 year. Prosecutor Mariya Koval requested for Filippov 6.5 years in a general regime colony and 2 years of additional restrictions, despite the absence of any real damage in the case of the victims.\nVladimir Filippov was born during the World War II in 1943. His father died before he was born. After graduating from the Tomsk Artillery School, he served in the army for 27 years. In 1995 he became a Jehovah's Witness, for which he was discriminated against on the basis of religion in modern Russia. For more than a year he has been under recognizance agreement.\nIn his last plea at the court of appeal, Vladimir Filippov said: “Have you noticed that the Bible teaches us to do only good? That is why there is neither a victim nor a victim in my case ... I have never participated in extremist affairs, have not shown and do not show hatred towards people of other nationalities and religions. Extremism is incompatible with my religious beliefs as a Jehovah's Witness ... Accusing me of involvement in extremist activities is a gross error of the investigation, deliberate distortion of facts in order to defame the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. We are known for striving to be honest, peaceful and follow the Bible's counsel as closely as possible in all areas of our lives.”\nFor 2 years and 9 months, the investigation conducted operational measures in relation to the believer. In particular, they received an audio recording of a conversation about the Bible with a certain B.N. Ulyankin, depicting a spiritual interest. A psychological, linguistic and religious examination was carried out on the case, which was prepared by Nadezhda Oleshkevich, associate professor of the Department of Philosophy and Legal Psychology, Vladivostok State University of Economics and Service. She found an article on the Internet with biased information about Jehovah's Witnesses and, on this basis, built a conclusion about the \"hostility\" of the believer's religion towards the state. At the same time, the expert did not provide evidence of any specific hostile actions or crimes.\nFrom 2018 to 2020, 3 searches were carried out in Vladimir Filippov’s home. On July 19, 2018, during the assault, one of the law enforcement officers punched him in the face. After about a year, he was searched again. Then his wife Lyubov, due to stress, suffered a hypertensive crisis and needed urgent medical attention. About six months later, the court sanctioned the third search in the Filippovs' home, after which Vladimir was charged under Part 1 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\nThe defendant noted in court: “The investigation has not provided any evidence that I have committed at least one of the actions that are listed as extremist in paragraph 1 of Art. 1 of the Federal Law ‘On Counteracting Extremist Activity’. What is extremist activity? This is an exclusively illegal activity. But praying to God is not a violation of the law. Learning Bible teachings is not breaking the law. Talking to other people who are willing to talk about spiritual topics is not a violation of the law.”\nReligious scholar Olga Averina presented an expert opinion, including on the topics that were discussed at the liturgical meeting on November 18, 2017 (goodness, honesty and moral purity). She noted the promptings of believers to be diligent in studying the Bible and serving God.\nIn total, 20 criminal cases have already been initiated in the Primorye Territory against 36 Jehovah's Witnesses, including 20 women. The oldest of them, Yelena Zaishchuk, is 87 years old. Some of them have been under recognizance agreement for the fourth year already.\nOn July 23, 2020, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) stated with alarm: \"We have heard more than once from the Russian delegation at the Permanent Council that Jehovah's Witnesses profess and can continue to practice their faith freely. However, we see numerous reports of searches, detentions, and criminal investigations against Jehovah's Witnesses. This is in strong contrast with the statements made by the Russian delegation. [...] All people, including Jehovah's Witnesses, must be able to peacefully exercise their rights, including the right to freedom of religion, peaceful assembly, and expression without discrimination, as guaranteed by the Constitution of the Russian Federation, Russia's OSCE commitments and international law.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-05-14T14:10:05+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/05/141410/image_hu_7d42f8733b203ba3.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/05/141410/image_hu_58cd49447d868d76.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/05/141410/image_hu_6803680b40c1ccb4.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/05/141410/image_hu_d76c38e45f037262.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/05/141410.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","elderly","suspended","282.2-1"],"title":"Vladivostok Appeal Court Upholds the Guilty Verdict Against 77-Year-Old Jehovah’s Witness Vladimir Filippov","type":"news"},{"body":"The court proceeds to the stage of deliberations. The prosecutor requests a sentence of 2 years probation and 1 year of probation for the elderly believer.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ponomarenko in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2021-05-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don8.html#20210514","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["punishment-request","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Primorsky Regional Court in Vladivostok upholds the sentence against Vladimir Filippov.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Filippov in Razdolnoye","date":"2021-05-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volno-nadezhdinskoye3.html#20210514","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["appeal","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"\"I am being judged for being an honest person who respects and observes the laws of the country in which I live,\" Lyudmila Ponomarenko said in her last statement, \"During the trial, no evidence was obtained that I committed any [extremist] actions.\"\n","date":"2021-05-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/91.html","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Lyudmila Ponomarenko in Rostov-on-Don","type":"docs"},{"body":"Speaking in court with the last word, Lyudmila Shut firmly stated: \"I have the right to be a believer! I do not agree with the accusations. I am not a criminal or an extremist. I do not know such a scary word at all, it is alien to me and completely contradicts my religious views.\"\n","date":"2021-05-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/89.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Lyudmila Shut in the village of Volno-Nadezhdinskoye","type":"docs"},{"body":"The verdict is announced: to find Igor Turik guilty under Part 1 of Article 282.2 and Part 1 of Article 282.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and to impose a sentence of 7 years of suspended imprisonment with a probationary period of 4 years; to reclassify the article of the charge for Boris Burylov and Viktor Kuchkov to a milder one, Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, and impose a sentence of 2.5 years of suspended imprisonment with a probationary period of 3 years; To find Aleksandr Inozemtsev and Yuriy Vaag guilty under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and to impose a sentence of 2.5 years of suspended imprisonment with a probationary period of 3 years. The verdict can be appealed.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Turik and Others in Perm","date":"2021-05-12T16:05:05+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/perm2.html#20210512","regions":["perm"],"tags":["sentence","suspended","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On May 12, 2021 the Industrial District Court of Perm found Igor Turik, Boris Burylov, Aleksandr Inozemtsev, Viktor Kuchkov and Yuriy Vaag guilty of extremist activity. Igor Turik was sentenced to seven years of suspended imprisonment; the other four received 2.5 years of suspended imprisonment each.\nAlthough there were no victims in the case, the prosecutor asked the court to sentence them to 4 to 9 years in a penal colony. They were accused of crimes under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code (organization of extremist activity), Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code (participation in an extremist community) and Part 1 of Article 282.3 of the Criminal Code (financing of extremist activities). Judge Viktor Podyniglazov reclassified the charges against Boris Burylov and Viktor Kuchkov to a milder article, Article 282.2 part 2 of the Criminal Code.\nThe verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed. The believers insist on their complete innocence.\nIgor Turik and Viktor Kuchkov spent 3 days in the temporary detention facility in Perm, 101 days under house arrest, and also more than 2 years under recognizance not to leave. Alexandr Inozemtsev, Yuriy Vaag and Boris Burylov were under recognizance not to leave for more than two and a half years. The case of Turik and others in Perm was investigated by the Investigative Department of the Directorate of the FSB of Russia for the Perm Territory. On December 4, 2020, it was transferred to the Industrial District Court of Perm.\nBefore the criminal prosecution, a native of the Tver region, 52-year-old Igor Turik successfully worked as a photographer and architectural designer. He is a loving husband and father of two minor children. He notes: “The Perm news TV channels were reporting on the FSB special operation from the courtroom as well. This news had a negative impact on my employers. I lost my main customers, and, accordingly, my earnings ... I could not get insurance for a car, I could not use bank cards. To get a package for my family from Germany, I had to call the FSB, Rosfinmonitoring, customs. \"\nIn his last word, Igor said: “My children, whom I have always taught to be good, to be honest, to respect the views of other people who are growing up as wonderful citizens, treat their parents and society with deep respect, wonder why now they want to be separated from their father. You would know what I was 25 years ago, before I became Jehovah's Witness. That's when I needed to be held accountable. I have completely changed because of my relationship with God. Previously, in my hometown, neighbors were shocked only when they saw me. Until recently, they were shocked that the truth can change a person for the better. And now they are shocked that I am facing such a monstrous term. \"\nThe total length of service of the oldest of the 5 defendants in the case - 80-year-old Boris Burylov - is 45 years, during which he was repeatedly awarded certificates of honor and gratitude. In his last speech, the believer noted: “I did not bring about any destabilization in society. I did not undermine the foundations of the constitutional system and state security by any actions. All this magnificent bouquet of unreliable and unconfirmed accusations was collected in different years from unknown sources, and not only the city of Perm, but also other cities of Russia, in which I have never been. […] Jehovah's Witnesses, including myself, are benevolent, hardworking, God-fearing, peace-loving people. We treat all state authorities with respect. \"\n48-year-old Aleksandr Inozemtsev, together with his wife, is raising a minor daughter. Speaking with the last word, he drew the court's attention to how important the divine services were for him, the attendance of which was imputed to him: “This is my need. Communication with fellow believers helps me become even better and show such qualities as love, kindness, compassion, the ability to show self-control, tact towards others. Therefore, they speak of me as a polite and tactful person, which is confirmed by the characteristics provided to the court and attached to the case materials. \"\nThe wife and daughter of 53-year-old Viktor Kuchkov do not share his religious views, but they fully support the head of the family, shocked by the absurdity of the charges against him. In his last word to the court, the believer emphasized: “Reading the Bible and praying to strengthen your relationship with God is not bad. Meeting with fellow believers to discuss the wonderful qualities of our Creator and further imitate him is not extremism. Sharing knowledge of our heavenly Father with others is not a crime, but a realization of the constitutional right to freedom of religion. ”\nThe son of parents exiled on ethnic grounds - a 45-year-old husband and father of 2 adult children, Yuriy Vaag - met in Siberia with Jehovah's Witnesses, who were also sent into exile for their faith and later rehabilitated. “These are people who have kept the faith despite the persecution they faced,” the believer noted in his last speech. “I was struck by their faith, despite the harsh conditions, they helped others to survive. […] I am glad that I have become a believer, because it benefits both me and others. \"\nIn total, 10 Jehovah's Witnesses are persecuted for their faith in the Perm Territory. All of them did not stop practicing their religion after the decision of the Supreme Court of April 20, 2017, for which they faced severe persecution and religious discrimination. Meanwhile, Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation allows one to freely choose and practice any religion, both independently and jointly with others.\nThe Russian government has repeatedly stated that the decisions of the Russian courts on the liquidation and prohibition of organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually.\" In February 2021, the Russian Foreign Ministry confirmed the groundlessness of the criminal prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-05-12T15:52:09+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/05/121552/image_hu_b86813c96aad8824.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/05/121552/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/05/121552/image_hu_afc99d6b0760e570.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/05/121552/image_hu_9e000bae98f847c6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/05/121552.html","regions":["perm"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-1","282.2-2","282.3-1","elderly"],"title":"A Sentence Was Announced for Five Jehovah's Witnesses in Perm. Believers Received From 2.5 to 7 Years of Suspended Imprisonment for Believing in God","type":"news"},{"body":"The last word of the defendant is addressed to the court by believers Alexander Inozemtsev (text), Viktor Kuchkov (text), Yuri Vaag (text). 80-year-old Boris Burylov also addresses the court with a vivid speech (text).\nIgor Turik's speech is expected on April 29.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Turik and Others in Perm","date":"2021-04-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/perm2.html#20210427","regions":["perm"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In his last speech at the trial in Perm, 80-year-old believer Boris Burylov expressed confidence in his innocence: \"I am accused of threatening human life and undermining the security of the state, without citing any facts or evidence. Any extremism and terrorism are condemned by the Bible, and are unacceptable for me.\"\n","date":"2021-04-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/85.html","regions":["perm"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Boris Burylov in Perm","type":"docs"},{"body":"On April 15, 2021, the judge of the Krasnodar Regional Court, Victoriya Konofieva, upheld the record-breaking sentence to Aleksandr Ivshin, who was accused of extremism for discussing the Bible with friends. At the same time, the court ruled to destroy his Bible in a non-forbidden translation.\nThe verdict entered into force. The believer still insists on his innocence. He has the right to appeal against the verdict in cassation procedure, as well as in international instances.\nAleksandr Ivshin had been sentenced to 7.5 years of imprisonment in a general regime colony. This decision was made on February 10, 2021 by the judge of the Abinsk District Court of the Krasnodar Territory, Aleksandr Kholoshin, who found Ivshin guilty of organizing the activities of a banned organization (part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). The believer was taken into custody in the courtroom. The state prosecutor asked for a punishment for Aleksandr in the form of 8 years in a general regime colony.\nAleksandr Ivshin, a 63-year-old pensioner with 8 grandchildren, has been seriously ill with the coronavirus, having contracted it in one of the five pre-trial detention centers that he has changed since the sentencing. Prior to that, during the investigation, he had spent about 9 months under a recognizance agreement. In August 2020, the court seized his car, considering it necessary to ensure the execution of a possible sentence.\nAt the end of April 2020, FSB officers accompanied by Cossacks came to the house of Ivshin and 8 other families of Jehovah's Witnesses from the villages of Pavlovskaya and Kholmskaya with searches. This raid resulted in several criminal cases against peaceful believers. Two—Aleksandr Shcherbina and Oleg Danilov—have already been sentenced to real terms. Two more cases against Maksim Beltikov and Vladimir Skachidub are under consideration.\nDuring the hearing of the case in court, the prosecution witness, from whom the FSB filed a statement, admitted that he did not know the defendant personally, but only saw him from afar. The fact that Aleksandr is the head of the LRO is just his assumption. Other evidence of Ivshin's “guilt” is audio recordings of prayers and a group photo with his fellow believers.\nIt is noteworthy that the court ruled to destroy Aleksandr’s Bible in the not prohibited Modern Translation. Yaroslav Sivulskiy, a representative of the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses, said in this regard: “The President of Russia, by his decree, protected the Bible from judicial punishment, forbidding it to be recognized as extremist. But the court went further and ruled to destroy it altogether! Russian law enforcement officers repeat that they are combating not faith, but extremism, but this fact proves the opposite: we are witnessing anti-religious, anti-Christian persecutions.\"\nThe decision in the case of Aleksandr Ivshin was made against the background of events dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the deportation to Siberia of about 10,000 Jehovah's Witnesses. Russian human rights activists and religious scholars have repeatedly stressed that the persecution of this confession in the USSR had no legal grounds, just as it does not have them today.\nThus, Sergey Davidis, a member of the Council of the Memorial Human Rights Center and head of the Support for Political Prisoners Program, recalled that the only meaningful basis for the decision of the Supreme Court of April 20, 2017 to liquidate organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses was \"a declaration of the religious superiority of Jehovah's Witnesses over other religious groups.\" ... \"It is quite obvious that this is an absurd accusation,\" he stressed. \"The conviction of the correctness of your religious doctrine in comparison with any other faith is natural for any religion.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-04-16T11:11:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/04/18/image_hu_5c34aa2df8c51494.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/04/18/image_hu_74f33e09bc199527.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/04/18/image_hu_8a6efef94bd401ad.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/04/18/image_hu_38208b95bb54f5f8.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/04/18.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","282.2-1","liberty-deprivation","elderly"],"title":"In Krasnodar, Appeal Court Left Aleksandr Ivshin, 63, in a Colony for 7.5 Years. His Bible Was Ordered to be Destroyed","type":"news"},{"body":"The prosecutor asks the court to find 78-year-old Vasily Reznichenko guilty of participating in extremist activities and to sentence the elderly believer to 2 years of suspended imprisonment with a probationary period of 8 months, taking into account his advanced age and state of health. The defense asks to fully acquit Reznichenko for lack of corpus delicti.\nVasily Reznichenko speaks in the debate of the parties. He notes: \"The lawful conduct of a person who professes the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses has been wrongly interpreted as a criminal offense.\" Meetings with fellow believers to worship God \"do not mean the continuation or resumption of the illegal activities of the liquidated organization.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Reznichenko in Zeya","date":"2021-04-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya.html#20210412","regions":["amur"],"tags":["punishment-request","elderly","defense-arguments","final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On April 2, 2021, a series of searches took place in Jehovah's Witnesses homes in the city of Taiga (Kemerovo Region). Yuriy Usanov, 29, was arrested and sent to a pre-trial detention center in the city of Anzhero-Sudzhensk. A criminal case was opened against him under Part 1 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation; three pensioners are witnesses in the case.\nEarly in the morning on April 2, a search took place in Yuriy Usanov's apartment, after which he stopped communicating. His worried friends came to his house and found that the bars had been removed from the window, and the glass had been broken. Police was on duty at the entrance. As seen from the case files, the believer \"committed actions of an organizational nature aimed at the continuation and renewal of the illegal activities of the banned organization 'Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia' in the form of convening meetings with the participation of residents of the city of Taiga.\"\nOn April 2, the judge of the Taiga City Court of the Kemerovo Region F. V. Timofeev chose a preventive measure for Yuriy Usanov in the form of arrest until May 30. He is currently held in SIZO-4 of Anzhero-Sudzhensk.\nIn the apartments of 72-year-old Nataliya Kozlova and 65-year-old Zinaida Vasina, visually impaired, law enforcement officers entered under a disguise of their neighbors. Once inside, they announced: \"We are looking for everything connected with your God Jehovah.\" The searches lasted about 3 hours. Electronic devices, Bibles in various translations, personal notes, postcards with the words \"God\" and \"Jehovah\", bank cards and a Wi-Fi router were seized from Nataliya and Zinaida. The women were then taken to the investigative committee for questioning. The security forces were waiting for 69-year-old Lyudmila Gorovaya near her house, from where she was taken for interrogation, which lasted 3 hours.\nThe investigator was interested in whether the women knew Yuriy Usanov, whether they gave him money, whether he offered them literature, whether he involved them in any organization. The siloviki threatened the pensioners that their relatives would have problems at work. Older women have experienced severe stress.\nThe searches were carried out by officers of the FSB and the Investigative Committee on the basis of a decree issued by the Deputy Head of the Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee of Russia, Major of Justice Y. V. Dudin. Yuriy Usanov became the 8th citizen of the Kemerovo region who was subjected to religious discrimination for believing in Jehovah.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2021-04-05T15:41:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/depositphotos_21862193_hu_b7c26cac39eb0d76.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/depositphotos_21862193.jpg","webp":"/news/common/depositphotos_21862193_hu_835983521f6725a9.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/depositphotos_21862193_hu_71bcd1de942ee3e1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/04/4.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","new-case","282.2-1","disability","elderly","interrogation","sizo"],"title":"A new wave of raids against Jehovah’s Witnesses in the Kemerovo Region. Yuriy Usanov, 29, is arrested in the town of Tayga","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 5, 2021, the Novosibirsk Regional Court upheld the verdict of the Leninsky District Court of Novosibirsk against the 67-year-old pensioner Yuriy Savelyev. He had been sentenced to 6 years in a general regime colony.\nThe verdict entered into force. The believer still insists on his innocence. He has the right to appeal against the verdict in cassation procedure, as well as in international instances.\nThe prosecution requested 8 years in prison for the elderly believer, but on December 16, 2020, the judge of the Leninsky District Court of Novosibirsk, Yekaterina Kashina, reduced his term by two years.\nYuriy Savelyev has been behind bars for more than two years. He ended up in a pre-trial detention center immediately after a raid in Novosibirsk in November 2018, and his detention was continually extended. All the while, he tries to maintain a positive attitude and counts every letter he receives from his friends and fellow believers. As of March 9, 2021, he received a total of about 14,000 letters from 82 countries around the world.\nThe charge against Yuriy Savelyev was based on the conclusion of Oleg Zayev, a teacher of \"sectology\" from an Orthodox theological institute. At the trial, he made no secret of his personal animosity towards Jehovah's Witnesses because of their religion. The case also features a secret prosecution witness under the pseudonym \"Ivanova\", who did not appear at any court hearing. Judge Kashina allowed her affidavit to be read out in violation of the believer's right to a fair trial.\nOn March 10, 2021, the Eighth General Jurisdiction Court of Cassation in Kemerovo declared Savelyev's imprisonment in a pre-trial detention center unlawful during the trial, which lasted 413 days.\nIn the Novosibirsk region, 3 more criminal cases against 6 believers are currently at different stages of proceedings.\nThe beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses are not prohibited by the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The right to freedom of religion is guaranteed by the Russian Constitution. In February 2021, the Russian Foreign Ministry said: \"In the consideration of the case [in the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation], neither the legitimacy of the religious beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses, nor the ways of expressing them, were assessed.\" Despite this, Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia continue to be sentenced to prison terms only because of their faith.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-04-05T13:42:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/04/6/image_hu_7f6abc630e1747bf.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/04/6/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/04/6/image_hu_c30f3e86c7e697e2.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/04/6/image_hu_12d9aa09099a0c3b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/04/6.html","regions":["novosibirsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","liberty-deprivation","elderly","282.2-1"],"title":"A Novosibirsk appeal upheld 67-year-old Yuriy Savelyev's verdict: six years in prison for practicing his faith","type":"news"},{"body":"The Investigation Department for the Closed Administrative District of Seversk of the Investigative Committee of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Tomsk Region is initiating a criminal case under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation against 68-year-old Aleksey Ershov. The criminal case is separated from the case against Yevgeny Korotun.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ershov in Seversk","date":"2021-03-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/seversk3.html#20210325","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["new-case","elderly","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On March 15, 2021, Diana Merzlyakova, the Nadezhdinsky District Court judge of the Primorsky Territory, determined that the participation of the 77-year-old Vladimir Filippov in peaceful religious services is considered extremism and handed him a six-year suspended sentence with a further probationary period of four years and a restriction on the freedom of movement for one year.\nThe believer is also deprived of the right to engage in activities related to participation in public organizations for a period of 3 years. The verdict did not enter into force. Vladimir Filippov does not admit his guilt and intends to appeal against him. Despite the fact that there is not a single victim in the case, the prosecutor Maria Koval requested 6.5 years in a general regime colony and 2 years of additional restrictions for the believer.\nIn his last speech, Vladimir Filippov said: “I have never participated in extremist affairs, did not show and do not show hatred towards people of other nationalities and religions ... I did not commit a crime, but only used my constitutional right to believe in Jehovah God and live in agreement with their religious convictions. \"\nThe case under Part 1 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of extremist activity) against a resident of the village of Razdolnoye Vladimir Filippov was instituted on July 1, 2019. But a year earlier, on July 19, 2018, in another case, in which Filippov was a witness, armed law enforcement officers wearing masks broke into the homes of local believers. One of the security officials hit the elderly Vladimir Filippov in the face. About a year later, already in the case against Filippov himself, a second search took place in his apartment. Then the wife of Vladimir, Lyubov, due to stress, suffered a hypertensive crisis and needed medical attention. On January 10, 2020, a court sanctioned the third search in the homes of peaceful believers. The search took place on January 22, 2020, law enforcement officers seized cell phones from the elderly couple of Filippovs.\nVladimir Filippov was under surveillance. Security officials secretly filmed peaceful religious meetings of local Jehovah's Witnesses, and a B. Ulyankin, portraying an interest in the Bible, recorded a conversation with Vladimir Filippov. The investigation used the obtained materials to present Filippov as the “head of a banned organization”.\nIn the case against Vladimir Filippov, a psychological, linguistic and religious examination was also used, which was prepared by Nadezhda Oleshkevich, Associate Professor of the Department of Philosophy and Legal Psychology. She arbitrarily chose an article on the Internet with biased information about Jehovah's Witnesses and, on this basis, built a conclusion about the \"hostility\" of the believer's religion towards the state. At the same time, the expert did not provide evidence of any specific hostile actions or crimes in the conclusion.\nOn May 19, 2020, after almost three years of investigation, which was conducted by Denis Shevchenko, CO investigator for the Nadezhdinskiy district of the Investigative Committee of Russia, Filippov's case was brought to court. For more than 10 months, the believer has been under recognizance not to leave.\nVladimir Filippov has not been previously convicted. Before coming to faith, he devoted 27 years to military service.\nThe verdict to Vladimir Filippov was the first in the region. At the moment, 33 believers are undergoing 20 criminal cases in Primorye, including Filippov's fellow villager, 73-year-old Lyudmila Shut.\nWell-known human rights activists and public figures unanimously condemn and demand to stop the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. The Russian government has repeatedly stated that the decisions of the Russian courts on the liquidation and prohibition of organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-03-15T15:48:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/03/9/image_hu_511ec824c8e828f6.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/03/9/image_hu_49f35d8effd7157a.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/03/9/image_hu_cebd25edca1ff4c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/03/9/image_hu_54e166dfdd61960b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/03/9.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","282.2-1","suspended","elderly"],"title":"A Primorye-based former military man Vladimir Filippov was convicted and received a six year suspended sentence because of his faith in Jehovah God","type":"news"},{"body":"Judge of the Nadezhdinsky District Court of Primorsky Krai Diana Merzlyakova finds 77-year-old Vladimir Filippov guilty of organizing extremist activities and sentences him to 6 years of suspended imprisonment with a probationary period of 4 years and restriction of liberty for 1 year. A believer is also deprived of the right to engage in activities related to participation in public organizations for a period of 3 years.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Filippov in Razdolnoye","date":"2021-03-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volno-nadezhdinskoye3.html#20210315","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["sentence","elderly","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"CLARIFICATION. On March 11, 2021, the Metallurgicheskiy District Court of Chelyabinsk labeled Valentina Suvorova's, a retiree, activities as extremist because she “sang songs” and “prayed to Jehovah God.” The believer was given a two-year suspended sentence with additional restrictions on certain activities for a period of six months and a one-year probationary period (initially it was reported that the believer was given a one-year suspended sentence).\nAddressing the court with her last word the day before the verdict, Valentina Suvorova noted: “The cases of persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses, which are currently being conducted in Russia, are taking place before the eyes of the whole world. And in this case, the reputation of our country suffers greatly, turning it, in fact, into a totalitarian state. \" She continues: “The criminal case against me has no legal basis and does not obey logic and common sense. I am an extremist without extremism. It doesn't work that way. Today they put the stigma of an extremist on me, accuse me of a grave crime, trampling my good name in the mud. \"\nThe verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed.\nAlthough there is not a single victim in the case, the prosecutor recommended to the court that the believer be sentenced to 3 years of imprisonment in a colony.\nValentina Suvorova worked as a teacher at school in Chelyabinsk for 30 years. She bears the honorary title of \"Labor Veteran\". With her husband, Vladimir, she has been married for half a century. Several years ago, this friendly family suffered a series of tragedies: their beloved and only son Igor died of blood cancer, Valentina's mother died 2 years later, then her sister died, and her younger sister was paralyzed after a stroke. Before the Suvorovs family had time to recover from these shocks, investigators came to their house with a search. This happened on March 26, 2019, about a week after a criminal case was initiated on participation in the activities of an extremist organization (part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).\nThe investigation was initiated by the Department for Investigation of Particularly Important Cases of the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of Russia in the Chelyabinsk Region. For about a year, investigator Chepenko collected evidence that the believer \"deliberately talked about faith with the residents of the city of Chelyabinsk, sang chants, prayed to Jehovah God, and studied religious literature.\"\nThe prosecution took advantage of the testimony of an embedded agent Lilia Ruzayeva, who often spoke with Valentina on biblical topics. “We loved her as a daughter,” the believer said in her last word. - We met with joy, with treats. […] She spoke warm words of consolation, seeing how much grief and misfortune I endured that I live on pills alone. How can you drink tea, hug a person, receive flowers from him and betray him at the same time? Only now I fully understand what pain Jesus Christ experienced when he was betrayed by his own disciple Judas Iscariot. \"\nSince December 5, 2019, the believer has been under recognizance not to leave. On February 7, 2020, the case was sent to court.\nIn the same Metallurgicheskiy District Court of Chelyabinsk, a case is being heard against Valentina's spouse, 75-year-old Vladimir Suvorov. Another believer, 57-year-old Dmitry Vinogradov, is defending his beliefs in the Central District Court of Chelyabinsk.\nHuman rights defenders of the international society \"Memorial\" drew attention to the incompatibility of the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses with common sense: “It is absurd when Jehovah's Witnesses convicted under Soviet rule are recognized as victims of political repression in accordance with the Federal Law on Rehabilitation (1991) - and at the same time are sent to the prisons of the current followers of Jehovah's Witnesses. \"\nRussian and foreign leaders and organizations unanimously condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. Back in 2019, the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation presented a report to the President, where she drew attention to the unjustified criminal prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses. In January 2021, at a meeting with the Human Rights Council, President Putin re-ordered the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to deal with violations of the legislation on freedom of conscience, freedom of religion and religious associations.\nThe conflict between law and law enforcement practice in Russia, according to the European Court of Human Rights, occurs due to a number of myths around Jehovah's Witnesses. The ECHR gave this a legal interpretation.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-03-12T16:21:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/03/8/image_hu_9dfad00ef651fad3.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/03/8/image_hu_4704801851e475f6.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/03/8/image_hu_c360a9fa198614fe.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/03/8/image_hu_5fc3bf8896aecb28.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/03/8.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["elderly","suspended","282.2-2","families"],"title":"A Court in Chelyabinsk Sentenced 73-year-old Valentina Suvorova, a Labor Veteran, to a Suspended 1 Year for Reading the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"\"I did not commit a crime, but only exercised my constitutional right to believe in Jehovah God and live in harmony with my religious beliefs,\" Vladimir Filippov said in his last speech.\n","date":"2021-03-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/73.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Vladimir Filippov in Razdolnoye","type":"docs"},{"body":"The Metallurgichesky District Court of Chelyabinsk found Valentina Suvorova guilty of participating in the activities of an extremist organization and sentenced her to 2 years of suspended sentence with restriction of liberty for a term of 6 months with a probationary period of 1 year.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Suvorova in Chelyabinsk","date":"2021-03-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk.html#20210311","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["sentence","elderly","suspended","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The trial of Valentina Suvorova is entering its final stage - debate. The prosecutor requests a sentence of 3 years in a general regime colony for the elderly believer, calling her guilty of extremism.\n\"In the period from September 6, 2017, the exact date and time have not been established, in an unidentified place on the territory of Chelyabinsk, at Suvorova V.A. ... there was a criminal intent to commit unlawful acts to participate in the continuation of the activities of the LRO of Jehovah's Witnesses \"Chelyabinsk\", in respect of which the court decided to liquidate,\" the indictment says. According to the prosecutor, Valentina Suvorova \"committed a deliberate crime against the foundations of the constitutional order and state security\" by talking to the townspeople about the Bible-based beliefs held by Jehovah's Witnesses. The course of the trial did not establish any other crime.\nThe believer makes the last word, does not admit guilt and asks her to be acquitted. \"I have never had anything to do with extremists and extremism. And forbidding believing is like forbidding breathing. Unthinkable and impossible!\" says Valentina Suvorova, addressing the court.\nThe court schedules the announcement of the verdict at 16:00 on March 11.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Suvorova in Chelyabinsk","date":"2021-03-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk.html#20210310","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["punishment-request","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In her last word, Valentina Suvorova drew the court's attention to her main life principles: \"I have always tried to build my life on two important commandments set forth in the Bible: to love God and people. Therefore, I have not caused any harm to the state and I am not going to do so.\"\n","date":"2021-03-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/72.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Valentina Suvorova in Chelyabinsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"On February 24, 2021, Abakan city court passed an unprecedentedly cruel sentence: for the first time a woman, who is also elderly, was sentenced to imprisonment. For the first time, a person is imprisoned under the milder part of article 282.2 (participation in a banned organization) of the RF Criminal Code. This is the case of Valentina Baranovskaya.\nHer son, Roman Baranovskiy, was sentenced to 6 years in prison under a stricter part of Article 282.2 of the RF Criminal Code (organization of activities of a banned organization). The criminal case was based on recordings of conversations between believers, from which it follows that they practice the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. There are no extremist statements in their conversations. There are no victims in the case.\nThe verdict was handed down by Judge Elena Shcherbakova. The verdict did not come into force; it will be appealed. Both believers insisted on their complete innocence. After the verdict was pronounced, both believers were taken into custody. They will be placed in the SIZO.\nIn the summer of 2020, just before the court hearings began, Valentina was diagnosed with cerebral infarction or ischemic stroke. The defendant, according to doctors' estimates, was in the hospital in moderate condition. Valentina will be 70 years old in April 2021.\nSuch a cruel punishment was recommended by the state prosecutor, Svetlana Anatolievna Shestakova of the Abakan prosecutor's office. On February 1, 2021, during the debate, she asked to sentence Roman Baranovskiy to 8 years in prison, while for Valentina Baranovskaya the prosecutor recommended 5 years in a penal colony.\nIn reply to the charges of \"harming people and the state\" Valentina answered in her last statement that the Bible helped her to become peaceful, fair, loving people and God and taught her to respect the authorities and their laws. She stressed that despite the ban of the legal entity - the local religious organization Jehovah's Witnesses of Abakan (decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation from 20.04.2017) - everyone has the right to practice their religion according to Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.\nRoman Baranovsky said in his last statement: \"I am accused, in fact, of confession of faith, because exactly the actions of confession of faith, according to the prosecution, are evidence of my illegal activities, namely: singing songs glorifying God, praying together and discussing the Bible in my home with my friends and acquaintances, and the fact that we agreed to meet with each other for this purpose. And this is in the 21st century! Is this really possible? How could it undermine the constitutional order of our country?\"\nOn April 10, 2019, armed law enforcement officers broke into the home of Roman and his mother Valentina.\nShortly before that, on March 21, 2019, A. Pachuev, a senior investigator of the Investigative Department for the city of Abakan of the Investigative Committee of the RF for the Republic of Khakassia initiated a criminal case against the believers under Article 282.2 part 1 of the RF Criminal Code (organization of activities of a banned organization). Later Valentina's indictment was lowered to part 2 of Article 282.2 of the RF Criminal Code (organization of activity of a forbidden organization). Later Valentina's accusation was downgraded to part 2 Article 282.2 (participation in the activities of a liquidated organization) of the RF Criminal Code.\nAll in all, there are two criminal cases pending in the Republic of Khakasia. The second case, in which six believers from Abakan were involved, was separated from the Baranovskiys’ case.\nThe Baranovskiys' case was being investigated for one year and two months prior to coming to the Abakan city court on June 15, 2020.\nThe indictment revealed violations of the requirements of criminal procedural law, due to which the prosecutor returned the case to investigator O. Ermakova to \"rewrite the indictment and eliminate the detected violations\".\nBefore retiring in 2006, Valentina worked as an accountant and economist, while Roman did some finishing work. Their friends, colleagues, and relatives are perplexed as to how this peaceful and decent family can be accused of such monstrous things as extremism.\nRussian and international legal scholars unanimously condemn the actions of the authorities against Jehovah's Witnesses in the Russian Federation.\nFor example, human rights activists from the international society Memorial highlighted the incompatibility between the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses and common sense: \"It is absurd that Jehovah's Witnesses convicted under the Soviet regime are recognized as victims of political repression in accordance with the 1991 Federal Law on Rehabilitation - while they are simultaneously imprisoned as Jehovah's Witnesses today.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-02-24T16:31:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/02/16/image_hu_618a9c61d73da651.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/02/16/image_hu_8ecc16093772bd64.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/02/16/image_hu_2f23ee7286e2b2d4.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/02/16/image_hu_2dd8e83fbaa115a9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/02/16.html","regions":["khakassia"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","282.2-1","282.2-2","liberty-deprivation","families","elderly"],"title":"In Khakasia, a 70-year-old Woman Was Sentenced to 2 Years in a Penal Colony for Faith. Her Son Was sentenced to 6 Years in a Colony. They Are Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 10, 2021, in the village of Razdolnoye (Razdolnensky District, Crimea), security forces examined the homes of two local Jehovah's Witnesses: Andrey Rogutskiy and Lyudmila Shevchenko. Bibles, notebooks, electronic devices were confiscated from believers.\nThe list of property seized from Lyudmila Shevchenko included a book “The Sacred Nativity Scene” that did not belong to her, and it was not published by Jehovah's Witnesses. Lyudmila was not found to have any publications from the Federal List of Extremist Materials.\nThe survey of the premises was carried out on the basis of the decision of the Sevastopol City Court. During the events, Andrey Rogutskiy's wife became ill, she had to call an ambulance.\nSince 2018, already 9 residents of Crimea from different cities have faced persecution based on the confession of faith of Jehovah's Witnesses, two of them have been sent to colonies.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2021-02-24T14:39:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/planting_hu_76e7d15a71cc806c.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/planting.jpg","webp":"/news/common/planting_hu_794b3fc552198d4e.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/planting_hu_379ea89a81d0966d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/02/15.html","regions":["crimea"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","elderly"],"title":"Homes of two Jehovah's Witnesses in Razdolnoye, a Crimean village, were searched. A religious book was planted in the home of a 72-year-old believer","type":"news"},{"body":"Addressing the court, Valentina Baranovskaya noted: \"I am ashamed that Russia is again stepping on the same rake by arranging shameful persecution of the most peaceful, kind and law-abiding citizens of its country.\" She hopes for an honest and just sentence and acquittal of all prisoners of conscience.\n","date":"2021-02-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/68.html","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Valentina Baranovskaya in Abakan","type":"docs"},{"body":"On February 17, 2021, believers from the Kovrov city reported searches that had taken place at least at 6 addresses. 14 people were detained and taken away for interrogation, including elderly ones. Details are being clarified.\nUpdate. According to updated data, searches and inspections in Kovrov began at 7 am on February 17 and took place at 7 addresses. One of the believers was picked up straight from work in the morning at about 9 o\u0026rsquo;clock. Electronic devices were seized from the majority of citizens. The security forces interrogated 23 people, one of the women needed emergency medical attention, and she was taken to the hospital. During interrogations, FSB officers from Vladimir and Kovrov presented screenshots taken in the summer of 2020. They show that believers communicate with each other via video link. Most of those interrogated were released on the same day. One of the believers was released only the next morning. 65-year-old Boris Simonenko was sent by a court decision for 2 months to a pre-trial detention center (a room operating in the mode of pre-trial detention centers) at the Correctional Colony No. 7 of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia in the Vladimir Region. The Vladimir Region has become the 62nd region of Russia where criminal prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses is being conducted under the guise of fighting extremism. Law enforcement officials consider peaceful religious services, during which believers read the Bible, pray and discuss Christian teachings, as a \"crime\". Despite the fact that the Russian courts did not prohibit the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, its confession is equated by the security forces as a continuation of the activities of the banned organization. Currently, 81 out of almost 200 initiated criminal cases are in courts. 26 sentences entered into force, 49 people were placed in places of detention, 9 of them - in colonies. There are no victims in any of the criminal cases and no harm had been caused to a person or any of the state structures.\nThe world community unequivocally classifies the criminal prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia as unjustified religious repression.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2021-02-19T12:08:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/police_hu_2f65dda10841e67d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/police_hu_2b40327c6e1ef222.jpg","webp":"/news/common/police_hu_3a4c01a862f01eb1.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/police_hu_513decae2289ba0d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/02/13.html","regions":["vladimir"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation","elderly","sizo"],"title":"Vladimir region siloviki join in religious persecution. A series of searches took place in Kovrov","type":"news"},{"body":"Due to the serious illness of Elena Zayshchuk, the case against her was suspended.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zayshchuk in Vladivostok","date":"2021-02-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok11.html#20210219","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the hearing, the prosecutor reads out the testimony of prosecution witnesses. The witnesses themselves are not present in court, and their whereabouts are unknown.\nValentina Suvorova speaks with her attitude to the accusation. The judge allows her to read out the testimony while sitting, due to her age and poor health. The defendant draws attention to the fact that the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation did not ban the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, which means that any person living in Russia has the right to practice the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses after April 20, 2017 . And this is not a crime.\nThe defendant shows the court the absurdity of what is happening: \"The preliminary investigation bodies incorrectly and arbitrarily interpret the decision of the Supreme Court. And it is their misinterpretation, and not the alleged crime I committed, that is the reason why I am in the dock today.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Suvorova in Chelyabinsk","date":"2021-02-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk.html#20210211","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"\"One gets the feeling that the prosecution is trying me not for extremism, but for the fact that I simply continue to practice the peaceful religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\" In his last word, Aleksandr Ivshin told the court what he believes in and how it affects him.\n","date":"2021-02-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/60.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Alexander Ivshin in Abinsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"On February 1, 2021, during a debate in the Abakan City Court, the prosecutor asked to sentence 46-year-old Roman Baranovsky to 8 years in prison and a year of restricted freedom. For his 69-year-old mother, Valentina Baranovskaya, who suffered a stroke, the prosecutor requested 5 years in prison with the same restriction.\nUpdate. The record cruel punishment for believers was requested by Assistant Prosecutor Svetlana Anatolievna Shestakova As Valentina Baranovskaya stated during one of the court hearings, the prosecutor voiced accusations of extremism, which consisted in the fact that “Baranovskaya ... decided to participate in the joint confession and dissemination of the Christian faith of Jehovah's Witnesses, namely: to perform religious services, to introduce people with the Holy Scriptures and biblical teachings, principles and norms of the indicated religious teaching. \" “Whatever accusations the prosecutor voiced, the key thought is that I have read and still read the Bible and discuss what I have read with others,” said the believer, firmly rejecting allegations of extremist actions and motives.\nRoman Baranovsky, in his testimony to the court, also stated that he did not commit extremist actions. Moreover, the knowledge from the Bible helped him to become a more decent citizen - to give up bad habits and learn to get along with people. “For 25 years I tried to be an exemplary citizen of my country, and now the prosecution proposes to declare me an extremist,” Roman Baranovsky said, adding that during the trial “not a single witness, neither the investigation, nor the prosecutor” indicated what kind of crime he committed.\nA criminal case under article part 1 art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of the activities of a banned organization) against the mother and son of the Baranovskys was initiated on March 21, 2019. Later, the charge of Valentina was softened to part 2 of art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation in the activities of a liquidated organization). As a crime, believers are charged with the peaceful services of Jehovah's Witnesses, at which they discussed the Bible together with their fellow believers, prayed and sang religious songs, which the investigation interprets as a continuation of the activities of prohibited organizations, although the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses is not prohibited in Russia.\nThe requested penalty for Roman Baranovsky is the longest since the ban in 2017 of legal entities, organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. Prior to that, the record was set by the Pskov prosecutor, who requested 7.5 years for Gennadiy Shpakovskiy, whom the court sentenced to 6.5 years in prison, but the court of appeal replaced the sentence with a suspended sentence.\n","category":"trial","date":"2021-02-01T21:44:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/02/1/image_hu_a84ea62c12a11d2a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/02/1/image_hu_cb1c495355c1248d.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/02/1/image_hu_ddb4a8bd627d1ef6.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/02/1/image_hu_fa955408389cac5a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/02/1.html","regions":["khakassia"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["prosecutor-request","families","elderly"],"title":"A Khakassia prosecutor requests a record-breaking eight-year prison sentence for Roman Baranovskiy for practicing his faith and a five-year sentence for his mother","type":"news"},{"body":"After complaints, including those addressed to the head of pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Oryol region, Colonel of Internal Service Yuri Afanasyev, representatives of the administration of the institution reported that they handed over to the believer the medicines brought by his wife. However, he needs the qualified help of a cardiologist. There is no corresponding specialist in the medical unit.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Piskarev and Others in Oryol","date":"2021-01-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol3.html#20210121","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["medical-rights","health-risk","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the city of Votkinsk, security forces conduct searches in 7 homes, as well as in the workplaces of Jehovah's Witnesses. After that, the believers and their family members are interrogated. Among them is an 80-year-old woman who has a stroke due to the stress she has experienced, she is taken to the hospital by ambulance.\nSergey Gobozev's apartment, where he lives with his wife and mother-in-law, is being searched in his absence. Operatives seize Sergey's personal belongings: driver's license, car documents, veteran's certificate. In addition, they take electronic devices, an album with photographs and various translations of the Bible, including the Synodal edition.\nOperatives detain Sergey in a hospital in the city of Izhevsk, where he brings his wife to the reception. He is taken to the Investigative Committee for interrogation, a personal search is conducted and sent to a temporary detention facility.\nMikhail Potapov's home is also searched, after which he is handcuffed for interrogation at the Investigative Committee, and then left in custody.\nFSB investigator Ponomarev prosecutes Gobozev and Potapov as accused of organizing extremist activities. This is how the investigation interprets conversations on biblical topics using video and audio communications.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gobozev and Potapov in Votkinsk","date":"2021-01-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/votkinsk.html#20210121","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["search","interrogation","elderly","health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that the administration of pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Oryol region does not allow 64-year-old Vladimir Piskarev to receive the medicines he needs, which were given to him by his family. His cellmates repeatedly saved his life during severe attacks of hypertension. Employees of the pre-trial detention center do nothing. The family sends complaints to various authorities.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Piskarev and Others in Oryol","date":"2021-01-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol3.html#20210119","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["medical-rights","health-risk","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known about the death of Rimma Vashchenko, one of the eight defendants in the criminal case against believers in the city of Nevinnomyssk. She was added to the Rosfinmonitoring list of extremists on June 18, 2020, shortly before her 90th birthday. Since then, she has officially been the oldest \"extremist\" in Russia. Now the oldest extremist in Russia is 85-year-oldYelena Zaishchuk , a Jehovah's Witness from Vladivostok, who has been under recognizance agreement for more than 2.5 years.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuznetsov and Others in Nevinnomyssk","date":"2021-01-14T16:31:00+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/nevinnomyssk.html#20210114","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On December 29, 2020, the Nadezhdinsky District Court held a hearing in the criminal case against a former military officer from the village of Razdolnoye. Because of his belief in Jehovah's God, the prosecutor's office charged him with organizing the activities of a banned organization. A date for announcing the verdict has not yet been set.\nUpdate. It became known that Vladimir Filippov is scheduled to deliver his last word on January 27, 2021 at 15:30. The verdict will probably be announced on the same day. State prosecutor Maria Koval (assistant to the prosecutor) recommended judge Diana Merzlyakova to sentence the 77-year-old pensioner to 6 years 6 months imprisonment in a penal colony. The prosecutor also wants to prohibit him to participate in public organizations for another 2 years and to order him to register every month for 1 year after his release, not to leave home at night, not to attend public events, not to change his place of residence and not to leave the Nadezhdinsky municipal district without the consent of supervisory bodies.\nThere are no victims in Filippov's case. Filippov himself does not admit his guilt; he claims that he was simply praying and discussing the Gospel. The believer has been under house arrest for over nine months now. Before that, operatives put him under surveillance.\nThe case against Vladimir Filippov was initiated on July 1, 2019. However, a year earlier, on July 19, 2018, as part of another case in which Filippov was formally a witness, armed law enforcement officers in masks rudely broke into the dwellings of believers in the village of Razdolnoye. One of them punched Vladimir Filippov in the face. A year later his apartment was searched again as part of the case against Filippov, after which his wife, Lubov, suffered a hypertensive crisis and had to call an ambulance. On January 22, 2020, the Nadezhdinskiy District Court sanctioned the third search in the home of peaceful believers. Both cases were investigated by the Investigative Division of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for Primorye Territory.\nThe criminal case is based on video recordings of worship services from 2017 and audio recordings of conversations about the Bible with a certain B. N. Ulyankin, who portrayed an interest in the Bible. The investigation into the case lasted just under 2 years. On May 19, 2020 it went to court. The hearing lasted another 7 months.\nThe prosecutor's office accused the peaceful pensioner of \"convening meetings, organizing religious speeches and religious services... Distribution of literature with extremist content, implementation of preaching activities\" - all this was interpreted as extremism. After viewing the video of the worship service in court, it became clear that Filippov only participated in prayer and chanting, and gave a short biblical speech about showing kindness to people. In his testimony, Vladimir Filippov noted that \"praying to God is not a violation of the law. Learning biblical instruction is not a violation of the law. Talking to other people who express a desire to speak on spiritual topics is not a violation of the law.\"\nVladimir Filippov is a former military man who served for 27 years. His father died at the front shortly before he was born. As a young man Vladimir was a member of the Krasnozersk district hockey team. For the last 25 years he has been studying the Bible in depth.\nRussian human rights organizations, as well as the international community, consider the criminal prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia unlawful. The Russian government has repeatedly stated that decisions of Russian courts to liquidate and ban Jehovah's Witnesses organizations \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, nor do they contain a restriction or ban on the individual practice of the aforementioned doctrine.\n","category":"trial","date":"2020-12-29T17:50:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/12/10/image_hu_75f3f3be53f32a02.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/12/10/image_hu_e59de62271d869c6.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/12/10/image_hu_835231258a2d4011.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/12/10/image_hu_9679c0ea8a230deb.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/12/10.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["prosecutor-request","elderly"],"title":"A Primorye prosecutor requested six-and-a-half year correctional colony sentence for the 77-year-old believer Vladimir Filippov","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 18, 2020, Yuriy Pilipenko, a judge of the Khostinsky district court, found two Sochi residents guilty of organizing the activities of an extremist organization because of their religion. Vyacheslav Popov spent one year and two months in the pre-trial detention center, and Nikolay Kuzichkin spent 6.5 months in the pre-trial detention center plus eight months under house arrest.\nThe time the believers have already spent in custody corresponds to their sentences: 1 year and 1 month for Kuzichkin and 1 year and 10 months for Popov. Vyacheslav Popov will remain in the pre-trial detention center until the sentence comes into force.\nThe criminal case in Sochi became known on October 10, 2019, when groups of law enforcement officers conducted searches in 36 homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in Sochi. Armed special forces broke down the doors, broke in through the balcony. Both young and old were laid face down on the floor.\nThe case was investigated for 12 months by the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation. All this time Kuzichkin and Popov remained under arrest. The health condition of 69-year-old piano tuner Nikolay Kuzichkin in pre-trial detention approached a critical state. Lack of treatment for life-threatening diseases caused him to lose 24 kilograms in just a month and a half. In April 2020, the Krasnodar Regional Court ruled to release Kuzichkin from the pre-trial detention center under house arrest. Vyacheslav Popov's detention was extended 14 times.\nThe ban and liquidation of Jehovah's Witnesses legal entities in 2017 have long since escalated into real persecution of ordinary believers, most of whom have never been members of the liquidated legal entities. This legal \"collision,\" as the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation put it, is crippling the lives of hundreds of people. Recently the number of criminal cases has increased significantly, with dozens of men and women behind bars. The believers await the decision of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), where they have filed a complaint.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2020-12-18T20:59:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/12/6/image_hu_8fb826be5a182c84.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/12/6/image_hu_8b3b0883c5cd86a8.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/12/6/image_hu_f2aca56a8d1dfb89.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/12/6/image_hu_cc3367e195db73c2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/12/6.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","282.2-1","liberty-deprivation","elderly"],"title":"Sochi-based believers Kuzichkin and Popov were sentenced to imprisonment but were released due to having, in effect, completed their sentence","type":"news"},{"body":"Yuriy Pilipenko, a judge of the Khostinsky District Court of Sochi, issues a verdict: to find Vyacheslav Popov and Nikolai Kuzichkin guilty of organizing the activities of an extremist organization and to impose a sentence of 1 year and 1 month in prison for Kuzichkin and 1 year and 10 months for Popov. Release in connection with the actual serving of his sentence (Vyacheslav Popov stayed in the pre-trial detention center for 1 year and 2 months, and Nikolai Kuzichkin spent 6.5 months in the pre-trial detention center plus 8 months under house arrest.)\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kuzichkin and Popov in Sochi","date":"2020-12-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sochi.html#20201218","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["punishment-request","sentence","282.2-1","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Leninsky District Court of Novosibirsk judge Yekaterina Kashina sentenced Yuriy Savelyev to six years in a general regime colony for believing in Jehovah God on December 16, 2020. The believer will appeal the verdict and will remain in pre-trial detention center until the appeal hearing, where he has been held for 769 days, despite his deteriorating health.\n“Yuriy Savelyev was taken to the announcement of the verdict with a high fever, in a weakened state, but in a good mood, despite the fact that at the previous session the assistant prosecutor V. Petrov requested 8 years in prison for him. The believer intends to appeal the verdict in the near future,” Saveliev's lawyer said after the court session.\n“I do not hold any grudge or resentment against those because of whom I am in prison,” said Yuriy Savelyev, speaking in court on December 9 with his last word.\nAfter the liquidation of legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia in 2017, Yuriy Savelyev did not stop adhering to the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses, reading the Bible and discussing religious topics with fellow believers and other people. The investigation considered this to be extremism, organization of the activities of a banned organization (part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). Yuriy Savelyev considers these accusations absurd: “I have no enemies, and for my almost 67 years I have never been brought to administrative or criminal responsibility. I am against any form of violence, be it verbal, psychological or physical. \"\nDuring the trial, not a single evidence was presented that the believer had committed any real crime and pose a threat to society or the state. Nevertheless, Judge Yekaterina Kashina repeatedly extended the detention of a believer despite the pandemic. As a result, in prison, Yuriy Savelyev fell ill, besides, the elderly man had aggravated diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.\nBased on the rules for recording the time of detention, Yuriy Savelyev has already served almost half of the term in the pre-trial detention center. He should be released in September 2023.\n“Such a severe sentence for an absolutely innocent elderly and not very healthy person violates the norms of humanism and undermines faith in justice. During the time of the religious persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in contemporary Russia, Yuriy Savelyev became the fifth prisoner of conscience to be sentenced to 6 years in prison just for participating in peaceful religious meetings. The Russian state indicated that this confession is not prohibited, only legal entities have been liquidated. But the courts continue to send ordinary people to jail, essentially saying that Jehovah's Witnesses have no right to freedom of religion,” said Yaroslav Sivulsky, a representative of the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nThe international community strongly condemns the criminal prosecution of believers.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2020-12-16T18:50:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/12/4/image_hu_a2bf74a624f26ac9.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/12/4/image_hu_18af29b5eb281322.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/12/4/image_hu_7772549db79050e9.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/12/4/image_hu_5545fa7a8fc8ee6d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/12/4.html","regions":["novosibirsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","sizo","282.2-1","elderly","health-risk"],"title":"A Novosibirsk court sentenced 66-year-old Yuriy Savelyev, one of Jehovah's Witnesses, to six years in prison. He has already spent half of this term in pre-trial detention","type":"news"},{"body":"The Sovetsky District Court of Orel sends Vladimir Melnik and Vladimir Piskarev to a pre-trial detention center for 2 months. The court leaves Artur Putintsev in the temporary detention facility.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Piskarev and Others in Oryol","date":"2020-12-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol3.html#20201211","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["sizo","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On December 9, 2020, at least three searches in the apartments of local followers of religion Jehovah's Witnesses take place in the city of Oryol. It is reported that criminal proceedings have been initiated against three believers.\nThree believers were detained and sent to a temporary detention center: Vladimir Piskaryov, 64, Artur Putintsev, 50, and Vladimir Melnik, 54. A married couple was also taken in for questioning, but were later released. According to updated information, searches were carried out at 7 addresses. During the search of Artur and Lyudmila Putintsev's home, an investigator pulled out a gun and threatened to shoot the dog. Electronic devices, books and personal records were seized from the believers. In one of the apartments, law enforcement officers seized a collection of poems, explaining that they were looking for anything that contained the name Jehovah.\nOn December 11, the Sovetsky District Court of Orel sent Vladimir Melnik and Vladimir Piskarev to a pre-trial detention center for 2 months. Artur Putintsev was left by the court in the temporary detention facility.\nUpdate. On December 14, the judge of the Sovetsky District Court of Orel, Andrei Tretyakov, decided to send Artur Putintsev to a pre-trial detention center for 2 months. According to the official press-release of the Investigative Committee, the case was initiated under part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code. It is reported that the believers in Oryol and Naryshkino were identified by FSB and MVD officers. The believers are accused for \"convening meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses, in which they personally participated and formed their summons.\"\nTwo local Jehovah's Witnesses have already been convicted for their faith: Dennis Christensen and Sergey Skrynnikov.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-12-09T16:58:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/search3_hu_778e83b9f4f8433e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/search3_hu_f4485531c3f6124e.jpg","webp":"/news/common/search3_hu_7ec3304661c1c0e6.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/search3_hu_9b9f020fee9382aa.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/12/3.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation","new-case","282.2-2","elderly","ivs","sizo"],"title":"In the City of Oryol a Wave of Searches in the Apartments of Dennis Christensen’s Fellow Believers","type":"news"},{"body":"The court decides to separate the charges against Vladimir Korobeynikov from the criminal case, after which it suspends the proceedings in this separated case.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Korobeynikov in Kirov","date":"2020-12-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirov4.html#20201209","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"\"I am ashamed that Russia once again arranges shameful persecution of the most peace-loving, kind and law-abiding citizens.\" In his final statement, Yuriy Savelyev drew the court's attention to the unfounded accusations against him as a Jehovah's Witness.\n","date":"2020-12-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/52.html","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Yuri Savelyev in Novosibirsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"A criminal case has been opened against 64-year-old Vladimir Piskaryov, 50-year-old Artur Putintsev and 54-year-old Vladimir Melnik.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Piskarev and Others in Oryol","date":"2020-12-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol3.html#20201208","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["new-case","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On November 30, 2020, in the city of Snezhinsk, Chelyabinsk Region, searches were carried out in 4 families of believers, including a 69-year-old woman. A criminal case was initiated under Art. 282.2 (2) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation against 43-year-old Ilya Olenin.\nThe security forces broke into the apartment of Ilya and Natalya Olenin early in the morning. The search was led by FSB officer Alexander Teplyakov. The law enforcers searched the apartment where the believers live, their car and garage, and also another apartment 50 km from Snezhinsk. As a result of the searches, law enforcement officers seized cash and bank cards, Bibles, electronic devices, disks with films and personal records from the Olenins.\nThe search was also carried out at the work of an elderly believer who will turn 70 in the spring. The operatives asked her colleagues if she talked to them on religious topics. In addition, searches took place in her apartment and garage. Electronic devices, photographs and personal records were taken from the woman.\nA new criminal case was initiated by the investigator for particularly important cases of the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of Russia in the Chelyabinsk Region, Alexander Chepenko, notorious for other cases against believers, including the married couple Vladimir and Valentina Suvorov, who are already over 70.\nThe order to conduct the searches was signed by Leonid Bobrov, judge of the Traktorozavodsky District Court of Chelyabinsk. Other details are being investigated.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-12-03T16:11:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/search1_hu_160c1337eb3e8062.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/search1_hu_dfb9691ac463f37a.jpg","webp":"/news/common/search1_hu_fb8ed82d5eed3b74.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/search1_hu_79022f8381b9b2b3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/12/1.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","new-case","282.2-2","elderly"],"title":"Security forces raided the homes of believers in the Chelyabinsk Region, including the home of a 69-year-old woman. A criminal case was initiated","type":"news"},{"body":"Vladimir Korobeynikov does not appear at the hearing, observing self-isolation due to age, about which he sends a notification to the court. The judge is considering two motions of the defendant: to terminate the proceedings in the case and to postpone the hearing due to the inability to attend. The prosecutor supports Korobeynikov's petitions. The judge also proposes to separate his case into separate proceedings.\nAll the defendants and their lawyers support Korobeynikov's petitions, but object to his separation into separate proceedings for the following reasons:\neveryone has the same accusation;\npossible violation of Vladimir's rights: the common cause may establish negative factors for his case. He will no longer be able to dispute the event of the crime if it is proved in a common case;\nother defendants will be deprived of Korobeynikov's testimony, which can serve as evidence for their defense;\nprocedural burden on the court (copying more than forty volumes of the case);\nSomeone in the case will not have physical evidence that can be used for defense.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Korobeynikov in Kirov","date":"2020-12-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirov4.html#20201203","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Searches are carried out in four houses of Snezhinsk residents early in the morning. Investigator Chepenko comes to Lyudmila Salikova, accompanied by riot police, a technical specialist and witnesses.\nDuring a 3-hour search of the apartment, the security forces seized electronic devices, the Bible, personal records, postcards and photographs. They then search the believer's garage and workplace. Lyudmila's colleagues are asked if she has talked to them about the Bible.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Salikova in Snezhinsk","date":"2020-11-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/snezhinsk.html#20201130","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["search","interrogation","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On November 24, 2020, at least ten searches of believers took place in Moscow. Among the 4 detainees, 65-year-old Ivan Tchaikovsky, who is the applicant in the case Jehovah's Witnesses in Moscow v. Russia. In 2010, the ECHR obliged Russia to rehabilitate the community, but now the ECHR ruling is considered to be unimplemented and has been taken under the control of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe.\n\"We have confirmed information about ten searches in the apartments of believers in the north-east of Moscow, which took place during November 24,\" says Yaroslav Sivulskiy of the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses. \"No reliable data on searches in other regions of Russia have been received.\"\nAccording to preliminary information four believers were left for the night in the detention center: Ivan Tchaikovsky, 65, Sergey Shatalov, 51, Yuriy Chernyshev, 57, Vitaliy Komarov, 44. Searches were conducted in their apartments. Tchaikovsky was detained at his summer house in Tula region. Among the investigators was Valeriya Bashaeva from the Department for Investigation of Special Cases (crimes against the person and public safety).\nUpdate. Among the detainees turned out to be 49-year-old Vardan Zakaryan. After the raids, eyewitnesses saw fresh bruises on the believer\u0026rsquo;s face. He was hospitalized in the therapeutic department of the 20th city clinical hospital, where he spent two days under guard. The law enforcement officers did not allow the relatives to give the believer food. On November 26, the believer was taken directly from the ward to the Presnensky District Court of Moscow to decide on a preventive measure. The rest of the detainees were taken to the same court. Ivan Tchaikovsky was an elder in the Moscow Jehovah's Witnesses community when it was dissolved by Golovinsky court in March 2004. Disseminated in the media information about the detainees' association with any centralized or local Jehovah's Witnesses organization is not true. All these organizations ceased to exist in 2017. Since then, believers living in Russia have enjoyed the constitutional right to freely practice their religion without establishing any entity.\nIvan Tchaikovsky is one of Jehovah's Witnesses since 1977. Between 1998 and 2004, he had to defend his faith, as well as the Jehovah's Witnesses community registered in Moscow, against false accusations in the Golovinsky court, in a civil trial. In 2001, that court ruled in favor of Jehovah's Witnesses, but in 2004, under pressure from Moscow City Court, the community was liquidated.\n\"Later, in 2010, a convincing victory was won in Strasbourg,\" says Yaroslav Sivulskiy, \"Russian authorities paid the believers, through Ivan Tchaikovsky, a large monetary compensation. Now, however, Ivan Tchaikovsky is detained in a criminal case, and his house was searched. It is not surprising that the Committee of Ministers has taken under its special control the implementation of this ECHR decision.\"\nThe Committee, composed of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Council of Europe, is an international body that controls how countries implement the ECHR decisions. On October 1, 2020, this Committee issued a decision in which it was not the first time that the Russian Federation had failed to comply with the final decision in the case Jehovah's Witnesses in Moscow v. Russia. The Committee of Ministers pointed out that the decision of the Supreme Court in 2017 on Jehovah's Witnesses nullified the previous progress in this case, it creates a legal basis for the repetition of violations that had previously been assessed and found illegal by the European Court. The Committee of Ministers expressed serious concern about the imposition of a ban on Jehovah's Witnesses, who are a well-known religion and according to the ECHR case law are entitled to practice their religion.\nAccording to paragraph 4 of Article 46 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, such repeated failure to comply with the final decisions of the ECHR gives the Committee of Ministers the right to raise before the ECHR the issue of Russia's violation of its obligations under the Council of Europe.\nMany Russian and international organizations call on Russia to stop the religious persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","category":"rights","date":"2020-11-25T11:13:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/11/8/image_hu_3ca32d44c5203bf7.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/11/8/image_hu_c49e80be23e00195.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/11/8/image_hu_1ba68d319a369977.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/11/8/image_hu_7aca4140ecb10a25.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/11/8.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","elderly","ivs","mid","echr","review"],"title":"Jehovah's Witnesses being searched in Moscow. How will these affect European foreign ministers?","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 16, 2020 the Investigative Committee and OMON officers conducted searches at 9 addresses of believers in Gryazi town in Lipetsk region. Five believers, including a pensioner, had already spent the night in the detention center. The court will decide on their further restraint. Another 7 people were released by the law enforcers after the interrogation.\nOn November 17, the day after their arrest, 42-year-old Sergey Kretov and 46-year-old Yevgeniy Reshetnikov were charged under Article 282.2(1) of the Criminal Code. The Gryazinsky City Court chose a measure of restraint in the form of detention for peaceful believers. Information on the situation of the remaining detainees is being clarified.\nUpdate. On November 18, 67-year-old Natalia Perekatiy, as well as Svetlana Vyrezkova and Tatyana Morlang, were released from custody, against whom the case was initiated under Part 2 of Article 282.2. The searches were carried out on the basis of 5 criminal cases initiated by an investigator of the first department for investigation of especially important cases of the Investigative Directorate of the Lipetsk region under part 1 and 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code (organization and participation in activities of an extremist organization). Electronic devices and personal documents were seized from believers. In the nearest future the court will decide on the measure of restraint in relation to the detainees.\nAccording to the investigation, believers, professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, conducted worship services and sermons. The police interpreted such peaceful religious activity as continuation of the banned religious organization, although the Jehovah's Witnesses religion is not banned in Russia. An official report from the Investigative Committee states that \"during the meetings, the suspects discussed religious intolerance towards representatives of other faiths with those who came\". In the near future, the court will either require the investigator to prove the allegation - and then release the believers from custody, or take his word for it - and impose a preventive measure on the believers.\nThe security forces interpret such peaceful religious activity as a continuation of the activities of a banned religious organization, although the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses is not prohibited in Russia.\nPreviously, three local residents had been prosecuted for their faith in Lipetsk region and held in a detention center for almost a year. At the end of October 2020, the court released them on their own recognizance.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-11-17T18:04:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/11/5/image_hu_7ae20c324a1d4f4e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/11/5/image_hu_5ed4a04a54771ccc.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/11/5/image_hu_31ca3fa63fc06785.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/11/5/image_hu_4f888bbee8b17cba.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/11/5.html","regions":["lipetsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation","elderly","282.2-1","282.2-2","ivs","sizo"],"title":"In Gryazi Town 5 Believers Imprisoned for Talking About God, Among Them a 67-year-old Woman","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 17, 2020, the Kamchatka Regional Court denied the appeal of Konstantin and Snezhana Bazhenov and Vera Zolotova. The verdict of the lower court came into force.\nHunting the Elderly: Security Forces List Older Women in the Ranks of Extremists Earlier, on September 25, 2020 the judge of the Yelizovo District Court Yulia Piskun sentenced them to two years of suspended imprisonment with a probation period of 3 years and restriction of liberty for 6 months. The court found peaceful citizens guilty of participation in activity of extremist organization (part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Crimina Code).\nCriminal prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Yelizovo began in summer 2018. Bazhenov spouses and pensioner Vera Zolotova were accused of holding joint worship meetings and conversations with others about God, which was considered as \"organization\" of the activities of a banned extremist organization (part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code). Subsequently, when the court passed the sentence, it reclassified the charges as \"participation\" (part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code).\nThe religious persecution turned out to be not only an exhausting series of court proceedings, but also serious financial difficulties for the believers. Bazhenovs, school teachers by profession, cannot find jobs in children's institutions. Together with 74-year-old Vera Zolotova, they are included in the \"List of terrorists and extremists\" of Rosfinmonitoring, which means blocking all bank accounts.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2020-11-17T11:25:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/11/4/image_hu_df527696f975ab81.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/11/4/image_hu_83a23450fe89bf04.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/11/4/image_hu_2d1e73a6f300a321.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/11/4/image_hu_f6beac9e657c8404.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/11/4.html","regions":["kamchatka"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","suspended","elderly","282.2-2","rosfinmonitoring"],"title":"The Appeal Did Not Change the Sentence of the Kamchatka Believers. School Teachers and a Pensioner Will Be Conditionally Deprived of Their Liberty for Two Years","type":"news"},{"body":"A. A. Buts, an investigator of the Department for Investigation of Especially Important Cases of the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, initiates a new criminal case against believers: Nikolai Anufriev (63 years old), Eduard Merinkov (45 years old), Pavel Ogorodov (69 years old), Alexander Vorontsov (35 years old) and Alexander Prilepsky (56 years old).\nThe new case shall be joined with the previously initiated case under Ch. 282.2 (1) and (2) in respect of Gennadiy Polyakevich and Gennadiy Skutelets (1) and (2).\nPreviously, Pavel Ogorodov had already been searched. In May, after another interrogation, Ogorodov suffered a microstroke.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polyakevich and Others in Pechora","date":"2020-11-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pechora.html#20201110","regions":["komi"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","282.2-2","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Yekaterina Kashyna chose not to release the believer from pre-trial detention center despite the pandemic or the cassation court's decision on the illegality of his further detention. Court hearings include the testimony of an Orthodox sectologist. And because of a secret witness, the believer even filed a recusal against the judge.\nUpdate. On October 20, 2020, the Leninsky District Court of Novosibirsk extended the period of detention of Yuri Savelyev until January 22, 2021. Investigators accused Saveliev of organizing extremist activities. The believer insists on his innocence, stating that he just practiced his religion. How are the hearings in the Leninskiy District Court of Novosibirsk going?\nSecret witness and challenge to the judge. The main evidence against the believer is the testimony of the witness under the pseudonym \"Natalia Ivanova.\" Unsubstantiated secrecy of a prosecution witness in itself grossly violates Saveliev's right to a fair trial, as it deprives him of the opportunity to cite facts that would question the testimony of the anonymous witness. But worse: On September 16, 2020, Judge Kashina decided to accept and publicize the written testimony of the secret witness even without calling him to the court and allowing the believer to ask counter questions - though through a sound link with the change of the witness' voice. The defense filled a recusation against the Judge Kashina, but she rejected it. (Judge Kashina issued a private order to the prosecutor on abuse of procedural rights for failing to ensure the appearance of a secret witness in court).\nOrthodox anti-Cultist against a believer. On September 16, 2020, the court interrogated specialist Oleg Zaev, who spoke on behalf of the Anti-Cultist Center by proxy signed by Orthodox activist Aleksandr Dvorkin. The defense noted that at the time of his testimony to the investigator, Zaev, who had no special education, was a professor of sectology at the Novosibirsk St. Makariev's Orthodox Theological Institute (the Institute closed in 2019). The \"Specialist\" did not hide his Orthodox views; he had a negative attitude towards Jehovah's Witnesses and considered them dangerous to the Orthodox country and the government.\nThe court's unwillingness to soften the preventive measure. On April 2020, Judge Kashina extended the detention of a 66-year-old believer in the courtroom in the absence of the audience due to the coronavirus epidemic. He tried to tell the judge that at the height of the pandemic, one of his cellmates was doing work in the pre-trial detention center that involved contact with large numbers of people. However, he does not wear a mask or gloves, which creates a high risk of infection. The judge was not touched by these arguments. Five months later, on September 9, 2020, the Eighth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction declared illegal the decision on prolongation of Yuri Saveliev's detention until April 22, 2020. On this basis, the believer again appealed to Judge Kashina for mitigation of the constraint measure, as she had every reason to do so. Unfortunately, the judge refused to transfer the believer at least to house arrest. Saveliev is still in custody, which was extended until 22 October 2020.\nWhat happens to Saveliev in the pre-trial detention center. The believer remains in a positive mood and does not complain about anything. It is known, however, that in June 2020, Saveliev faced short-term pressure from the administration of the pre-trial detention facility because of a religiously-motivated refusal to vote on amendments to the Constitution. Physically, he feels relatively well, maintains a healthy lifestyle, does gymnastics, sings, and draws. The lawyer who visited said that he smiles, jokes, feels supported by God, and sees many positive things happening to him behind bars. Saveliev reported that he was greatly supported by letters from believers and other sympathetic people. Incoming letters he carefully registers in notebooks. For June 2020 it has already received more than 7200 letters from 54 countries of the world. He is very grateful for such support.\n","category":"trial","date":"2020-10-16T13:35:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/10/8/image_hu_e7f5f3c2ae08083e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/10/8/image_hu_9f78191bd0d8299c.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/10/8/image_hu_a84f935aef4a5023.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/10/8/image_hu_bfbf49dc10d642f1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/10/8.html","regions":["novosibirsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","elderly","secret-witness","health-risk"],"title":"700 days in detention. How the Novosibirsk court is deciding the fate of the 66-year-old believer Yuriy Savelyev","type":"news"},{"body":"In the morning of October 11, 2020 armed forces invaded 4 apartments in Nikolsk city located approximately 100 km from Penza. Personal belongings were taken from believers. Among those searched was Yuri Kim, 60, who is suspected of extremism.\nUpdate. On October 30, Yuriy Kim was summoned to the Pervomaisky District Court of Penza, 120 kilometers from Nikolsk, to familiarize himself with the search materials. After returning, in the evening, the believer became ill, he was paralyzed and he lost consciousness. The ambulance doctors who arrived at the scene were unable to provide assistance and called the resuscitation team from Penza. Doctors did not have time to save Yuri. On November 14, he and his wife would celebrate the 19th anniversary of the creation of the family.\nThus, a minibus came to the house of a young married couple, law enforcers in masks and with automatic rifles came out. They began knocking out the door to the couple's dwelling, but the head of the family opened it himself. Investigator for especially important cases of Investigatory directorate of Investigatory committee of Russia for Penza region, senior lieutenant Igor Saulin presented to believers a search order issued on October 7 by Pervomaiskiy district court of Penza based on initiated criminal case. Electronic equipment, phones, flash-drives, watches, letters and bank cards were taken from the spouses. The couple were taken away for interrogation that lasted about 2.5 hours. After that the believers were released.\nOne of the searches was also carried out in the house of Yuriy Kim, against whom a criminal case was initiated under part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation - organization of the activities of the banned organization. A a recognizance not to leave was taken from Yuriy Kim. Other details are specified.\nAmong those searched on the basis of unfounded suspicions of extremism were a man with a disability and his wife.\n\"Someone was knocking on the door and wanted to break it down. I couldn't open it right away as my leg was amputated and some parts of my fingers were missing. It was hard for me to orient myself, \"says the believer about the events he experienced. According to his wife, the security forces tried to enter the apartment not only through the door: \"A man in camouflage began to knock on the window frame with a mount, preparing to knock it out. I opened the door. 8 people entered the house.\"\n\"I asked what they were looking for. The investigator replied: \"Everything related to religion and Jehovah,\" continues the head of the family.\n\"They took personal photos, four Bibles (including in the Synodal Translation, in the Translation of Archimandrite Macarius and the Modern Translation), as well as an Evangelical dictionary, personal notes on a biblical theme, postcards, a foreign passport, even my personal poems about Jehovah,\" says the believer. According to the woman, the security forces were also interested in why she and her husband \"do not believe like everyone else.\"\nHer husband says: \"I have hypertension and heart problems. Two years ago he was hospitalized with a suspected stroke. During the search, the pressure jumped sharply. By evening, I felt bad again. The pressure does not subside, in the morning the nose bleeds, the heart began to hurt again.\nLess than a month before the searches in Nikolsk, on September 16 the court made a decision on the case of 6 believers from Penza and sentenced them to suspended sentence based on similar accusations of extremism only for the fact that they read the Bible together with believers. Sentences for religious practices of Jehovah's Witnesses are handed down in Russia despite the fact that their faith is not prohibited in the country.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-10-13T13:47:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/10/6/image_hu_4dd4f21623132829.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/10/6/image_hu_d82a31e3427a65c6.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/10/6/image_hu_69ad57e89275e13a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/10/6/image_hu_1584ab1a3675eea3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/10/6.html","regions":["penza"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","health-risk","died","new-case","282.2-1","elderly"],"title":"A Series of Searches of Believers in Penza Region. A Criminal Case Initiated Under the \"Extremist\" Article","type":"news"},{"body":"On the afternoon of October 6, 2020, in the village of Solnechnodolsk, located about 60 kilometers from Stavropol, security forces searched the home of 64-year-old Gennady Serdyukov and planted three books from the Federal List of Extremist Materials on him. Another believer was detained but later released.\nThe decision to conduct an inspection, and in fact a search, in Serdyukov's house was issued by the judge of the Stavropol Regional Court Anton Akulinin. What exactly the believer is suspected of is not yet known. It is also unclear whether the actions of the security forces are related to one of the three criminal cases initiated in the Stavropol Territory against 14 civilians in Neftekumsk, Nevinnomyssk and Georgievsk. The oldest of the suspects in extremism in the region, Rimma Vashchenko, is 90 years old, the youngest resident of the region persecuted for his faith is 27-year-old Alexander Akopov.\nThe wave of persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Stavropol Territory began 4 years ago from the village of Nezlobnaya. At that time, law enforcement officers planted banned literature on believers, which was recorded by surveillance cameras. In October 2019, this practice continued in the city of Georgievsk. In the homes of three believers, the security forces planted flash drives with prohibited materials.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-10-12T15:45:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/10/5/image_hu_79a2372c6640370c.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/10/5/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/10/5/image_hu_7ca561ad54752b0c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/10/5/image_hu_80d5cfff5ccdffee.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/10/5.html","regions":["stavropol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["elderly","plant","search"],"title":"In the Stavropol Territory, law enforcers planted banned literature on an elderly believer and \"found\" it during a search","type":"news"},{"body":"In his last word, the defendant reminded the court that in 1991 the country's authorities had already condemned religious repression and rehabilitated Jehovah's Witnesses. Tokarev also explained that he had never participated in extremist activities, and renunciation of faith was unacceptable for him.\n","date":"2020-10-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/46.html","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Anatoly Tokarev in Kirov","type":"docs"},{"body":"Kamchatka residents Vera Zolotova and spouses Konstantin and Snezhana Bazhenovs were found guilty of involvement in the activities of an extremist organization. Sentence was announced on September 25, 2020 in Yelizovsky district court. Believers do not admit guilt and consider the events to be religious persecution.\nIt is noteworthy that when the court passed its sentence, it reclassified the article of the prosecution. Investigators and prosecutors considered that believers were guilty of \"organization\" of extremist community (part 1 of article 282.2 of RF Criminal Code) and the court eventually declared them guilty of \"participation\" in it (part 2 of article 282.2 of RF Criminal Code). In addition, the state prosecution recommended imposing an unbearable fine on the believers: 1,200,000 rubles for the Bazhenovs and 400,000 rubles for Vera Zolotova. However, the court sentenced all three to 2 years conditionally with a probationary period of 3 years and subsequent restraint of freedom for 6 months.\n\"The situation in Yelizovo clearly showed that the articles of the Criminal Code were applied to believers in a completely arbitrary manner. In reality we are not talking about any organization or any participation in any kind of extremism. People simply study the Bible together, pray and learn to love their neighbors in the spirit of the Gospel. They're infinitely far from extremism,\" said Yaroslav Sivulsky of the European Jehovah's Witnesses Association.\nThe prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Yelizovo began in the summer of 2018. The city residents were searched in August that year. Among the 11 detainees were former schoolteacher Konstantin Bazhenov, his wife Snezhana, who worked as a teacher at school, their minor daughter, and pensioner Vera Zolotova. The believers were taken to the temporary detention center. Konstantin spent 8 days in the pre-trial detention center. Snezhana and Vera were released after 2 days. All of them, except for the minor, were taken to sign up for not leaving.\nThese peaceful citizens were accused of holding joint worship services and conversations with others about God, which the operatives considered to be the organization of the banned extremist organization.\nFour days before the verdict, on September 21, 2020, the defendants delivered their last word, saying that they were being prosecuted for reading the Bible and praying to Jehovah.\n\"I have the right to have my religious beliefs, live in harmony with them and share them with others. This right gives me both God and Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation\", - said in an appeal to the judge Vera Zolotova.\nKonstantin Bazhenov asked the judge to allow him to continue \"to gather peacefully and openly with friends to read the Bible and sing songs of praise to our God Jehovah\". And his wife, Snezhana, reminded that Jehovah's Witnesses had already been repressed in the USSR, but were later rehabilitated by the state.\nLaw enforcers mistakenly accept the religion of citizens for participation in the extremist organization's activities. The Russian government has repeatedly stated that the decisions of Russian courts to liquidate and ban Jehovah's Witnesses organizations \"do not evaluate the Jehovah's Witnesses' doctrine, and do not contain restrictions or prohibitions on individual practice of the above doctrine.\nThe court's decision has not entered into force. Believers will appeal against it.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2020-09-25T21:37:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/09/10/image_hu_66ec50dd0175d4c3.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/09/10/image_hu_79157c176e40f3b1.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/09/10/image_hu_b9eceb4aad0f1d14.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/09/10/image_hu_848b1310e723f49.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/09/10.html","regions":["kamchatka"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","families","elderly"],"title":"Two Years of Conditional Imprisonment for Faith.  A 73-year-old Woman and a Married Couple Sentenced in Kamchatka","type":"news"},{"body":"\"I have the right to have my religious beliefs, live in harmony with them, share them with other people. This right is given to me by God and Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation,\" said 74-year-old Vera Zolotova. With minor editing, we publish the text of her last word in court.\n","date":"2020-09-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/38.html","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Vera Zolotova in Yelizovo","type":"docs"},{"body":"The hearing of the case continues in the Leninsky District Court of Novosibirsk, chaired by Judge Ekaterina Kashina.\nThe state prosecutor postpones the planned interrogation of a secret witness under the pseudonym Natalia Ivanova. The judge points out that September 16, 2020 is the deadline for questioning a secret witness. The state prosecutor declares that he will provide information about the readiness of \"Ivanova\" at the next meeting.\nIn connection with the cassation decision of September 9 on the illegality of the penultimate imposition of a preventive measure in the form of Savelyev's detention, the lawyer submits a motion to change the measure of restraint from the pre-trial detention center to a milder one. Judge Ekaterina Kashina refuses. At the moment, the 66-year-old believer has been behind bars for 677 days.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk","date":"2020-09-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk3.html#20200915","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lyudmila Shut from Razdolnoye village ( Primorye Territory) is being tried for her faith under the article on participation in the extremist organization's activities. Already on September 21, 2020 in Nadezhdinskoye district court, the state prosecutor is likely to request punishment for her, and after that the court will leave to the consulting room for sentencing.\nThe surveillance of the believers in Razdolnoye village began in the fall of 2017. The investigation was conducted by the Russian Investigative Committee for the Primorye Territory. Criminal cases were opened and the believers were charged with leading or participating in the activities of the banned organization. In February 2020 investigator Denis Shevchenko opened a criminal case against Lyudmila Shut based on suspicions of her participation in an extremist organization (part 2 of Article 282.2 of the RF Criminal Code).\nIn the prosecution's opinion, Lyudmila Shut, \"acting deliberately... anticipating the coming of socially dangerous consequences... wishing to do so on the grounds of religious hatred, acting out of extremist motives... participated in.... meetings\". The case was brought to court in April 2020. Judge Natalia Derevyagina listens to it. At least 7 court sessions on the merits took place.\nLyudmila Shut is old enough to be mother of most investigators. She is an invalid of group II, can not move around on her own, and even with the help of others needs crutches. All her guilt comes down to peaceful chanting, reading the Bible, praying and talking about God. Nevertheless, law enforcement officers seek for her severe punishment under part 2 of Article 282.2 of the RF Criminal Code (fine, forced labor or imprisonment for up to 6 years with loss of rights).\n\"It is alien to me as one of Jehovah's Witness to show hatred and enmity,\" Lyudmila said in court. \"Jehovah's Witnesses around the world are known for their peacefulness, they don't take up arms... If all people as Jehovah's Witnesses refused to fight, there would be no wars, no terrorist acts and no extremism in the world.\"\nRepression of Jehovah's Witnesses is particularly active in Primorye Territory, with about 30 people involved in various cases. Many of them are women and elderly people. The oldest of them is 86 years old.\n","category":"trial","date":"2020-09-11T16:02:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/09/6/image_hu_431bb1e6497bbd87.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/09/6/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/09/6/image_hu_4f813ff5cd9f6651.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/09/6/image_hu_d15f103ff7a7c5d9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/09/6.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["first-instance","disability","elderly"],"title":"In the city of Primorye, the trial of a 72-year-old believer is drawing to a conclusion. Being disabled, she commutes to court hearings using her crutches","type":"news"},{"body":"Investigator Kalnitsky singles out the case of Lyudmila Ponomarenko in a separate proceeding. In the relevant ruling, he points to the \"guilt\" of the believer: she communicated with fellow believers, \"participated in reading prayers, discussing them, singing,\" which is allegedly propaganda of the superiority of religion at the expense of humiliating other religions.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ponomarenko in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2020-09-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don8.html#20200909","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During searches in the homes of residents of Nevinnomyssk on August 10, 2020, law enforcers planted books on the believer that are included in the Federal List of Extremist Literature (FSEM). Another believer's laptop and phone were seized.\nThe searches were carried out by officers of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for the Stavropol Territory on the basis of a ruling by the judge of the Stavropol Regional Court, Nikolai Kramchinin, who authorized the \"Inspection\" to verify information about the involvement of believers in the activities of an extremist organization (part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). The forbidden literature was planted when one of the witnesses became ill and was taken out into the street.\nWhy are banned literature planted on Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses? On the same day law enforcement officers came to another local believer. He told the law enforcers that there was nothing forbidden in his house, so he would consider everything that would be \"found\" as a plant. His laptop and phone were seized from him. No religious literature from the FSEM was found in his home by law enforcement officials.\nAccording to preliminary information, operational and investigative measures are not connected with the criminal prosecution of Kuznetsov and others in Nevinnomyssk. The suspects in the Kuznetsov case are eight local believers. One of them, Rimma Vashchenko, a 90-year-old physics teacher, is the oldest Jehovah's Witness prosecuted for her faith in Russia. Rosfinmonitoring has listed her and other individuals with regard to whom there is evidence of involvement in extremist activities or terrorism. There are restrictions on access to their bank accounts.\nThe planting of banned religious publications was one of the foundations of criminal proceedings against believers, which led to the banning of Jehovah's Witnesses legal entities in Russia. In September 2016, CCTV cameras recorded the falsification of evidence in a church building in the village of Nezlobnaya, located in the same Stavropol Territory.\nLater, special services planted evidence in peaceful believers both in Stavropol, Kabardino-Balkaria, Dagestan, Sochi, Nizhny Novgorod and Novosibirsk regions, Kaluga and other regions of Russia.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-08-13T16:18:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/08/5/image_hu_79a2372c6640370c.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/08/5/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/08/5/image_hu_7ca561ad54752b0c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/08/5/image_hu_80d5cfff5ccdffee.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/08/5.html","regions":["stavropol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","plant","fsem","282.2-2","elderly"],"title":"In Stavropol Territory, Law Enforcers Planted Banned Literature on the Believer. Details of Searches in Nevinnomyssk","type":"news"},{"body":"Valentina Baranovskaya is taken to the hospital with a diagnosis of stroke.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Baranovskiy in Abakan","date":"2020-07-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/abakan.html#20200720","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":["elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On the morning of July 14, 2020, officers of the Investigative Committee and the FSB conducted searches in the city of Seversk. 11 men and women were taken to the security forces for interrogation. All but 50-year-old Yevgeny Korotun were released. He was placed in a detention center and placed under house arrest the next day.\n\"The door was opened as it was almost broken down. Approximately 10 people entered the apartment and started searching. My son and I were kept in a stairwell for hours. The neighbors took out a chair and some food,\" said one of the believers after the security raid.\nThe searches began simultaneously at 9 a.m. in the houses where five families of believers live. FSB officers detained 50-year-old Andrey Kolesnichenko and 31-year-old Andrey Ledyaikin at work, after that searches were conducted at their homes. Lieutenant Sergey Mamontov, senior investigator of the investigation department of Leninskiy district of Tomsk, wondered why Aleksey Kolesnichenko \"does not attend the Orthodox or Catholic Church.\nThe search of 67-year-old Aleksey Yershov lasted about 5 hours. Aleksey's wife, Lyudmila, was not allowed into his apartment, but later was taken for interrogation together with her husband and daughter, whose apartment was also searched. Ludmila's anxiety and exhaustion increased her blood pressure.\nLaw enforcers confiscated electronic devices, various Bible translations, notebooks, WI-FI-routers, video cameras, photos, postcards, bank cards, foreign passports and even volumes of Victor Hugo and Leo Tolstoy from believers.\nAfter the searches, the detainees were taken to the building of the Investigative Committee in Seversk, where they stayed until late in the evening. They were interrogated and then released.\nEarlier in Tomsk region Sergey Klimov, a local resident, was convicted for his faith for six years in the colony. The criminal prosecution of the believers is carried out against the law and the Russian authorities' assurances that Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia have the right to practice their religion. The international community strongly condemns the religious persecution of this group of Christians.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-07-15T15:55:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/police_hu_2f65dda10841e67d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/police_hu_2b40327c6e1ef222.jpg","webp":"/news/common/police_hu_3a4c01a862f01eb1.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/police_hu_513decae2289ba0d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/07/16.html","regions":["tomsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","ivs","house-arrest","minors","elderly","interrogation"],"title":"In the Tomsk Region, There Were Five Searches of Jehovah's Witnesses. After a Night in the Detention Center, One Believer Was Placed Under House Arrest","type":"news"},{"body":"At the same time, at about 9 a.m., officers of the Investigative Committee and the FSB invaded the homes of Sergey Belousov, Andrey Kolesnichenko, Andrey Ledyaykin, Alexei Ershov and Yevgeny Korotun. 50-year-old Kolesnichenko and 31-year-old Ledyaikin are detained by FSB officers at work, after which searches are conducted at their homes. The search of 67-year-old Aleksey Ershov lasts about 5 hours. His wife is not allowed into the apartment, but later taken for interrogation with her husband and daughter.\nOne of the believers later said: \"We opened the door because it was almost broken down. About 10 people entered the apartment and began to search. My son and I were kept in a stairwell for several hours. The neighbors took out a chair and some food.\" Lieutenant Sergey Mamontov, senior investigator of the investigation department for the Leninsky district of Tomsk, asks Kolesnichenko why he \"does not attend the Orthodox or Catholic Church.\"\nLaw enforcement officers confiscate electronic devices, various editions of the Bible, notebooks, Wi-Fi routers, video cameras, photos, postcards, bank cards, foreign passports and even volumes of Victor Hugo and Leo Tolstoy from believers.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ershov in Seversk","date":"2020-07-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/seversk3.html#20200714","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["search","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On July 7, 2020, in the town of Likino-Dulevo, Moscow Region, security forces invaded the apartment of 20-year-old Kirill Leonov and his grandmother. After the search, Kirill was interrogated for 2 hours at the police department about his faith. It turned out that the military registration and enlistment office had given the CPE information that the believer had asked for alternative service.\nContrary to the assurances of the Russian authorities that the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses is not prohibited, and to Article 28 of the Constitution on the freedom to profess one's faith personally or jointly with others, the military committee staff reported information about Leonov to the Counter-Extremism Center (CEC).\nShortly after Leonov's visit to the military committee, Major of Police Galina Udinova, CEC officer Artem Mitrokhin and two other security officers came to Kirill's apartment. The inspection of the premises - in fact the search - began at 8:30 am. Law enforcers opened wardrobes and personal bags of believers. They seized electronic equipment and data carriers, including a disc with the Leonov’s sister wedding video. Despite the fact that the documents of the inspection exclusively include Kirill Leonov, law enforcers asked his 70-year-old grandmother about religion.\nAfter the investigative measures, Kirill Leonov was taken for interrogation to the police department of the Interior Ministry Likino-Dulevo, from where he was released two hours later. At the police station he was interrogated about the attitude to the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, meetings with believers. Whether a criminal case has been initiated against a believer is still unknown.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-07-13T16:52:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/search2_hu_440c23275c0570ec.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/search2_hu_5f4fe6b70ef254c8.jpg","webp":"/news/common/search2_hu_a766f65006d205a5.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/search2_hu_e1bb8bd969166515.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/07/12.html","regions":["moscow_obl"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","elderly","interrogation","asc","inspection"],"title":"In the Moscow region, law enforcers searched the apartment of a 70-year-old woman after her grandson told the military committee about his faith","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 12, 2020, FSB officers conducted searches of Jehovah's Witnesses in Prokopievsk. Andrei Vlasov, 51, who has a disability, was detained for 2 days and is in an isolation ward in Kemerovo. The news is being updated.\nA number of believers were taken for interrogation to the FSB department on Komsomolskaya Street in Prokopyevsk. Among them is 69-year-old Viktor Mikhnyuk, who recently suffered a stroke. In the evening he was released.\nIt is known that on July 2, 2020 the investigation department of the FSB of Russia in the Kemerovo region - Kuzbass initiated a criminal case against believers under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code. Four days later, on 6 July, Judge Irina Ivanova from the Central District Court of Kemerovo, on the request of FSB investigator I. A. Sablin, authorized the searches.\nUpdate. On July 14, 2020, Andrey Vlasov, after two days behind bars, was sentenced to a measure of restraint in the form of house arrest. Two days earlier, a search was conducted in the house where he lives with his wife Natalya, the FSB confiscated electronics and Bibles. A search was also carried out at Andrey\u0026rsquo;s workplace. Natalya was interrogated in the investigators\u0026rsquo; offices. The spouses Yuriy and Elena Chernykh were also questioned; the search in their house took place at the same time as the Vlasovs. Viktor Mikhnyuk\u0026rsquo;s apartment — while he was being interrogated in the police station building — was broken into and searched without his presence. Earlier at least three criminal cases had already been initiated against Jehovah's Witnesses in Kemerovo region. The case of Kogut in Berezovskoye and the case of Levchuk and Britvin in Berezovskoye are investigated by the FSB, while the case of Yavushkin and Bondarchuk in Kemerovo is investigated by the Investigative Committee.\nIt's noteworthy that it's not the first time the FSB has gone to Judge Ivanova for sanctions. Previously, she had issued permits for searches at Berezovskiy and twice extended the period of detention of believers Levchuk and Britvin.\nRussian law enforcers refer to Article 9 of the law \"On countering extremist activities\" and start hundreds of similar criminal cases against civilians who do not harm anyone. In reality, the Supreme Court did not ban the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, as repeatedly emphasized by Russian authorities, including the Ministry of Justice, the government and President Vladimir Putin.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-07-13T10:39:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/search1_hu_160c1337eb3e8062.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/search1_hu_dfb9691ac463f37a.jpg","webp":"/news/common/search1_hu_fb8ed82d5eed3b74.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/search1_hu_79022f8381b9b2b3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/07/9.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","ivs","disability","interrogation","elderly"],"title":"A Wave of Searches of Believers in the Kemerovo Region. At Least One Person With Disability Was Detained for 48 Hours","type":"news"},{"body":"During the trial, the prosecutor voices the charges. Roman spoke with an attitude to the accusation. Valentina, due to poor health, could not speak and simply attached her attitude to the accusation. The next meeting is scheduled for July 23, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Baranovskiy in Abakan","date":"2020-07-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/abakan.html#20200709","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At 8:00 a.m., FSB officers with witnesses come to the home of a married couple of pensioners living in the city of Vyazemsky and present a decision to conduct a survey of the premises. Despite the coronavirus epidemic, those who come do not use masks, thereby endangering the elderly. From the stress received, the head of the family has a high blood pressure to a critical level. Frightened people are asked if they know Yen Sen Lee and Yegor Baranov, who had also been searched before.\nAt 12:00 p.m., security forces examine the home of a 64-year-old local resident. However, in fact, searches are carried out in the homes of believers, during which telephones, electronic devices, and various translations of the Bible are seized.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Baranov and Li in Vyazemskiy","date":"2020-07-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy.html#20200707","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["search","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On June 9, 2020, Judge of the Pskov City Court Galina Belik sentenced 61-year-old Pskov resident Gennadiy Shpakovskiy to six and a half years in a penal colony, despite the absence of real crimes. He was taken into custody in the courtroom. His only “crime” is to discuss the Bible with friends.\nThe court found Gennadiy Shpakovskiy guilty of organizing the activities of the extremist organization and its financing, considering that religious meetings with believers are not the exercise of the private right to freedom of religion, but the continuation of the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses legal entities liquidated by court\nGennadiy Shpakovskiy completely denied any involvement in extremism. In his final address to the judge, he recalled that during Soviet times millions of citizens were repressed on false charges. Among them were Jehovah's Witnesses, who were later rehabilitated by the authorities. \"Unfortunately, history repeats itself. Today, the same thing is being done to me and my fellow believers. They accuse me of a monstrous crime, which not only does not conform to my Christian beliefs, but also does not fit into the consciousness of a sane person,\" said the believer.\n\"The evidence in the case includes only information that I confess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, including meeting to watch religious videos with believers, singing songs with them, praying to God Jehovah and discussing my beliefs with others,\" said Gennadiy Shpakovskiy and explained that none of these actions is mentioned in the law on countering extremist activities.\nThe believer referred to the Russian government's explanation of the injunction against 396 Jehovah's Witnesses organizations \"does not evaluate the Jehovah's Witnesses' doctrine, nor does it contain any restriction or prohibition on the individual practice of the aforementioned doctrine.\nThe court did not take into account Shpakovskiy's arguments and sentenced him to 6 years and 6 months in prison. Although the prosecutor had requested 7.5 years in prison, this verdict is the toughest of those imposed on Jehovah's Witnesses in modern Russia.\n\"Paradoxically, at one of the last sessions Judge Belik personally stressed that the practice of religion, joint meetings and prayers is not a crime, but a right of a Russian citizen, enshrined in Article 28 of the Constitution of Russia,\" said Arli Chimirov, the lawyer for Shpakovskiy.\nEarlier, Judge Belik's questions to Shpakovsky revealed that she was under the influence of prejudice. Addressing the defendant, the judge explained how she understood his actions: \"You say: (...) \" They will send papers from Brooklyn, I will gather everyone, and we will again learn the Bible the way they want. Not as the state calling itself the Russian Federation wants, but as the state calling itself the United States of America wants\" (In fact, the believer only enjoys the inalienable right to freedom of religion, which is guaranteed to everyone by the Constitution of the Russian Federation).\n[i18n] Learn more The last word of Gennadiy Shpakovsky Shpakovskiy's verdict, as well as the decision of the Crimean Supreme Court in the case of another believer, Artyom Gerasimov, were issued in defiance of repeated demands of the UN Working Group and other international structures to stop criminal prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses. \"The decisions of the courts are getting tougher. In terms of international law, the court's verdict is an arbitrary deprivation of liberty for the peaceful practice of religion,\" said representative of the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses Yaroslav Sivulskiy.\nGennadiy Shpakovskiy became the 11th member of Jehovah's Witnesses, sent to prison for the faith. A criminal case against the believer was initiated in early 2018. Before that, special services had been watching the believer for several months. On June 3, 2018, he was detained in the apartment of friends while they were peacefully discussing the Bible. Armed FSB officers, with the participation of riot police, broke down the door and searched the home for six hours, after which they interrogated the believers for several hours at the law enforcement unit. Some members were persuaded to self-incrimination by threats of a 10-year prison term, dismissal from employment and other problems.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2020-06-09T11:36:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/06/6/image_hu_e49b92df8abca6c.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/06/6/image_hu_ab4d9f920d12b4fe.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/06/6/image_hu_d632d2fd2846d60d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/06/6/image_hu_7d8a3023c51fee2d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/06/6.html","regions":["pskov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","liberty-deprivation","282.2-1","282.3-1","elderly"],"title":"61-year-old Gennadiy Shpakovskiy Sentenced to a Record Six and a Half Years in Prison for His Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 1, 2020, 61-year-old Gennadiy Shpakovskiy, speaking at the last word in Pskov City Court, did not plead guilty to extremism and stressed that he is under the trial purely for his faith. The prosecutor asked for 7.5 years in a general regime colony and 1.5 years of freedom restrictions.\nReferring to repeated decisions of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention of the UN Human Rights Council demanding a halt to repression against Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, Gennadiy Shpakovskiy filed an application with the prosecutor's office and the court to stop the criminal case. Judge Galina Belik did not find it necessary to take this into account.\n[i18n] Learn more The last word of Gennadiy Shpakovsky At the court hearing, the prosecutor asked for Gennadiy's longest term, which was announced in the courts during the religious persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in modern Russia - 7.5 years in a general regime colony with subsequent restriction of liberty of 1.5 years.\nAfter the debate, the prosecutor's and Gennadiy Shpakovskiy's closing remarks, judge Belik left to deliver the verdict, which is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. on June 8, 2020.\nUpdate. On June 8, Judge Belik postponed the announcement of the verdict to 9:00 on June 9. Gennadiy Shpakovskiy is charged with organizing and financing a banned organization (article 282. 2 (1) и 282. 3 (1) OF THE CRIMINAL CODE). The initiation of criminal proceedings against him became known 2 years ago after humiliating mass searches of believers in Pskov. Before that, he had been followed for several months, collecting \"evidence\". - evidence that he continues to read the Bible with believers and speak to other residents about God.\n","category":"trial","date":"2020-06-03T17:04:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/06/4/image_hu_bd74daeb07c3f5ad.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/06/4/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/06/4/image_hu_62a895ff89a4739d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/06/4/image_hu_2a26b1a4cfcb5488.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/06/4.html","regions":["pskov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["prosecutor-request","defense-arguments","282.2-1","282.3-1","elderly"],"title":"The Pskov Prosecutor Asked to Imprison Gennadiy Shpakovskiy for Record 7.5 Years for Faith in Jehovah. The Verdict Will Be Announced on June 8","type":"news"},{"body":"The beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses are not related to the crimes described in the law on countering extremism - this is the opinion of religious scholars and even the Supreme Court of Russia. This was stated to the judge of the Pskov City Court Galina Belik by Gennady Shpakovsky. With some abbreviations, we publish his last word.\n","date":"2020-06-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/22.html","regions":["pskov"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Gennady Shpakovsky in Pskov","type":"docs"},{"body":"On May 27, 2020, during searches of believers in Khabarovsk and Vyazemsky, FSB officers invaded in the house of 68-year-old Lee Yen Sen. An armed, masked operative hit Lee Yen Sen in the side, twisted his hands and put him in handcuffs. His wife lost consciousness as a result of such inhuman treatment of the elderly man.\nIt was 07:30 in the morning. Lee Yen Sen’s wife needed the help of an ambulance team. During the search, electronic devices were seized from the Lee's family and copies of photos with friends and personal notebook entries were taken. The handcuffs of Lee Yen Sen were only removed after the search to sign the search report, a copy of which was never left to him. Then the believer was taken for interrogation to the FSB in Khabarovsk Territory. There, Lee Yen Sen was offered a deal with the investigation that involved self-incrimination. He was only released home at 9 p.m., after 13 hours of detention. The measure of restraint in the form of a subscription about not leaving was chosen to the believer.\nYen Sen Lee is suspected of \"organizing the activities of an extremist organization\" and \"involving other people,\" although the Supreme Court decision to liquidate and ban legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia does not prohibit them from individually or jointly practicing their religion.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-05-29T15:57:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/05/22/image_hu_e237f46d20420042.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/05/22/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/05/22/image_hu_79152c81b26b69db.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/05/22/image_hu_f17e470d11fb4085.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/05/22.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","siloviks-violence","elderly","health-risk","interrogation","recognizance-agreement","282.2-1","282.2-1.1","ivs"],"title":"Hit, Twisted, Handcuffed: Details of an Aggressive Invasion Against a 68-Year-Old Believer in Khabarovsk","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 27, 2020 reports of new searches in Khabarovsk Territory came. According to preliminary information, armed officers of the FSB searched Yen Sen Lee, 68, and his wife, as well as 19-year-old believer and his mother. Both men were detained and taken to an unknown location.\nAt 21:00 local time, it became known that Yen Sen Lee returned home. Other details are being clarified.\nUpdate. On May 29, 2020 Aleksey Shatilov, judge of the Central District Court of Khabarovsk, made a decision to remand in custody until July 26, 2020, Baranov, 19, a student of the 2nd year of a forestry technical school, the only son of a single mother. Before his arrest Yegor lived with his mother in the town of Vyazemsky. As grounds for his arrest, Judge Shatilov said in a ruling that \u0026ldquo;Baranov E.A. continues to be a member of the recognized extremist religious organization Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses . . . has established stable religious views and is one of the leaders of this religious organization.” The total number of searches in believers' homes has already exceeded 900. Large-scale religious persecution in Russia began throughout Russia after a miscarriage of justice—the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to liquidate and ban all 396 organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. Law enforcement officials, for unknown reasons, interpret the joint worship of these law-abiding citizens for participation in the activities of an extremist organization. Law scholars and human rights activists both in Russia and abroad unanimously condemn the actions of the authorities towards Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.\nThe Russian government has repeatedly stated that decisions of Russian courts to liquidate and ban Jehovah's Witnesses legal organizations do not prohibit the Jehovah's Witnesses' creeds, \"do not contain restrictions or prohibitions on the individual practice of the aforementioned doctrine\" and \"do not limit the constitutional right of believing citizens to unite.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-05-27T14:02:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/05/17/image_hu_be781d1695446250.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/05/17/image_hu_523f6d901a70ec9e.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/05/17/image_hu_8da6c690098d077c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/05/17/image_hu_a5681da6094980af.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/05/17.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","elderly","sizo"],"title":"The Town of Vyazemsky Becomes a New Hotbed of Religious Persecution: at Least Seven Searches of Believers per Day","type":"news"},{"body":"Criminal cases No. 12007080001000035 and No. 12007080001000037 are combined in one proceeding. The new case is assigned the number No. 12007080001000035.\nEarly in the morning, armed FSB officers aggressively invaded the home of 68-year-old Yen Sen Lee. An armed, masked operative hits Yen Sen in the side, wringing his hands and handcuffing him. From such inhuman treatment of an elderly man, his wife loses consciousness. The handcuffs of Yen Sen are removed only after the search. Then he is taken away for interrogation to the FSB in the Khabarovsk Territory, where they offer a deal with the investigation, involving self-incrimination. He was released home only at 9:00 p.m., after 13 hours of detention. A measure of restraint in the form of a written undertaking not to leave is chosen for the believer.\nA search is also taking place at the home of 19-year-old Yegor Baranov, a student at a forestry technical school. He was detained for 48 hours.\nInvestigator S. V. Nemtsev interrogates Yen Sen Lee as an accused in the presence of lawyer V. V. Zhigalov and prosecutes him under two articles at once - \"organization of the activities of an extremist organization\" and \"involvement of a person in the activities of an extremist organization\" (respectively 282.2 (1) and 282.2 (1.1) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).\nAccording to the investigator's ruling, Yen Sen Lee quoted sources containing information that \"incites religious discord\" and, at the same time, \"called for religious unity.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Baranov and Li in Vyazemskiy","date":"2020-05-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy.html#20200527","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["search","siloviks-violence","recognizance-agreement","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yevgeniy Grinenko, 49, was placed in custody for two months until July 12, 2020. A criminal case has been instituted against this peaceful believer, charging “organization of an extremist organization” prohibited under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. At the time of his arrest, he lived in the town of Lesozavodsk with his elderly parents. Searches in at least four homes of local believers took place on May 12, 2020. Law enforcers entered the homes of peaceful believers under the pretext of verifying compliance with the self-isolation regime, thus exposing innocent people, including the elderly, with the deadly threat of infection with the COVID-19 virus.\nSearches of at least 4 homes of local believers took place on May 12, 2020. Employees of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, with the support of the Border Department of the Federal Security Service of Russia in Primorye Territory, entered the homes of peaceful believers under the pretext of checking compliance with the self-isolation regime - exposing innocent Far Easterners, including the elderly, to the mortal threat of infection with the COVID-19 virus.\nIt is known that searches were carried out at 71-year-old G.P., 64-year-old G.K., at the family of 44-year-old Sergey Kobelev, as well as at Yevgeny Grinenko and his elderly parents. By arranging searches and interrogations during the coronavirus pandemic, this is not the first time that the investigating authorities have put the life and health of citizens at risk. Peaceful believers sit at home, obediently observing the regime of self-isolation, according to the recommendations of the Russian government. However, groups of government officials invade their homes and, accompanied by witnesses, rummage through their belongings, take them out for interrogations and place them in pre-trial detention centers.\nDuring the searches, electronic media, bank cards and other personal belongings, such as postcards, were seized, which mentioned the name of God, Jehovah, which was not prohibited by any court.\nSergey Kobelev was detained at about 8 a.m. by FSB officers at work and taken home, where a search had already been conducted in the presence of his wife, minor son and elderly father. Later, the believer was taken to the Investigative Committee for interrogation. After a search and interrogation, he was released. The detention lasted a total of 11 hours.\nAccording to the investigation, the accused Yevgeny Grinenko \"carried out actions of an organizational nature to convene and hold meetings, and also took a direct part in the meetings aimed at continuing the activities of a religious association recognized by the court as extremist.\" This accusation is directly related to the unjust decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to liquidate all 396 organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses. Legal scholars and human rights activists around the world unanimously condemn Russia's actions against Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","category":"trial","date":"2020-05-18T14:19:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/searches%20saransk_hu_2d9592daeaf0dbeb.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/searches%20saransk.jpg","webp":"/news/common/searches%20saransk_hu_c16f1bf4c97c035f.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/searches%20saransk_hu_6c608c4cfe1adae7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/05/8.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","new-case","282.2-1","sizo","elderly","interrogation"],"title":"Another Witness of Jehovah Was Sent to Jail. New Criminal Case Near the Chinese Border in the Town of Lesozavodsk","type":"news"},{"body":"In the morning of April 29, 2020, groups of armed security forces invaded at least seven homes of residents of Pavlovskaya and Kholmskaya villages for searches and interrogations, exposing believers to the risk of infection during the pandemic. A 62-year-old believer was taken to Krasnodar for interrogation, and a written recognizance not to leave the place was taken.\nIn addition to the security forces, representatives of the local Cossacks participated in the searches as witnesses. In the village of Kholmskaya, located about 60 kilometers from Krasnodar, law enforcement officers came to at least the homes of 3 families. In the village of Pavlovskaya, the special services searched at least 5 dwellings.\nUpdate. As it became known, on April 29, searches were carried out in 9 houses. On that day, another family was searched in Kholmskaya. The security forces searched the literature of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses and asked the owners if they were \u0026ldquo;adherents of a banned organization.\u0026rdquo; After the raids, a 43-year-old resident of the village of Pavlovskaya was taken on her own recognizance. A criminal case was initiated against her under Part 1.1. Article 282.2 (involvement in the activities of an organization recognized as extremist). The investigator considered it a crime that the believer had conversations with a young man about \u0026ldquo;the attractiveness of serving Jehovah.\u0026rdquo; The interlocutor turned out to be an agent of the special services. Electronic devices were seized from believers, including those necessary for distance learning for children. The security forces also confiscated Bibles in various translations and books written by religious scholars.\nThe investigative actions were carried out on the basis of a criminal case initiated by the Directorate of the Federal Security Service of Russia in the Krasnodar Territory in order to identify those who continue to profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. The security forces consider the joint spiritual communion of believers not as a manifestation of religious freedom, but as a continuation of the activities of banned organizations.\nThese are the first large-scale raids against believers in the Krasnodar Territory in 2020. The relative lull has lasted since October 2019, when 36 searches were carried out in Sochi and the district on the same day. One of the believers, Vyacheslav Popov , has been held in a pre-trial detention center ever since.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-04-29T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/omon_hu_11bbc66d2d8c2c39.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/omon_hu_d20f9df989c07de4.jpg","webp":"/news/common/omon_hu_db2bffea003fac12.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/omon_hu_456ac374822db718.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/05/1.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation","health-risk","recognizance-agreement","elderly"],"title":"The Krasnodar FSB, Together with the Cossacks, Raided Believers in Two Villages. Bibles and Electronic Devices Seized","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 24, 2020, at the age of 64, Kirov resident Yuriy Geraskov died of a long illness. He was one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. The investigator knew about the health condition of the believer, but did not stop the criminal prosecution. Stress from searches and interrogations negatively affected Yuriy's well-being.\nThe search of Yuriy and his wife Alevtina began early in the morning of October 9, 2018. Three police officers and two witnesses, without identifying themselves, entered the apartment and demanded to \"give out drugs\" - this is one of the standard absurd methods by which the security forces try to explain their appearance on the doorstep of peaceful and law-abiding believers.\n\"We said that we did not have drugs,\" Yuriy himself said shortly after those events, \"Then they presented a search document. During the search, we were accused of a crime, of extremism.\"\nMobile phones were immediately taken away from the believers. The search lasted more than two hours, and believers were allowed to go to the toilet only if accompanied by a police officer. The security forces seized the spouses' electronic equipment, notebooks with notes, several notebooks, 14 family photo albums, a bank card and a Bible in the Synodal translation.\n\"Then they took me to the police station. I waited for the interrogation in the corridor for 4 hours, the interrogation itself lasted about 20 minutes. One of the policemen asked me, \"Aren't you afraid to go to jail?\" I said, \"No.\" And another, with a SOBR patch, declared: if it were his will, he would shoot all the Witnesses. It became uncomfortable, \"the believer said.\nLater, Yuri was taken to the worship building of Jehovah's Witnesses, the Kingdom Hall. There they broke down the door and conducted a search. Finding nothing, the security forces sealed the door and the gate, after which Yuriy was released.\n\"Although we endured this raid steadfastly, now we shudder at every knock and doorbell,\" Yuri said at the time and added: \"But in general, everything is fine.\"\nA criminal case against Yuriy Geraskov was initiated back in July 2019, and on July 26, a recognizance not to leave was taken from him - a relatively mild measure of restraint, taking into account Yuriy's condition. Until now, the investigator had enough time to realize the unfairness of the accusations against Jehovah's Witnesses and close the criminal case, but he did not do so.\nYuri did not live less than a week before the start of the trial. The Pervomaisky District Court of Kirov scheduled a hearing in the case of Geraskov and six of his fellow believers for April 30, 2020.\n","category":"bio","date":"2020-04-27T13:40:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/04/15/15_2_hu_c98565d13ff60788.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/04/15/15_2_hu_ae664bbaf91cfe49.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/04/15/15_2_hu_6f363817ecd47e26.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/04/15/15_2_hu_6a3ec06ba6fc1df0.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/04/15.html","regions":["kirov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["died","elderly"],"title":"Yuriy Geraskov, a 64-year-old Believer, Died a Week Before He Could Appear in Court. He Spent the Last Year of His Life as a Defendant for Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"After a long illness, 64-year-old Yuriy Geraskov died. The investigator knew about the state of his health, but did not stop the criminal case, although he chose a relatively mild measure of restraint for Yuri - a written undertaking not to leave the place. The stress of being persecuted for his faith had a negative impact on Yuriy's health.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Oniszczuk and Others in Kirov","date":"2020-04-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirov3.html#20200424","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yuriy Savelyev, a 66-year-old resident of Novosibirsk, has been detained for almost a year and a half. In prison, he faced humiliation, poor health, and the threat of contracting coronavirus, but in those trials he felt God's support. He received about 4,700 letters from 44 countries and encourages others himself. Despite all the difficulties, Yuriy considers isolation as an opportunity to encourage others. \"Love life! [...] Dear ones, take care of and forgive each other, while there is time.”— Yuriy, writing in a responding letter.\n\"The Father has everything under control,\" Yuri describes his attitude to difficulties in one of his letters \"to freedom\", implying the support of God.\nYuriy is now being held in a small cell, usually with one or two other cellmates, who are sometimes replaced. One of them pestered the believer with insults for almost six months and constantly smoked. As you know, Jehovah's Witnesses do not use tobacco, and for an elderly and not very healthy person, cigarette smoke is all the more harmful.\nThis attitude did not unsettle Yuri, he continued to try to behave kindly with others. In addition, neighbors in the cell, as a rule, turn out to be pleasant people to talk to. One of them was greatly surprised that Jehovah's Witnesses were persecuted for their faith, and wished to learn more about their beliefs from the writings of unbiased religious scholars.\nRecently, Yuriy's health has deteriorated somewhat, and treatment is difficult in the conditions of the pre-trial detention center. \"Teeth here are not treated at all - they are immediately removed. Yuriy has already lost two, although they could have been saved at large, \"said his lawyer after Yuri's visit.\nAlthough the pre-trial detention center is in quarantine due to the pandemic, the fact that one of Yuriy's cellmates performs various works in the detention center adds to the believer's anxiety. At the same time, he walks without a mask, shoe covers and gloves, during the day he is in different places, communicating with many people.\nFragment of a letter from Yuri Savelyev Despite all the difficulties, Yuri remains calm and positive. He sees the conditions of isolation as an opportunity to support others. \"Love life! You live with her and live ... My dear, take care of each other and mutually forgive while there is time, \"Yuriy writes and thanks for the support from fellow believers and other caring people who write to him in the pre-trial detention center.\n","category":"prison","date":"2020-04-22T16:12:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/04/12/image_hu_fa2598467a81dc08.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/04/12/image_hu_c0fe5849f03e0a26.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/04/12/image_hu_974ae4af42db546c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/04/12/image_hu_86ef4e34d1161895.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/04/12.html","regions":["novosibirsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","elderly","health-risk"],"title":"‘The Father Has Everything Under Control.’ Yuriy Savelyev Tells of Life in Jail and Nearly 5,000 Letters From Around the World","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 16, 2020, the Krasnodar Regional Court decided to move 69-year-old Sochi resident Nikolay Kuzichkin from the pre-trial detention center to house arrest. The believer has been in custody for almost six months. “A prison is an internal X-ray of a person that shows the qualities of a Christian,” said Nikolay. While in prison, as one of Jehovah's Witnesses, he showed a peaceful attitude toward his neighbors. Indeed, he helped another prisoner to cope with depression and not commit suicide.\nNikolay Kuzichkin suffers from a number of serious illnesses requiring treatment that was not possible in an isolation ward. In addition, already in the pre-trial detention center, he was diagnosed with severe hypertension and heart problems. Prior to that, Nikolai Kuzichkin experienced a hypertensive crisis. Despite this, for a long time he was denied proper examination and treatment in the Armavir pre-trial detention center No. 2, which was confirmed by the prosecutor's office of the Krasnodar Territory.\nFor some time, Nikolay Kuzichkin was kept in a damp cell with mold. Given his condition and the growing threat of the spread of coronavirus in prisons, staying in a pre-trial detention center is deadly for Nikolay. The court's decision should be executed as soon as possible. At home, Nikolay will be able to receive adequate medical care.\nThe believer himself is happy with the positive changes, although he speaks with honor about the trials. \"Prison is an internal X-ray of a person that shows the qualities of a Christian, more precisely, they are there or not,\" says Nikolai.\nWhile in prison, Nikolai, as one of Jehovah's Witnesses, repeatedly showed a peace-loving attitude and sincere concern for his neighbors. So, he helped one of the young prisoners cope with depression and not commit suicide.\nWhile still in the pre-trial detention center, Nikolai Kuzichkin expressed deep gratitude to his fellow believers for their prayers and letters.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2020-04-17T13:09:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/04/11/image_hu_a1ee2e84c063bfa6.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/04/11/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/04/11/image_hu_726f58dc6e31b78c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/04/11/image_hu_77f9d9eeeca201df.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/04/11.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["house-arrest","elderly","health-risk"],"title":"The Court Ruled to Release Nikolay Kuzichkin After a Six-Month Ordeal to Survive Without Proper Treatment","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 15, 2020, 4 days after the first wave of raids on the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in the town of Teikovo, at least 3 more families reported that interrogators had invaded them for interrogation. For example, 79-year-old Galina Nosach was asked what her translation of the Bible was and whether her fellow believers visited her.\nIn the meantime, dramatic details of Saturday's searches in the city have come to light.\nUpdate. According to updated information, on April 15, representatives of the authorities came to four addresses. On April 11, 2020, at 6:00 a.m., 64-year-old Vladimir Spivak and his wife heard a strong knock on the door. The house was entered by 10 security officials, almost all in civilian clothes, the head of the group with the rank of lieutenant colonel. Everyone, without exception, walked around the apartment in dirty shoes (which, in the conditions of the pandemic and the special regime, put innocent believers in great danger), the apartment was crowded with people, and 2 more people were on the street, watching the windows. During the search, the security forces turned everything upside down, looked into the exhaust well and the drain tank, and examined all the items of underwear. The search lasted more than 3 hours, a computer, a printer, a telephone, and two Bibles in the Synodal translation were seized. The believers were not allowed to call the children, and were also denied a copy of the search warrant and the search protocol. The spouses are experiencing a severe emotional shock.\nOn the same day at 6:30 a.m., 50-year-old Alexander Vasichkin and his wife were awakened by a persistent knock on the window. The house was entered by people in special uniforms, wearing masks and with weapons, as well as people in civilian clothes - a total of 12 people. During the search, electronic devices, hard drives, diaries, sheet music of Bach music and even sewing and knitting magazines were seized. The search lasted 7 hours, all 5 family members were guarded and even the toilet was visited accompanied by a police officer and sometimes with the door open. They were required to provide passwords for phones, threatening: \"If you do not tell the password, then we will take your father away and you will not see him again!\" Due to the actions of law enforcement officers, the whole family is experiencing a depressed state.\nAt 6:30 a.m., 52-year-old Sergey Galyamin, his wife and minor daughter were awakened by persistent doorbells. Six, including 4 police officers headed by Major Astafyev and 2 witnesses, entered the apartment and searched it. Police officers were wearing rubber gloves. The head of the family was asked to provide the password for electronic devices, otherwise they threatened to take away the devices of all family members. As a result, all devices were seized, including her daughter's tablet, as a result of which she lost the opportunity to study - due to quarantine associated with the coronavirus pandemic, the girl is undergoing distance learning.\nAt 6:30 a.m., six law enforcement officers, some wearing helmets, carrying weapons and SOBR patches, led by investigator D.O. Batalov, invaded the apartment of 56-year-old Anatoly Lyamo. Another 2 security officers watched the windows. During the first 3 hours, the investigator did not allow the head of the family to use the toilet, stating that he had to show him a doctor's certificate confirming the need to use the toilet urgently. When one of the family members tried to record what was happening on a mobile phone camera, law enforcement officer Pavel Norovkov ordered the Sobrov officer to forcibly take away the phone. Witnesses Ignatenko and Oleynikov were sitting in the kitchen with smartphones during the search, so the security forces were free in their actions. Computers, telephones, personal diaries, works of ancient historians, the Bible in German and the Bible in the Synodal translation were seized from the believer.\nThe search warrant for Anatoly Lyamo was issued by Ekaterina Savina, judge of the Frunzensky District Court of Ivanovo. In total, about 40 law enforcement officers and witnesses participated in the raids at the same time.\nUpdate. On April 16, Skuridina, a senior investigator from the Investigation Department of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee, questioned Vladimir Spivak and Sergey Galyamin about their religion and whether they read the Bible in the New World Translation. After the interrogation, the believers were given a written undertaking not to leave the place. ","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-04-16T16:01:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/sobr_hu_524da15daf549c42.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/sobr_hu_13ae63a0e3ccdd28.jpg","webp":"/news/common/sobr_hu_2a3f85fab90e6abe.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/sobr_hu_ed1287b1364e74e1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/04/10.html","regions":["ivanovo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation","health-risk","minors","elderly"],"title":"New Raids in Teykovo: Security Forces Put Young and Old Witnesses at Mortal Risk in the Midst of the COVID-19 Pandemic","type":"news"},{"body":"For interrogations, representatives of the authorities come to four more addresses of believers in Teikovo. Among them is 79-year-old Galina Nosach. Law enforcement officers ask her what translation of the Bible she uses and whether her fellow believers visit her.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vasichkin and Others in Teykovo","date":"2020-04-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/teykovo.html#20200415","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["interrogation","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Early in the morning on Saturday, April 11, 2020, in the midst of quarantine due to the coronavirus pandemic, in the city of Teykovo, Ivanovo Region, security forces invaded the apartments of four believers' families, exposing them to the risk of contracting a deadly disease. This time there were no detentions, but electronic devices and personal belongings were seized from believers.\nThe reason for the searches was a criminal case on the organization of extremist activities (part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation), initiated on April 10, 2020 by the Investigation Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia in the Ivanovo region. According to the sad tradition, the investigators considered extremism to be the practice of worship and conversations with people about God, which is familiar to Jehovah's Witnesses around the world. During the searches, law enforcement officers were looking for evidence that four men (the eldest of them is 64 years old, and the youngest is 50 years old) continued the activities of the \"banned local religious organization\" of believers.\nDuring the search, the believers and their families experienced stress. \"The pressure has risen. I was worried about my wife and daughter, who were also worried. The daughter shared later that at first she was scared, but then she prayed and saw a photo of our family on the wall, it helped her calm down a little, \"said one of the owners of the apartment where the search took place.\nAccording to him, the security forces seized his daughter's tablet, depriving her of the opportunity to study - due to the quarantine associated with the coronavirus pandemic, the girl is undergoing distance learning.\nThis time there were no arrests, but electronic devices and personal belongings were seized from believers. Some believers were not provided with a copy of the search protocol by the security forces. All were issued summons to appear for interrogation, scheduled for April 16 and 17, 2020.\nIn the Ivanovo region, criminal cases have been initiated against 10 people. The case of one of the believers, Yevgeniy Spirin, is already being heard in court.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-04-14T08:52:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/police_hu_2f65dda10841e67d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/police_hu_2b40327c6e1ef222.jpg","webp":"/news/common/police_hu_3a4c01a862f01eb1.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/police_hu_513decae2289ba0d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/04/9.html","regions":["ivanovo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","health-risk","282.2-1","new-case","elderly"],"title":"Series of Searches in the Ivanovo Region. Security Officials Seek Evidence of Jehovah's Witnesses Activity","type":"news"},{"body":"In the city of Teikovo, a series of searches are taking place at least at four addresses: 64-year-old Vladimir Spivak, 50-year-old Alexander Vasichkin, 52-year-old Sergey Galyamin, 56-year-old Anatoly Lyamo. The security forces seize electronic devices and issue summonses for interrogation to apartment owners.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vasichkin and Others in Teykovo","date":"2020-04-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/teykovo.html#20200411","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["search","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A criminal case is initiated on the organization of the activities of a \"banned organization\". Four people are suspects. The eldest of them is 64 years old, and the youngest is 50 years old.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vasichkin and Others in Teykovo","date":"2020-04-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/teykovo.html#20200410","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["new-case","elderly","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On March 25, 2020, investigator K.O. Zhuikov opened a criminal case against Anatoly Gorbunov, a 62-year-old resident of Krasnoyarsk. The believer was accused of continuing the activities of an \"extremist organization\" for meeting with fellow believers.\nAnatoly Gorbunov became the tenth believer who is persecuted for his Christian beliefs in the Krasnoyarsk Territory.\nIn the decision to initiate a criminal case under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, Zhuikov indicates that the believer \"held religious meetings ... in order to continue the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses contrary to the ban\", implying the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of April 17, 2017.\nIn reality, the Supreme Court did not ban the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, as repeatedly emphasized by Russian authorities, including the Ministry of Justice, the government and President Vladimir Putin. The wording used by the investigator underlines the widespread practice of Russian law enforcement agencies to mistakenly generalize the concept of a legal entity and the believers themselves.\n","category":"trial","date":"2020-03-31T14:31:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/03/12/image_hu_9a6c7e1f0c13514f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/03/12/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/03/12/image_hu_7d27c28a53dd1522.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/03/12/image_hu_7e9c834890378ec7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/03/12.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","elderly"],"title":"The Tenth Criminal Case for Christian Convictions in Krasnoyarsk Territory; 62-year-old Believer Accused of Extremism","type":"news"},{"body":"On January 22, 2020, a series of searches took place in the villages of Razdolny and Timofeevka (Primorye Territory). Law enforcement officers raided three believers, including 77-year-old Vladimir Filippov, who had previously been beaten by security forces for his faith.\nIn addition to Filippov's home, the security forces searched the houses of Valentina Chernoskutova and Ekaterina Goga. One of the decrees authorizing the actions of the security forces was signed by judge Natalia Derevyagina. As follows from another search warrant, the basis for the operational measures was joint meetings of believers, which the security forces call a continuation of the activities of a banned organization and a crime.\nAs a result of the special operation, electronic devices were confiscated from all three.\nAlthough no criminal case has been initiated against Vladimir Filippov, his house has been searched for the third time. On July 19, 2018, masked FSB officers with machine guns rudely broke into his apartment, where he was with his wife and daughter. After hitting the pensioner in the face, they threw him to the floor and twisted his arms. Bibles in various translations, personal publications and electronic equipment were seized from the family.\nOn August 15, 2019, under the pretext of a \"population census\", senior investigator D. A. Shevchenko came to the Filippovs' apartment and conducted a second search, but without a court order. Due to the rude treatment of the authorities, Vladimir's wife Lyubov has already suffered a hypertensive crisis twice. I had to call an ambulance.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-03-05T10:21:05+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/search1_hu_160c1337eb3e8062.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/search1_hu_dfb9691ac463f37a.jpg","webp":"/news/common/search1_hu_fb8ed82d5eed3b74.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/search1_hu_79022f8381b9b2b3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/03/2.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","elderly"],"title":"In the Primorye Territory, Searches Do Not Stop. The Siloviki Came to a 77-year-old Believer Three Times; Once He Was Beaten","type":"news"},{"body":"The Babushkinsky District Court of Moscow is holding an open court session, which brings together more than 60 listeners who want to support 67-year-old Yuri Krutyakov. He is suspected of organizing the activities of an extremist organization and participating in it (Part 1, Part 1.1 and Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).\nJudge Natalia Kurysheva, at the request of the investigator of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Moscow Region I. Vladimirov, decides to detain Yuri for a period of 1 month and 26 days (until April 30, 2020). This happens despite the fact that the elderly believer voluntarily came to the Investigative Committee, which means that he has no intention of hiding from the investigation. Yuriy's wife Zinaida Krutyakova is already under house arrest.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Nikiforov and Others in Chekhov","date":"2020-03-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chekhov.html#20200305","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["sizo","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alexander Chepenko, an investigator for particularly important cases of the Investigative Department of the TFR in the Chelyabinsk region, opened a criminal case against 74-year-old Vladimir Suvorov. The accusations are based on conversations about God with residents of Chelyabinsk and discussion of the Bible among fellow believers.\nThe criminal case against Vladimir Suvorov was initiated on January 16, 2020 under the article \"organization of extremist activity\" (part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).\nAs stated in the decision to initiate the case, Vladimir organized meetings of fellow believers, during which they prayed to Jehovah together and sang religious songs. The investigator interpreted these actions as a continuation of the activities of the legal entity, the local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses \"Chelyabinsk\", which was actually liquidated back in May 2017 after the Supreme Court decision to ban 396 legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.\nOn February 26, investigator Chepenko summoned Vladimir for interrogation, during which he orally informed the believer that he was under recognizance not to leave. Vladimir himself stated during the interrogation that he had never been engaged in extremist activities, and petitioned for the termination of the criminal case due to the absence of the fact of the crime itself.\nEarlier, the same investigator charged Vladimir's wife, 71-year-old Valentina Suvorova, with extremism. Now she is under recognizance not to leave.\n","category":"trial","date":"2020-03-02T17:36:05+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/criminal_case_hu_35e13635d4d2f17a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/criminal_case_hu_8fcc889250eb8195.jpg","webp":"/news/common/criminal_case_hu_5b10c52717b70cbc.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/criminal_case_hu_d5a2dedee669b9ce.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/03/1.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["elderly","families","interrogation","recognizance-agreement","282.2-1"],"title":"A 74-year-old Resident of Chelyabinsk and His Wife Persecuted for Faith. The Investigator Considered the Elderly Couple Extremists","type":"news"},{"body":"Previous anti-records were recorded in Sochi (36 searches) and Nizhny Novgorod (35 searches). Law enforcement officers from other regions participated in each of the raids. Following the Supreme Court's decision against Jehovah's Witnesses, as of the end of February 2020, searches were conducted in 869 apartments of believers.\nThe Investigative Committee officially announced that before the raids, more than 30 investigative and operational groups were formed, which operated in Chita and areas of the Trans-Baikal Territory.\nIn total, on February 10, 2020, searches were carried out in 14 settlements: Chita (20 searches), Khilok (4 searches), Krasnokamensk (4 searches), Baley (3 searches) and Petrovsk-Zabaikalsky (2 searches), the villages of Yasnogorsk (5 searches), Amazar (4 searches), Duldurga (2 searches), Verkhnyaya Hila (1 search), Kurort-Darasun (1 search) and Pervomaiskoye (1 search), as well as in the villages of Verkh-Chita (1 search), Zasopka (1 search) and Ilya (1 search). During the storming of one of the apartments in Chita, law enforcement officers brutally beat 17-year-old Alexander Karpov (injuries were recorded, the actions of law enforcement officers are being appealed).\nDuring the day, law enforcement officers took 27 people to the investigating authorities, including 8 women, including those of retirement age. Most of them were released home after interrogation, but four were detained and placed in a temporary detention facility. One of them was later placed under house arrest, and three more left the detention center after 5 days.\nAt least one of the believers, Vadim Kutsenko, said that law enforcement officers tortured him with a stun gun. He was handcuffed behind his back, his eyes were closed and taken to the forest, where he was beaten, strangled and electrocuted in the lower leg and abdomen, demanding a confession.\nVadim Kutsenko and other believers complained about the actions of law enforcement officers to the relevant authorities.\nIt is known that a criminal case for faith was initiated against at least 6 Chita residents.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-02-27T17:06:05+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/searches%20saransk_hu_2d9592daeaf0dbeb.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/searches%20saransk.jpg","webp":"/news/common/searches%20saransk_hu_c16f1bf4c97c035f.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/searches%20saransk_hu_6c608c4cfe1adae7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/02/91.html","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","review","elderly","minors","complaints"],"title":"Law Enforcement Authorities of Transbaikalia Broke a Sad Record: On February 10, Searches Were Conducted in 50 Homes of Believers","type":"news"},{"body":"Investigator Chepenko summons Suvorov for interrogation, during which he informs the believer that he is under recognizance not to leave. Suvorov declares that he has never been engaged in extremist activities, and petitions for the termination of the criminal case in the absence of the very fact of the crime.\nEarlier, the same investigator charged Vladimir's wife, 71-year-old Valentina Suvorova, with extremism.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Suvorov in Chelyabinsk","date":"2020-02-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk3.html#20200226","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["interrogation","recognizance-agreement","elderly","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"About 30 people gather near the building of the Traktorozavodsky District Court of Volgograd - relatives and co-religionists of the defendants came to support them. Not everyone gets into the courtroom.\nWitnesses are being questioned at the hearing. These are mostly elderly people. They are outraged by the unjust persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia and say that their preliminary testimony contains words they did not say. One witness explicitly states that the investigator \"composed and edited\" her testimony.\nThe defendants draw attention to the fact that the prosecution specifically focuses on the questioning of elderly witnesses, since it is easier to confuse them and get the necessary testimony for the investigation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rogozin and Others in Volgograd","date":"2020-02-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volgograd.html#20200221","regions":["volgograd"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case against Stepan Adamov shall be combined into one proceeding with this criminal case.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Nikiforov and Others in Chekhov","date":"2020-02-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chekhov.html#20200218","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["new-case","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"According to the results of the inspection conducted by the Prosecutor's Office of the Krasnodar Territory, the facts are confirmed that the believer was not provided with timely medical assistance in the Armavir pre-trial detention center No. 2, and there were also violations during his escort.\nThe prosecutor makes a submission to the head of the medical unit on the violations identified, including the failure to provide information on the merits of the issue.\nBack in December 2019, Kuzichkin's lawyer sent a statement about the failure to provide him with medical assistance, to which he did not receive a specific answer. At the end of December 2019, Kuzichkin nevertheless underwent a medical examination, but the doctors of the Clinical Oncology Center No. 1 of Krasnodar came to the conclusion that Kuzichkin's diseases are not included in the \"list of diseases that prevent detention.\"\nNikolay Kuzichkin is transferred from the pre-trial detention center in Armavir to a temporary detention center in Sochi. On February 24, the term of arrest of the believer expires. Up to and including this date, a hearing should be held in the Sochi District Court on the further measure of restraint for Kuzichkin.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kuzichkin and Popov in Sochi","date":"2020-02-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sochi.html#20200217","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["medical-rights","health-risk","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Denis Shevchenko initiates a criminal case against Lyudmila Shut on the basis of suspicions of her participation in an extremist organization (part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). Lyudmila is a disabled person of the II group. For health reasons, she can move only with the help of others or on crutches.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shut in Razdolnoye","date":"2020-02-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volno-nadezhdinskoye2.html#20200210","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2","elderly","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A criminal case under Article 282.2 (2) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation is being initiated against 66-year-old Stepan Adamov from Chekhov near Moscow. Thus, Adamov becomes the sixth believer in this city, persecuted for his beliefs.\nThe case is being conducted by the investigator for especially important cases, Lieutenant Colonel of Justice Y. Kobylyatsky. He believes that a sufficient reason for initiating a criminal case against Adamov is that the believer \"interpreted the Bible, read a prayer to Jehovah God, explaining religious concepts [...], citing examples from life.\" The investigator interprets Adamov's actions as a continuation of the activities of a banned organization.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Nikiforov and Others in Chekhov","date":"2020-01-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chekhov.html#20200131","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["new-case","elderly","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On January 28, 2020, at least ten addresses of believers were searched in Pechora (Komi). Of 14 people detained, four remain in custody: 68-year-old Pavel Ogorodov, who suffered a stroke; 60-year-old Gennadiy Polyakevich, Gennadiy Skutelets, 43, and Maksim Terentyev, 28.\nThe storming of the apartment of 43-year-old Gennadiy Skutelets began at 6:20 am. The search lasted six hours. Gennady's elderly mother was in the apartment. At this time, his acquaintance, 28-year-old Maxim Terentyev, came to Gennady to take a meat grinder. He, as well as Gennadiy, together with his mother, were taken for interrogation to the department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The woman was released after interrogation, and Skutelets and Terentyev were sent to the temporary detention facility.\nBefore his arrest, Pavel Ogorodov, despite suffering a stroke, took care of his wife and daughter, both of whom have disabilities.\nUpdate. On January 30, 2020, a court hearing was held on the measure of restraint in relation to two detainees during police raids on believers. The court left Gennadiy Polyakevich in a pre-trial detention center for two months, and Gennadiy Skutelets was released under house arrest. According to updated information, Pavel Ogorodov and Maksim Terentyev were released by the security forces on the day of detention. ","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-01-29T17:25:05+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/invasion-surgut_hu_ec4ae63898f1271.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/invasion-surgut.jpg","webp":"/news/common/invasion-surgut_hu_31b34cdc0ce960e8.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/invasion-surgut_hu_c639b4273d85e38.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/01/48.html","regions":["komi"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","elderly","interrogation","ivs","health-risk"],"title":"During Mass Searches in the Town of Pechora, 14 Witnesses Were Detained, including Women and the Elderly. Four Were Not Released Even After a Day","type":"news"},{"body":"On January 22, 2020, a court in Sochi left 68-year-old Nikolai Kuzichkin in custody until February 24. This happened despite the fact that in the pre-trial detention center Nikolay is deprived of the opportunity to receive high-quality treatment, his condition is critical.\nBefore the hearing, Nikolay's friends and acquaintances, about 70 people, including young people, gathered at the courtroom. They came to support their fellow believer, despite the rainy, cold weather. However, the hearings were held behind closed doors.\nAt the same time, as one of those present at the hearing said, the court staff somewhat softened their attitude towards the listeners of the trial. \"The court workers did not drive us away with rude teams from the fence, at which we crowded in order to see up close and support the prisoner during the escort. But this is what they usually did to us in previous courts,\" said one of the eyewitnesses.\nThe audience supported Nikolay with applause.\nAccording to a source close to Nikolai's family, the investigator in charge of the case in which Kuzichkin and others are involved also softened his attitude.\n\"When an elderly woman with epilepsy scolded him a little for summoning him for questioning, he replied to her with something like: 'It wasn't exactly me who called you. There are other interested people.\" After the interrogation, he helped her stand up and led her arm into the corridor, \"says an acquaintance of the Kuzichkins.\nPiano tuner Nikolai Kuzichkin has been languishing in jail for more than three months. All this time, his condition worsens.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2020-01-28T07:54:05+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/01/43/image_hu_f2b0d2b61eae99a4.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/01/43/image_hu_89b1c724d6044caf.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/01/43/image_hu_7e8813475cdea479.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/01/43/image_hu_11d160606665cdf6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/01/43.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","elderly","health-risk","medical-rights"],"title":"The Court in Sochi Left 68-Year-Old Nikolay Kuzichkin in Jail. About 70 People Came to Support the Believer","type":"news"},{"body":"In the early morning in Pechora, security forces conduct searches at 12 addresses. 68-year-old Pavel Ogorodov, 60-year-old Gennady Polyakevich, 28-year-old Maksim Terentyev and 43-year-old Gennady Skutelets were arrested.\nOgorodov and Terentyev were released on the same day.\nThe investigator of the Department for Particularly Important Cases of the Investigative Department of the TFR, A. Belov, initiates a criminal case against Polyakevich and Skutelets under Article 282.2 (parts 1 and 2, respectively) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polyakevich and Others in Pechora","date":"2020-01-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pechora.html#20200128","regions":["komi"],"tags":["search","new-case","282.2-1","282.2-2","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On December 26, 2019, as a result of a series of searches in the closed city of Zelenogorsk (Krasnoyarsk Territory), a local resident, Aleksandr Kabanov, was detained and later released. A criminal case was opened against the believer under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\nLaw enforcement officers believe that Aleksandr Kabanov organized the activities of the Jehovah's Witnesses of Zelenogorsk. In particular, he is suspected of \"holding weekly religious meetings, distributing religious ... installations of the organization and the involvement of new adherents.\nAccording to the materials of the case, the grounds for the detention of the believer are the \"obvious traces of a crime\" discovered during the search, while it is not specified which items found indicate the guilt of Kabanov in committing a \"particularly grave crime.\"\nThe case is being investigated by the head of the Investigation Department for Zelenogorsk, Colonel of Justice Oleg Kolosov. Y. Ufimtsev, senior investigator of the Investigative Department for the Closed Administrative Territory of Zelenogorsk, operatives of the FSB of Russia A. Bolatov, O. Panov and D. Lobanov were also involved in the investigation.\nAlexander Kabanov became the ninth resident of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, whom the authorities suspect of extremist activity. He faces a sentence of up to 10 years in prison just for believing in Jehovah God.\n","category":"trial","date":"2020-01-23T11:01:05+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/01/24/image_hu_d4af01bf07291da1.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/01/24/image_hu_3abf98b6529b6f42.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/01/24/image_hu_9f8002282166a917.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/01/24/image_hu_342413d5c6a3b771.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/01/24.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","search","elderly"],"title":"Faith As a Felony: New Details of the Criminal Case Against a Peaceful Civilian in Zelenogorsk","type":"news"},{"body":"On the morning of January 19, 2020, law enforcement officers detained about 15 believers in Kazan, including two women over the age of 80 and two children. All of them were interrogated under psychological pressure about who was forcing them to read the Bible. Some believers were searched.\nAt about 11 a.m. on January 19, three investigators, accompanied by six masked riot policemen, entered Tatiana Obizhestvit's apartment. At this time, Tatiana had guests. About 15 people, including children aged 9 and 12, were taken to the local department for combating organized crime at 3 Karl Fuchs Street. During the interrogation, the investigators did their best to find out what the believers were doing in a private apartment, which of them was the \"senior\" and who made them discuss spiritual topics with each other. Intimidation techniques were used. One of the believers was threatened with initiation of a criminal case for \"involving children in illegal activities.\"\nArmen Hayriyan and Lyudmila Samoilova were searched. Spouses Andrey and Leysan Bochkarev were interrogated until late in the evening. Copies of protocols and other documents were not provided to anyone. The Bochkarevs, as well as 51-year-old Tatyana Obizhestvit, have been in a temporary detention center for the second day.\nOther details of the incident are being clarified.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-01-20T15:55:05+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/vtorzghenie%20v%20hmao_hu_229e631042cd16de.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/vtorzghenie%20v%20hmao.jpg","webp":"/news/common/vtorzghenie%20v%20hmao_hu_39c2864546161103.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/vtorzghenie%20v%20hmao_hu_6e6fc384b7db62d4.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/01/12.html","regions":["tatarstan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","meetings-disruption","interrogation","elderly","minors"],"title":"Mass Detentions in Kazan: Department for Combating Organized Crime Finds Out Why People Aged 9 to 80 Read the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"Alexander Chepenko, an investigator for particularly important cases of the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation in the Chelyabinsk Region, initiates a criminal case against 74-year-old Vladimir Suvorov under the article \"organization of extremist activity\" (part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). The decision to initiate the case states that Suvorov organized meetings of fellow believers, during which they prayed to Jehovah together and sang religious songs. The investigator interprets these actions as a continuation of the activities of the local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses \"Chelyabinsk\", which was liquidated after the decision of the Supreme Court to liquidate 396 legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Suvorov in Chelyabinsk","date":"2020-01-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk3.html#20200116","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","elderly","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"68-year-old Nikolay Kuzichkin is suspected of cancer in several organs and a number of serious chronic diseases. The diagnoses were partially made even before the arrest, but the doctors of the Armavir pre-trial detention center No. 2 do not conduct a full examination and treatment, putting Nikolai's life in danger.\nAn elderly piano tuner was detained on October 10, 2019 during a large-scale raid by security forces in Sochi and its environs. Nikolay is suspected of extremism on the grounds that he adheres to the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses, although this is not prohibited.\nAfter the arrest of a non-smoker, a seriously ill Kuzichkin was put in a cell with smokers. This alone violates Article 33 of the Federal Law \"On the Detention of Suspects and Accused of Committing Crimes\".\nInitially, there were not enough beds in the cell, so the detainees were forced to sleep in turns - there were only 10 beds for 18 people.\nAfter numerous complaints, including from strangers but not indifferent people, the conditions of Nikolay's detention improved. \"At least there are enough beds for everyone,\" says Nikolai's lawyer.\nHowever, in the pre-trial detention center, Kuzichkin cannot receive the treatment he underwent before his arrest. For many years, Nicholas successfully restrained the development of diseases with the help of traditional medicine. Now he has been deprived of this opportunity. As a result, Nikolay's condition began to deteriorate sharply, he lost more than 20 kilograms in weight. Those who saw Nicholas during the court hearings say that he lost a lot of weight, his voice weakened, and his speech became confused.\nAt the end of October, Kuzichkin appealed to the head of the Armavir pre-trial detention center, Maxim Tereshchenko, with a request for a medical examination, but was refused. According to Tereshchenko, Kuzichkin's illnesses are not included in the \"list of diseases that impede detention.\"\nLater, Nikolai Kuzichkin was still examined, but superficial. At the end of December, the doctors of the Clinical Oncology Center No. 1 of Krasnodar gave the same answer as Tereshchenko.\nAt the same time, Kuzichkin's illnesses are contained in the \"List of serious diseases that impede detention\", section \"Diseases of the endocrine system\".\nAccording to Kuzichkin's lawyer, his condition is accompanied by numerous symptoms of cancer.\n\"The doctors of the Krasnodar cancer center were supposed to conduct an in-depth examination, but this was not done,\" says the lawyer.\nKuzichkin's friends and relatives try to support him, regularly passing food to the pre-trial detention center. Previously, Nikolay could not be seen even during the court hearings in Sochi, because they were held behind closed doors. On December 30, 2019, the Krasnodar Regional Court concluded that this procedure for the administration of justice was illegal, but still left Kuzichkin in custody.\nIn this situation, the victim is not only Nikolai, but also his wife Olga, who herself has a disability. She does not share her husband's religious beliefs, but his criminal prosecution deprived the woman of a breadwinner - only Nikolai worked in the family, despite his age.\nReligious repressions in Russia lead to the fact that entire families suffer because of \"extremist\" cases, and a whole layer of elderly believers accused of extremism is also created.\n","category":"prison","date":"2020-01-15T16:05:05+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/01/3/image_hu_c8b83ab8b8a1c4d7.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/01/3/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/01/3/image_hu_e91195e362e826bf.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/01/3/image_hu_95cf21d614dda95c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/01/3.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","health-risk","medical-rights","elderly"],"title":"Management of the Armavir Pre-Trial Detention Center Is Slow to Treat an Elderly Believer. The Life of Nikolay Kuzichkin Is in Jeopardy","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 13, 2019, in Kirov, 70-year-old Yevgeny Udintsev was charged with organizing an extremist organization. A few months earlier, he and other believers had been searched.\nIn March 2019, a criminal case was opened against Yevgeny Udintsev under a milder article, when investigators \"appointed\" him as a member of an organization banned in Russia (Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). Until December 13, 2019, he had the status of a suspect. Now, after several months of investigation, the investigator for especially important cases, Georgy Malykh, has formulated an accusation against Yevgeny Udintsev under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation - organizing the activities of a banned organization. If the court finds the elderly believer guilty, he could face up to 10 years in prison. Together with Yevgeny Udintsev, Alexander Shamov and Andrey Shchepin are accused in this criminal case.\nThe essence of the actions that the security forces considered extremist was reading the Bible, singing songs with fellow believers, including in Udintsev's apartment, and paying utility bills for an empty worship building. This, as in many similar cases, is called in the case file undermining \"the foundations of the constitutional order and security of the state\" and \"religious hatred.\"\nThe investigator's decision to toughen the indictment against Udintsev indicates about 60 dates when believers gathered for joint meetings. Probably, all this time, law enforcement officers were watching civilians.\nOn December 30, 2019, Yevgeny Udintsev was notified of the end of the investigation.\nThe Udintsev case serves as further evidence that in Russia the statistics of the disclosure of \"extremist\" criminal cases are largely formed at the expense of harmless believers. Dozens of elderly men and women face criminal prosecution in different regions of the country. In December 2019, residents of Nevinnomyssk (Stavropol Territory) joined this list. In Kirov alone, at least 3 criminal cases against 11 people are being investigated. Five of the defendants are men of retirement age.\n","category":"trial","date":"2020-01-13T17:04:37+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/01/1551/shablon_dlya_novostey_vosstanovlen_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_88e0fe664c3b2f18.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/01/1551/shablon_dlya_novostey_vosstanovlen_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_aa71d48617ff1ccb.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/01/1551/shablon_dlya_novostey_vosstanovlen_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_3a4aa4a80de087a4.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/01/1551/shablon_dlya_novostey_vosstanovlen_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_6392bde5729b1273.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/01/1551.html","regions":["kirov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["282.2-1","elderly"],"title":"In Kirov, the Investigator Considered a 70-year-old Witness an Extremist. He Faces up to 10 Years in Prison","type":"news"},{"body":"At least until February 11, 2020, 43-year-old Circassian Albert Batchaev will be in jail. What events in the republic preceded his arrest over the past 10 years?\nThe difficulties of believers in this republic began long before the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation regarding Jehovah's Witnesses. However, if from 2010 to 2016 there were about 5 cases of harassment for faith in the republic, then in 2019 alone there were already 2. Here is a list of known incidents in chronological order.\n04.09.2010, Cherkessk. Two believing women, 70-year-old E. Turok and A. Ciobanu, were detained during a conversation with neighbors and taken to the Main Directorate for Countering Extremism (CPE) of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for Karachay-Cherkessia. They stayed there for 8 hours. Interrogation and inspection of personal belongings was carried out by Senior Lieutenant F. Erkelova. Mobile phones and religious literature were seized from the women. Even then, employees of the Center for Counteracting Extremism threatened believers with searches and arrest. During a subsequent search of E. Turok's house, several books were seized.\n13.05.2011, Nikolaevskoye village. Three Jehovah's Witnesses were detained and taken to the police station as they returned to their home in their own car. At the police station, the believers were interrogated about their religious activities, copies of passports were made, photographed and fingerprints were taken, after which they were released.\n13.08.2013, Kosta-Khetagurova village. FSB officers A. Kokhov, M. Dyachenko, O. Netkacheva, as well as S. Kosenko, an expert of the Forensic Center of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Karachay-Cherkess Republic, came home to 72-year-old V. Kolieva and her relative L. Kolieva for \"inspection of the premises\". Law enforcers presented a ruling from the Karachai City Court, which stated that the Kolievs were engaged in \"reading and distributing extremist literature.\" During the inspection, which looked more like a search, all religious literature was seized. The believers filed a complaint with the court.\nJune 2015, Cherkessk. Vladimir Mirzoyan, a 53-year-old Jehovah's Witness, was beaten twice and mistreated by police officers. During the first interview, under severe pressure, he was forced to sign an explanation prepared in advance by the police, but the next morning he filed complaints against law enforcement officers. After that, he was subjected to even more severe bullying: beaten in the face and stomach, threatened relatives, demanding that he retract his statement. As a result, the believer was forced to seek medical help. The reason for such actions was the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses in Cherkessk, which interfered with the construction of retail space and, according to the prosecutor's office, was subject to confiscation for alleged \"extremist activities\" of believers. Later, publications of Jehovah's Witnesses, previously included in the list of extremist materials, were planted in the building and then \"discovered\".\n20.09.2016, p. Mednogorsky and s. Kurdzhinovo. FSB officers conducted \"surveys\", in fact searches, in 4 houses of Jehovah's Witnesses. The judge of the Supreme Court of the KCR, Islam Gerbekov, who authorized the special event, explained this by the fact that one of the believers, Svetlana Isaeva, who lives in Mednogorskoye, allegedly engaged in involving others in her religion and allegedly distributed books included in the list of extremist materials among her like-minded people. A week later, the FSB officer conducting the search returned to Svetlana Isaeva and demanded that she change her testimony by confessing to distributing extremist literature. The woman refused to incriminate herself.\n01.06.2019, Ordzhonikidze village. The security forces searched 42-year-old Indira, who is raising four children alone. The search took place in the presence of the woman's three minor children. For two hours, the operatives searched for \"extremist\" literature, even checking a school textbook. One of them asked if Indira knew that the court had banned Russian Jehovah's Witnesses organizations. According to the woman, the head of the group said that he had nothing against Jehovah's Witnesses, \"just doing his job.\" Unable to find literature, the security forces apologized and left. According to Indira, she had previously noticed surveillance of herself in Karachaevsk.\n16.12.2019, Cherkessk. After a series of searches, 43-year-old Albert Batchaev was arrested for 2 months. He is still being held in a pre-trial detention center.\nUpdated 11.01.2021. Albert Batchaev spent 3 months in a pre-trial detention center and has been under house arrest for about 10 months. Meanwhile, the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses continues in the republic:\n12.11.2020, Cherkessk. A group of security officials led by V. Drakin, an investigator of the FSB Directorate for Karachay-Cherkessia, conducted a second search of a 56-year-old believer.\n09.01.2021, p. Mednogorsky. Early in the morning, FSB officers conducted surveys (in fact, searches) of at least 3 apartments of believers. Once again, the searches of believers were sanctioned by Judge Islam Gerbekov.\nBelievers hope that the \" systemic and institutionalized persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses\" in Russia will end, and the victims will be rehabilitated. At the moment, only four believers from three regions of the country have been acquitted and/or rehabilitated: Arkadya Akopyan, Andrey Sivak, Vyacheslav Stepanov and Kaleria Mamykina.\n","category":"analytics","date":"2020-01-03T17:29:28+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/01/1524/cherkessk_montazhnaya_oblast_1_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_11e771f16d42d036.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/01/1524/cherkessk_montazhnaya_oblast_1_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_41d23e53318d6426.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/01/1524/cherkessk_montazhnaya_oblast_1_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_1c199599f9ae1520.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/01/1524/cherkessk_montazhnaya_oblast_1_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_147045c1679c6033.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/01/1524.html","regions":["karachaevo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["analytics","review","elderly","siloviks-violence","minors","sizo","house-arrest"],"title":"How Jehovah's Witnesses Are Persecuted in Karachay-Cherkessia: 2010–2020","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 12, 2019, in Nevinnomyssk (Stavropol Territory), the Investigative Committee opened criminal cases under two \"extremist\" articles against 9 believers, the eldest of whom is 89 years old. So law enforcement officers decided to intensify the persecution of peaceful elderly Jehovah's Witnesses.\nLieutenant Colonel of Justice V. Sabadash, deputy head of the investigation department for Nevinnomyssk, decided to initiate a criminal case against 60-year-old Sergey Kuznetsov on charges of organizing a banned community (part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). Accused of participation in an extremist organization (part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) were 89-year-old Rimma Vashchenko, 78-year-old Anatoliy Boyko, Georgy and Tatyana Parfentiev (73 and 72 years old, respectively), 71-year-old Evgenia Akhrameeva, as well as 57-year-old Nadezhda Konkova and 54-year-old Karina Sahakyan.\nThe decision to initiate criminal cases was made on the basis of the reports of the detective of the Center for Countering Extremism (CPE) of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for the Stavropol Territory M. Chmyrev and the senior detective of the FSB department of Russia F. Savichev.\nAbout a year earlier, on November 21, 2018, mass operational-search activities took place in the homes of believers from Nevinnomyssk: security forces seized phones, books, computers, other electronic devices and flash drives. In some cases, operatives demanded passwords from computer equipment, threatening otherwise to hack them.\nIn one of the cases, after a search, an elderly owner lost 10 thousand rubles. In another case, the search took place in the presence of minor children.\nThe searches were followed by interrogations that lasted for several hours. One of the men had high blood pressure during the interrogation and had to call an ambulance.\nSix months later, in July 2019, at 6:40 am, the operatives came to Vahan Mkhitaryan. The search and the subsequent interrogation were accompanied by threats and insults, as well as obscene language against the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Mkhitaryan was taken to the police station, where he was beaten for refusing to cooperate with the investigation. Electronic media, Bibles in Armenian and Russian languages were seized from him. The security forces also tried to plant a bag with suspicious green contents on the man.\nAnother raid, the victims of which were mainly the elderly, the disabled and children, took place in Neftekumsk, when on August 26, 2017, security forces detained 18 believers who were vacationing in nature.\nHarassment of believers in the Stavropol Territory began even before the Supreme Court's decision to ban 396 Russian religious organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses. Announcements of these events are published on the regional page.\n","category":"trial","date":"2020-01-03T17:16:49+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/01/1523/312_edited_0_hu_2800b97b7fa21e03.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/01/1523/312_edited_0_hu_cb0e02927d3eb0e1.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/01/1523/312_edited_0_hu_4b961e4b340a8151.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/01/1523/312_edited_0_hu_8d6c78bdd816fb14.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/01/1523.html","regions":["stavropol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["new-case","elderly","282.2-1","282.2-2","search","interrogation","siloviks-violence","plant"],"title":"Investigators Replenish the List of “Elderly Extremists” With Believers From Nevinnomyssk","type":"news"},{"body":"Special forces break into a defenseless elderly woman. Ambulance, hospital, undermined health. She was watched as she prayed, read, sang, and talked to others about God. For the security forces, she is an \"extremist\". They worked this scenario on at least 20 Russian women from 60 to 87 years old.\nAlmost all law enforcement agencies are engaged in surveillance and raids on dissident pensioners: the FSB, the prosecutor's office, the Investigative Committee, the National Guard, the Federal Penitentiary Service, the riot police, and the SOBR.\nHeart attacks, strokes, exacerbations of chronic diseases and complications after surgery are just some of the consequences of the blind or biased application of anti-extremist legislation, which has become the basis for the persecution of older believers.\nParticularly illustrative is the situation in Vladivostok, where charges of extremism were brought against six elderly women at once: Elena Zaishchuk (85 years old), Raisa Usanova (72 years old), Nina Purga (79 years old), Nailya Kogai (68 years old), Lyubov Galaktionova (73 years old) and Nadezhda Anoykina (62 years old). From the stress received due to the actions of the security forces, women's already poor health worsens.\nIn addition, the criminal prosecution had a negative impact on the financial situation of innocent people. Nailya Kogai completely lost her livelihood, since all her savings were blocked with the beginning of the criminal prosecution.\nTwo pensioners from Spassk-Dalny (Primorsky Krai), Olga Panyuta (60 years old) and Olga Opaleva (67 years old), may end up in prison on the same charges. They spent 2 days in the temporary detention facility, and then 357 days under house arrest.\nFor Opaleva, such shocks could cost her life. The night before the search, doctors diagnosed her with a heart attack, after which she spent 2 days in a prison cell. And during one of the trips to the court, right in the convoy car, she had a stroke, which resulted in paralysis of the entire left side of her body, as well as severe headaches. The criminal case has not been closed.\nOther women of venerable age also fell under the article on extremism because of their religious beliefs:\nВалентина Барановская (68 лет) из Абакана (Хакасия); Майя Карпушкина (70 лет) из Хабаровска; Людмила Пономаренко (69 лет) из Ростова-на-Дону; Зинаида Крутякова (61 год) из Подмосковья; Вера Золотова (73 года) из Елизово (Камчатский край); Светлана Рыжкова (66 лет) из Шуи (Ивановская область); Любовь Асатрян (69 лет) и Галина Дергачева (63 года) из Магадана; Валентина Владимирова (63 года) и Татьяна Галькевич (60 лет) из Смоленска; Валентина Суворова (71 год) из Челябинска; Olga Veryovkina, 87, was searched by a group of armed law enforcement officers in Kaluga. \"A full brigade in the camouflage of militants. The ruling was not shown. They say, \"Get up!\" and I say, \"I can't, I'm weak.\" My blood pressure rose from 200 to 115, \"says Olga herself.\nOften, during special events, security officials make excuses: they say, no personal claims against believers, it's just work. But, given that the intimidating actions of the security forces pose a real threat to the lives of elderly civilian women, some are wondering: are such harsh measures justified? Commenting on the raids in Kaluga, lawyer Anton Omelchenko said: \"If our law enforcement officers, in order to come to an elderly woman, gather a crowd, put on masks, take weapons with them, then what cowards they are!\"\nThe criminal case against 78-year-old Kaleria Mamykina, who has been under surveillance for more than a year, stands apart. According to operatives, reading the Bible and talking to friends about God are criminal acts. The investigation lasted seven months in her case, until the investigator came to the conclusion that the accused \"exercised her right to freedom of religion, provided for in Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, and therefore there was no corpus delicti in her actions.\"\n","category":"analytics","date":"2020-01-02T16:23:59+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/01/1514/1578966_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_25fdd882f444a2fe.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/01/1514/1578966_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_5ae9a5f8c7ab2d69.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/01/1514/1578966_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_371a09fba32d6fc4.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/01/1514/1578966_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_fda39be28ff2daee.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/01/1514.html","regions":["primorye","arkhangelsk","khakassia","khabarovsk","kamchatka","rostov","moscow_obl","ivanovo","chelyabinsk","smolensk","kaluga"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","analytics","review","elderly","health-risk","ivs","house-arrest","hidden-surveillance"],"title":"Hunting the Elderly: Security Forces List Older Women in the Ranks of Extremists","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 30, 2019, the Spassky District Court, chaired by Judge Pavel Bobrovich, will host the first hearing in the case of 29-year-old Dmitry Malevaniy, 60-year-old Aleksey Trofimov, 60-year-old Olga Panyuta and 67-year-old Olga Opaleva.\nThese civilians became accused after a wave of searches that security forces conducted in this small seaside town on November 25, 2018. Peaceful believers were under house arrest for almost a year, and only in November 2019 were they released on their own recognizance. The criminal prosecution seriously affected the health of Olga Opaleva, who, due to stress, suffered a stroke right in the convoy car.\nAs in other similar cases, the investigation believes that local believers continued the activities of the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses, which was liquidated in Russia. Their religious activities are equated with extremist activities. Law-abiding, peaceful citizens face real prison terms simply because they continue to believe in Jehovah God.\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-12-27T11:49:34+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/12/1507/sud2_montazhnaya_oblast_1_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_606acbdfd48a8ba3.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/12/1507/sud2_montazhnaya_oblast_1_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_bc12139c17645557.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/12/1507/sud2_montazhnaya_oblast_1_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_5b52e9ef5f3b90d5.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/12/1507/sud2_montazhnaya_oblast_1_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_79b88b65089cbf81.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/12/1507.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["first-instance","elderly"],"title":"In Primorsky Krai, the trial of four believers of Spassk-Dalniy begins","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 5, 2019, the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Chelyabinsk Region charged 71-year-old Valentina Suvorova with continuing the activities of an extremist organization (part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) simply because the woman enjoyed the right to freedom of religion. They took a written undertaking not to leave the place.\nThe investigator of the department for the investigation of especially important cases, Lieutenant Colonel of Justice Alexander Viktorovich Chepenko, accuses the woman of \"committing a deliberate crime against the foundations of the constitutional order and state security.\" The decision to prosecute Valentina Suvorova alleges that she deliberately talked about faith with residents of the city of Chelyabinsk, sang chants, prayed to Jehovah God, and studied religious literature.\nValentina Suvorova committed all these terrible acts from the point of view of investigator Chepenko, \"anticipating ... and expecting the onset of socially dangerous consequences in the form of violation of the rights, freedoms and legitimate interests of man and citizen.\" It is noteworthy that in the same document, the lieutenant colonel explains that those who profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses are engaged in \"performing divine services, familiarizing people with the Holy Scriptures, biblical teachings, principles and norms.\"\nThe case against the believer is being handled by the Department for Investigation of Particularly Important Cases of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Chelyabinsk Region. It is known that in total, at least 10 searches were conducted in the homes of believers in the Chelyabinsk region in 2019.\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-12-25T17:28:43+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/12/1499/planshet_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_e00fbfbdef74e61.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/12/1499/planshet_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_e796a6d7073e90a1.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/12/1499/planshet_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_bc01b9d19775364e.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/12/1499/planshet_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_10b93b54b98277a3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/12/1499.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["elderly","282.2-2","recognizance-agreement"],"title":"In Chelyabinsk, a woman born in 1948 was charged. She \"sang hymns\" and \"prayed to Jehovah God.\"","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 20, 2019, Denis Nikishov, judge of the Leninsky District Court of Smolensk, released 60-year-old Viktor Malkov from custody in the courtroom. A day later, the same judge made a similar decision in relation to 42-year-old Valery Shalev. After spending 240 days behind bars, believers will now languish under house arrest.\nTwo other defendants in this case, Ruslan Korolev and Yevgeny Deshko, were released from the pre-trial detention center earlier, having spent 112 and 207 days behind bars, respectively.\nFSB investigator G.P. Bezrukov objected to Viktor Malkov and Valery Shalev being released from the pre-trial detention center. Although the court rejected the FSB's request to keep them behind bars, still, under the terms of house arrest, they cannot live or even communicate with their wives, since the FSB assigned them the status of \"witnesses\" in the case (despite the fact that close relatives in Russia are exempt from the obligation to testify in the case). In addition, believers are not allowed to enter into correspondence with anyone, make phone calls, use the Internet, and so on.\nIn total, three criminal cases have been initiated against believers in the Smolensk region: the case of Shalev and others in Smolensk (4 accused), the case of Sorokina and Troshina in Sychevka (two accused), and the case of Vladimirova and Galkevich in Smolensk (two accused). All believers spent an average of 196 days in the pre-trial detention center and were placed under house arrest.\nAll three criminal cases are being investigated by the Smolensk Region Directorate of the FSB. Such formidable security forces in the region are thrown against 4 women and 4 men who are perfectly characterized, not convicted, law-abiding. There are no victims in the cases. FSB officers are forced to delve into theological issues and are now able to explain how the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses differs from the creeds of other religions. At the same time, the security forces fail to explain what, in fact, the \"extremism\" imputed to believers is. ","category":"restriction","date":"2019-12-24T15:55:46+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/12/1496/smolensk_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_472c765a82514c47.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/12/1496/smolensk_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_106459558cce1150.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/12/1496/smolensk_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_9a38020294647394.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/12/1496/smolensk_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_3a395dff2b8a7a0d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/12/1496.html","regions":["smolensk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","house-arrest","elderly"],"title":"In the Smolensk region, after 8 months behind bars, believers Valery Shalev and Viktor Malkov were transferred under house arrest","type":"news"},{"body":"Early in the morning of December 19, 2019, in Vologda, security forces invaded a number of homes of Jehovah's Witnesses. On December 21, the court sent 45-year-old Nikolai Stepanov, who has a wife and son, to the pre-trial detention center. 67-year-old Yuri Baranov was placed under house arrest by the court, given that his mother needs daily care.\nBelievers say that in some cases groups of security officers consisted of 4 SOBR fighters, a technical specialist, an investigator, and witnesses. During the searches, electronic devices were seized. After hours of searches, believers, including women and minor children, were detained for interrogations that lasted until 8 p.m. At least 6 searches of believers' homes took place in the city at the same time.\nIt is known that a criminal case was initiated under Article 282.2 (1) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The believers are suspected not just of worshiping God together, but of allegedly resuming the activities of the local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses \"Vologda\". The case is being investigated by the first department for the investigation of especially important cases (crimes against the person and public safety) of the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Vologda Region. Among those who conducted searches or interrogations were investigator N.A. Shilov, investigator Denis Kamensky and detective of the Center for Countering Extremism Viktor Povzderin.\nIt is obvious that this criminal case, as well as hundreds of other cases in more than 50 regions of Russia, are a direct consequence of the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to liquidate and ban the activities of all organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. Law enforcement officers inappropriately interpret joint confession of religion as participation in extremist activities, which contradicts Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, which guarantees freedom of religion for all.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-12-24T10:47:55+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/12/1494/depositphotos_21862193_4_0_hu_499e1b784b96e7ca.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/12/1494/depositphotos_21862193_4_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/12/1494/depositphotos_21862193_4_0_hu_63964a5002f22a41.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/12/1494/depositphotos_21862193_4_0_hu_4c3ca60a14f350b1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/12/1494.html","regions":["vologda"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","sizo","house-arrest","minors","interrogation","new-case","282.2-1","elderly"],"title":"Mass searches of Jehovah's Witnesses in Vologda. One believer was sent to a pre-trial detention center, another was placed under house arrest","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 3, 2019, a 61-year-old believer was searched in the village of Wärtsilä (Karelia). Feigning an interest in religion, the agent sent knocked on her door and began asking questions about how to find the truth.\nTwo uniformed policemen and a woman in civilian clothes entered the believer's apartment. According to them, a denunciation was received from neighbors that songs were being sung in her apartment. The hostess told the security forces that she was a former music worker, that she had an accordion and there was nothing unnatural in the fact that she was playing music. Nevertheless, she was searched, her Bible, personal diaries, spiritual literature, and even a magnet hanging on a refrigerator were seized. Security officials also asked the woman to unlock electronic devices, but she refused.\nThis is not the first time that law enforcement officers have preyed on older women. In Arkhangelsk, a criminal case was opened against 78-year-old Kaleria Mamykina for sharing her religious beliefs with others. In Vladivostok, 6 elderly women (Raisa Usanova, Nina Purge, Nailya Kogai, Elena Zaishchuk, Lyubov Galaktionova, Nadezhda Anoykina) were in the dock. In Spassk-Dalny, 2 pensioners, Olga Panyuta and Olga Opaleva, are prosecuted, and the latter had a stroke right in the convoy car. Women of retirement age are also subject to criminal prosecution in Khakassia, Khabarovsk, Rostov-on-Don, the Moscow region and Kamchatka.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-12-17T15:09:31+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/12/1477/bayan2_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_d29cfdb5d24a55e7.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/12/1477/bayan2_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_3293e1e0bca1164c.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/12/1477/bayan2_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_b66e5fa4e76afac1.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/12/1477/bayan2_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_7c0dd5bf220d3658.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/12/1477.html","regions":["karelia"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","elderly"],"title":"In the Karelian outback, law enforcement officers brought a woman to talk about God in order to invade her with a search","type":"news"},{"body":"For almost six months, peaceful Kaluga residents have been languishing in a pre-trial detention center. How did the FSB act against obviously innocent people? What was thrown under the bed of 15-year-old Dasha Makhneva? How many masked armed security forces were thrown against 87-year-old Olga Verevkina? A 5-minute video about what is happening in Kaluga.\nOn June 26, 2019, mass searches were conducted in the homes of peaceful believers in Kaluga. Two Jehovah's Witnesses, Roman Makhnev and Dmitry Kuzin, were arrested simply because of their religion.\nAddressing via video link from the pre-trial detention center, Roman Makhnev says: \"The court did not properly consider the measure of restraint against me. There was no evidence that I should have been detained.\"\nHis wife, Anna Makhneva, recalls: \"I heard a noise in the street. When I came out, I saw two masked people in the courtyard of the house. I took the keys to the gate, opened the doors. A few more people were standing on the doorstep. My daughter came out, she was barefoot, and she was placed next to me on the paving slabs in the yard. It was drizzling. I asked permission to put on the child's shoes. He said, 'Later.'\"\nAnton Omelchenko, Roman Makhnev's lawyer: \"The believer, Roman Makhnev, was handcuffed, despite the fact that he did not resist and did not show himself in any bad way.\"\nAt the same time, another group of security officials broke into the apartment of Dmitry and Svetlana Kuzin. Here is what Svetlana Kuzina had to experience: \"I was in this room, at home, watering flowers. And I hear my husband open the door with his keys. And I go out, and then there are a lot of people. My husband was knocked down when he entered, apparently, he was knocked down on the tiles, face down. His hands were handcuffed from behind.\"\nAnother group of armed law enforcement officers invaded the home of 87-year-old Olga Verevkina. She says: \"A full brigade in camouflage of militants. The ruling was not shown. They say, \"Get up!\" and I say, \"I can't, I'm weak.\" My blood pressure rose from 200 to 115.\nAccording to believers, during the searches publications from the Federal List of Extremist Materials were planted on them, and their rights were violated. Roman Makhnev's wife, Anna, says: \"I heard Dasha screaming: 'This was not in my room, what is it doing here, explain to me!' And I heard her husband's voice saying, 'This is a toss.'\" Daria Makhneva, the daughter of Roman and Anna, says: \"Just that day in the afternoon I was vacuuming under the bed, there was nothing lying there.\"\n\"No one introduced themselves to us, they didn't show us any documents. The search began at 9 p.m. and lasted until about half past five in the morning,\" says Svetlana Kuzina.\nOlga Verevkina: \"To break into the camouflage of militants in such a way to old, infirm people - it amazes me!\"\nAnton Omelchenko: \"If our law enforcement officers, in order to come to an elderly woman, gather a crowd, put on masks, take weapons with them, then what cowards they are! Such people say that they are actually fighting extremism.\"\nAfter the searches, Roman Makhnev and Dmitry Kuzin were taken to the FSB building. \"When my dad was taken away, the only thing I managed to say in his ear was that I was proud of his resilience,\" says Daria Makhneva, \"And then he was taken away, and I felt sad. I was scared.\"\nAnna Makhneva: \"Roman, when he was brought to the FSB building, was handcuffed to a battery in some utility room, and remained so until the morning, until he was summoned for interrogation.\"\nIt is worth noting that a few hours earlier, during the searches, an ambulance was called for Roman Makhnev. \"Roman became very ill,\" says his wife.- Dasha began to scream. An ambulance was called by FSB officers, she arrived quickly enough. They gave him medicine, after a while Roman felt better. He was detained on the 26th, he was fed only on the 29th!\nAnton Omelchenko: \"Roman Makhnev was not fed for three days. They said, \"Well, he had the opportunity to eat what he brought with him.\" Interesting position. I have filed complaints with various departments.\"\nOn June 28, two days after the arrest, the Kaluga District Court sent Roman Makhnev and Dmitry Kuzin to a pre-trial detention center.\nRoman Makhnev: \"I have never called for religious discord. Always, on the contrary, encouraged love and good deeds. But now we will continue to fight, we will file a cassation appeal.\" His daughter, Daria, says: \"I hope that people will understand that my dad is not guilty of anything, and he is not a criminal. Therefore, I hope that soon we will meet with him and be together again.\nBelievers do not agree with the accusations and intend to seek justice.\nSvetlana Kuzina: \"I don't know if we can. But I am determined to fight to the end in order to help my husband, to support him.\" Anna Makhneva: \"I very much hope that common sense will prevail, and the people in power will finally understand that we do not pose any threat to society and even more so to the state.\"\n","category":"eyewitnesses","date":"2019-12-06T15:00:07+03:00","duration":"4:59","image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/12/1456/kaluga_02_hu_86e88fcafaaf3ae2.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/12/1456/kaluga_02.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/12/1456/kaluga_02_hu_877af64a9e5bcdfe.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/12/1456/kaluga_02_hu_8e846f372e71b3f7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/12/1456.html","regions":["kaluga"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","video","plant","minors","elderly","siloviks-violence"],"title":"\"I managed to tell my dad in his ear that I was proud of his resilience.\" The life of believers in Kaluga was divided into before and after ","type":"video"},{"body":"The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Chelyabinsk Region charges 71-year-old Valentina Suvorova with continuing the activities of an extremist organization (part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) only because the woman exercised the right to freedom of religion. They took a written undertaking not to leave the place.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Suvorova in Chelyabinsk","date":"2019-12-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk.html#20191205","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["282.2-2","recognizance-agreement","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On October 31, 2019, V. Obukhov, investigator of the FSB of Russia in the Amur Region, sent a request to the Zeya Hospital for a medical examination of Vasily Reznichenko, accused for his faith under Article 282.2 (2) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n\"Given the advanced age of the accused,\" the investigator writes to the chief physician, \"there is a need to identify the presence (absence) of diseases that prevent the serving of a sentence of imprisonment.\"\nThe case against the 77-year-old believer was initiated on March 11, 2019. Since March 21, 2019, he has been under recognizance not to leave.\nOn top of that, Vasiliy Reznichenko was included in the List of active terrorists and extremists. On this basis, the bank blocked all his savings.\nThe elderly believer is not guilty of anything. The Amur FSB, in particular investigator Obukhov, receives funding from taxpayers' funds to persecute ordinary believers who do not pose any threat.\nCivilians in the Amur Region have been prosecuted for more than a year simply because they believe in Jehovah God. In June 2018, it became known about the first searches in this region - in Blagoveshchensk. In March 2019, the same events took place in Zeya, and in November 2019 in Tynda.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-11-28T12:30:48+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/11/1417/reznichenko_veb_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_8a63acb44393925e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/11/1417/reznichenko_veb_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_d2177f46bf443363.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/11/1417/reznichenko_veb_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_fc6dfd2f9b019962.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/11/1417/reznichenko_veb_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_1ff00a58bbd6cae2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/11/1417.html","regions":["amur"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["elderly","282.2-2","new-case","recognizance-agreement","rosfinmonitoring","liberty-deprivation"],"title":"Make sure that there are no obstacles to \"serving a sentence of imprisonment.\" The Amur FSB nobly sent a 77-year-old believer for a medical examination","type":"news"},{"body":"About 100 people come to the Babushkinsky District Court of Moscow for a hearing on the extension of house arrest for believers from Chekhov near Moscow. Unexpectedly, the court extends the house arrest of Konstantin Zherebtsov, Zinaida Krutyakova, Vitaly Nikiforov for more than 3 months. Another older believer was seen among the defendants in the case, but the investigator and the man's relatives prevent the rest of the believers from contacting him in any way. None of his fellow believers were allowed to attend the hearing on his case. It is known that a milder measure of restraint was chosen for him.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Nikiforov and Others in Chekhov","date":"2019-11-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chekhov.html#20191128","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["house-arrest","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Roman Shagarov terminates the criminal case against Kaleria Mamykina, arguing that she \"exercised her right to freedom of religion\" under the Constitution of the Russian Federation. Receiving fellow believers in her home, Mamykina \"had no intention of participating in the activities of a [banned] religious organization.\" Thus, the woman's actions do not constitute a crime under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yakku in Arkhangelsk","date":"2019-11-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/arkhangelsk2.html#20191127","regions":["arkhangelsk"],"tags":["case-dismissed","clearing","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Dudunkova terminates the criminal case against the elderly Olga Medvedeva and Valentina Makhmadagaeva for lack of corpus delicti. In this case, the investigator refers to the testimony of three witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rogozin and Others in Volgograd","date":"2019-11-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volgograd.html#20191127","regions":["volgograd"],"tags":["case-dismissed","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"\"Kaleria Mamykina ... exercised her right to freedom of religion under Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, and therefore there is no corpus delicti in her actions.\" Sledkom noted, however, that the woman was \"under the destructive influence\" of Eugene Yakku.\nThe decision to dismiss the case against the elderly woman was made on November 27, 2019. Investigator R. Shagarov, after a year of surveillance and 7 months of investigation, came to the conclusion that Mamykina, receiving fellow believers in her house, \"had no intention of participating in the activities of a [banned] religious organization.\" Thus, the investigator concluded that the woman's actions did not constitute a crime under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\nIn accordance with the law, Kaleria Mamykina has the right to rehabilitation, which includes an official apology from the prosecutor, compensation for property and moral damage. If information about the criminal prosecution of a rehabilitated person has been published in the mass media, then at the request of the rehabilitated person, reports on rehabilitation must be disseminated.\nMeanwhile, Yevgeny Yakku, who also exercised his constitutional right to freedom of religion, is already charged under three \"extremist\" articles - organizing activities, participation and involving others in the activities of an extremist organization (part 1 of article 282.2, part 1.1 of article 282.2, part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).\nThe case of Yevgeniy Yakku and Kaleria Mamykina is a clear confirmation of how blurred the concept of extremist activity is in the relevant articles of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, which makes it unclear where the constitutional right to freedom of religion begins and where it ends. Following the logic of the investigation, it is necessary to stop the criminal prosecution of dozens of other Jehovah's Witnesses, as well as to acquit and rehabilitate those of them who have already been convicted under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-11-27T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/12/1498/mamykina_hu_b0069fa5ad647716.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/12/1498/mamykina_hu_ef6e313cece7e97c.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/12/1498/mamykina_hu_502bd32dd4c93971.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/12/1498/mamykina_hu_485ef7aca8905a7a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/12/1498.html","regions":["arkhangelsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["elderly","case-dismissed","282.2-2"],"title":"In Arkhangelsk, the Investigative Committee stopped the criminal prosecution of 78-year-old Kaleria Mamykina","type":"news"},{"body":"Close to the critical state of health of Nikolai Kuzichkin is a law-abiding, previously unconvicted piano tuner. Lack of treatment for life-threatening diseases has already led him to lose 24 kilograms in just a month and a half. He was arrested during a raid on believers on October 10, 2019.\nOn November 14, 2019, Nikolay Kuzichkin told his lawyer: \"The management of the Armavir pre-trial detention center No. 2 and the head of the medical unit Sidelnikov refused my numerous applications requesting my medical examination and treatment. At the same time, Sidelnikov verbally explained to me that, according to the Constitution of the Russian Federation, he does not have the right to send me for medical examination and treatment. [...] I believe that I, as a sick person, do not receive medical care. All this is inhuman treatment and torture.\"\nEarlier, on October 30, Nikolai Kuzichkin's lawyer appealed to the head of the Armavir pre-trial detention center, Maxim Tereshchenko, with a request for a medical examination. After a week of deliberation, on November 6, Maksim Tereshchenko rejected the petition, citing the fact that Kuzichkin's condition did not fit the \"list of diseases that impede detention.\"\nNikolay Kuzichkin, 68, is the oldest of 40 Jehovah's Witnesses currently held in prison for their faith. The decision to send him, as well as Vyacheslav Popov, to prison for his faith was made by 35-year-old judge Nikolai Shevelev, a native of the village of Krasnaya Polyana (Sochi). Before that, on October 10, 2019, in Sochi, from the Lazarevskoye microdistrict up to the village of Krasnaya Polyana in the mountains and the village of Veseloye near the border with Abkhazia, a total of 36 searches were carried out in one day.\nOn November 20, 2019, the term of detention of Nikolay Kuzichkin was extended by Judge Martynenko for another 1 month, until December 24, 2019.\nLetters of support to the believer can be sent to: Kuzichkin Nikolay Nikolaevich, born in 1951, FKU SIZO-2 of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia in the Krasnodar Territory, Pugachev str., 32, Armavir, Krasnodar Territory, Russia, 352909.\nCorrespondence can be sent by regular mail or through the FSIN-letter system.\n","category":"discrimination","date":"2019-11-26T11:10:36+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/11/1408/bezymyannyy-1_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_c8b83ab8b8a1c4d7.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/11/1408/bezymyannyy-1_montazhnaya_oblast_1.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/11/1408/bezymyannyy-1_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_e91195e362e826bf.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/11/1408/bezymyannyy-1_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_95cf21d614dda95c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/11/1408.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","elderly","health-risk","medical-rights","prison-treatment"],"title":"The health of a 68-year-old believer from Sochi has deteriorated to a threatening state in the Armavir pre-trial detention center","type":"news"},{"body":"The details of what happened in Achinsk on November 14, 2019 have been clarified. In total, searches were conducted in at least 7 apartments of believers, and 8 people were interrogated. Law enforcement officers seized various editions of the Holy Scriptures from several believers that were not included in the list of extremist literature.\nMost of the books were seized from 62-year-old Viktor Sagin: the Bible in the Orthodox Synodal translation, two Bibles of the Orthodox Archimandrite Macarius and two editions of the New Testament. The Bible of Archimandrite Macarius, the Bible in Modern Translation and the Bible Symphony, as well as a smartphone and tablet were seized from 52-year-old Alexander Borkunov.\nIt is also known about searches and inspections of the premises of Yuri Sotnikov, Natalia Nikitina, Vladimir Chernik, Arkady Osipok and Alexander and Tatyana Pozdnyakov. All the believers mentioned were asked about their religious views.\nThe residents of Achinsk (Krasnoyarsk Territory) subjected to searches and interrogations are peaceful, law-abiding citizens whom law enforcement officers decided to equate with extremists only because they suspected them of professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. However, the massive confiscation of Bibles from Jehovah's Witnesses throughout the country confirms Vladimir Putin's words that in fact the fight is not against extremists, but against Christians.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-11-25T17:04:16+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/11/1405/7_bibles2_hu_9aafe31f46396325.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/11/1405/7_bibles2_hu_7ba7999440af3cbe.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/11/1405/7_bibles2_hu_b77388fc3164c060.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/11/1405/7_bibles2_hu_19fed1b395be2e44.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/11/1405.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","translations","interrogation","elderly"],"title":"Five Bibles and two New Testaments were seized from residents of Achinsk","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 6, 2019, Anatoliy Tokarev, a resident of Kirov, was charged under two \"extremist\" articles of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organizing the activities of an extremist organization, part 1 of article 282.2, and its financing, part 1 of article 282.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).\nThere are no victims in Tokarev's case, and the prosecution repeats word for word the wording previously used against other believers. For example, Georgy Malykh, an investigator for especially important cases who is investigating Tokarev's case, called him the \"spiritual leader\" of Jehovah's Witnesses in Kirov. Earlier, the same wording was used in the case against Sergey Klimov from Tomsk, who was recently sentenced to 6 years.\nTokarev faces real prison terms for the fact that at his home he conducted \"training sessions and meetings in the format of a collective worship service, consisting of the performance of songs ... and prayers to Jehovah God,\" as well as \"appointed readers to study the Bible\" and \"engaged in pastoral work.\" In addition, Tokarev is charged with the fact that he did not stop \"his personal involvement\", in other words, did not renounce his religious beliefs, to which he was legally entitled even after the entry into force of the Supreme Court decision regarding Jehovah's Witnesses. Andrzej Oniszczuk spent 330 days in the Kirov pre-trial detention center on similar charges.\nThe investigation claims that Tokarev collected funds (which were used to pay utility bills for electricity in an empty worship building and maintain it in technically proper condition). This is what the investigator considered to be the financing of an extremist organization.\nJehovah's Witnesses have nothing to do with extremism. Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation allows any citizen \"to freely choose, have and disseminate religious and other beliefs and act in accordance with them.\" Perceiving law-abiding believers for talking about religion is a significant mistake by law enforcement agencies that distracts them from the fight against real crime.\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-11-22T16:52:09+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/11/1391/tokarev2_hu_7c5a9072793fa33d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/11/1391/tokarev2_hu_5381c304169d7080.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/11/1391/tokarev2_hu_689e73f38d50204e.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/11/1391/tokarev2_hu_e5250d5997d05c08.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/11/1391.html","regions":["kirov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["282.2-1","282.3-1","elderly"],"title":"Anatoly Tokarev, a pensioner from Kirov, was charged under two articles at once","type":"news"},{"body":"By an appeal decision, 60-year-old Tatyana Galkevich was released from the Smolensk pre-trial detention center under house arrest. She spent more than six months in prison. Valentina Vladimirova, who was arrested with her, remains behind bars.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vladimirova and Galkevich in Smolensk","date":"2019-11-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/smolensk.html#20191121","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["appeal","house-arrest","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Bezrukov deceives 81-year-old Alexandra Ulyanova out of a sanatorium in the suburbs of Smolensk, interrogates her to the FSB for 6 hours. He tells the woman that he \"wants to figure it out\" and make sure that her friends and acquaintances are innocent. After interrogation, he takes her home and soon arrives to search her house.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shalev and Others in Smolensk","date":"2019-11-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/smolensk2.html#20191121","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["interrogation","search","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On November 12, 2019, the Leninsky District Court of Vladivostok, chaired by Judge Anton Sklizkov, refused to consider the case of Valentin Osadchuk. The accused in this case are also 6 women, the eldest of whom is 85 years old.\nValentyn Osadchuk was arrested on April 19, 2018. He spent 275 days in jail and 77 days under house arrest. Now the believer is under recognizance not to leave. In April 2019, during the preliminary investigation, the court seized the car and money seized from Valentin during a search in his house. According to the investigation, he and the rest of the defendants participated in worship services, which is interpreted as participation in the activities of an extremist organization. The first preliminary hearing in the case took place on October 14, 2019.\nIn most cases, the court returns the case to the prosecutor if the indictment is drawn up with significant violations of the law, for example, the charge is not specified.\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-11-12T15:14:58+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/11/1368/osadchuk_and_others_web_hu_1fbe6dc6ca4d5ddf.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/11/1368/osadchuk_and_others_web_hu_4d3cf7abac1db7a.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/11/1368/osadchuk_and_others_web_hu_97f019efbc0e4b1f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/11/1368/osadchuk_and_others_web_hu_859feb78fc0870df.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/11/1368.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["case-to-prosecutor","elderly"],"title":"The court returned to the prosecutor the criminal case against believers from Vladivostok","type":"news"},{"body":"Kuzichkin's lawyer appeals to the head of the pre-trial detention center, Maxim Tereshchenko, with a request for his medical examination. After a week of deliberation, Tereshchenko rejects the petition. The head of the medical unit, Sidelnikov, also refuses Kuzichkin medical examination and treatment, referring to the Constitution of the Russian Federation.\nKuzichkin's health is rapidly deteriorating due to the conditions of his detention.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kuzichkin and Popov in Sochi","date":"2019-10-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sochi.html#20191030","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["medical-rights","health-risk","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On October 17, 2019, in Kholmsk and Chekhov (Sakhalin Oblast), searches were carried out in three dwellings of believers. Early in the morning, representatives of the authorities under the leadership of Police Major Dmitry Orkin, an employee of the CPE of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, searched the homes of Oleg Tsimerman, Denis and Oksana Kholinykh in Kholmsk. The security forces also came to Denis's mother, Valentina Kholina, who lives in Chekhov. Electronic media were seized from all believers. The issue of initiating a criminal case is being decided.\nThe security forces came to the Kholin spouses at 7:00. They persistently knocked on the door, beat on the couple's car in the yard so that the alarm went off. When Denis opened the door, he was approached by 8 officers of the CPE, the FSB and the police, not counting the witnesses. The search lasted 4 hours. Representatives of the authorities seized the tablet of the 15-year-old son of the Kholins, who used it to prepare for exams and stored important educational materials on it. Denis's work phone and hard drive with work files were taken away, which, in fact, deprived his family of their livelihood.\nLater, the couple learned that the 5-hour search was carried out on the same day at the home of Denis's mother, Valentina, who lives in the nearby town of Chekhov. A 68-year-old woman was very worried, her blood pressure rose. Valentina is outraged that the authorities are persecuting her family, although they have done no harm to anyone, but at the same time refuse to open a criminal case against the person responsible for the accident that recently killed Valentina's husband.\nEarlier, on January 20, 2019, the FSB had already conducted mass searches of believers on Sakhalin. Criminal cases under Part 2 of Article 282.2 were initiated against Vyacheslav Ivanov, Dmitry Kulakov and his father Sergey.\nUpdate. On November 18, 2019, it became known about 2 more searches in Kholmsk - at the homes of Alexander Pavlov and Valentina Guseva. The details of the incident are being clarified. Although the authorities officially refer to their actions as \"ORM inspection of premises\" (implying the voluntary consent of residents, as well as the fact that no criminal case has been initiated), in fact, searches are being conducted at believers' homes.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-10-25T18:30:36+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/10/1290/180603_tomsk_obysk2385_0_3_0_hu_dc4f4428f58a15f0.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/10/1290/180603_tomsk_obysk2385_0_3_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/10/1290/180603_tomsk_obysk2385_0_3_0_hu_8cb593a700c99f0.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/10/1290/180603_tomsk_obysk2385_0_3_0_hu_fd07115506cbdadb.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/10/1290.html","regions":["sakhalin"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","minors","elderly"],"title":"New searches on Sakhalin. A teenager and an elderly woman suffered from the actions of the security forces","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 10, 2019, in the convoy car of the Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN), on the way to court, 67-year-old Olga Opaleva became ill, she was hospitalized with an ischemic stroke. On October 23, she was escorted from the hospital back to house arrest. The left side of her body is paralyzed, and an electronic bracelet is worn on her right leg. He moves around the room with difficulty.\nOlga Opaleva is one of 4 defendants in the case of Malevaniy and others in Spassk-Dalny (Primorsky Krai). In November 2018, she was kept in a detention center for 2 days, the investigator petitioned for her detention, but the court chose a measure of restraint in the form of house arrest.\nIn September, they began to acquaint her with 14 volumes of criminal case materials, for this she was taken to the investigating authority under the escort of the Federal Penitentiary Service. Additional pressure was exerted on her by the court on September 25, 2019, ruling that she had time to familiarize herself with the volumes of the case only until October 20, 2019 (which limits her right to judicial protection).\nOn the day when Olga Opaleva was taken from the hospital back under house arrest and put a bracelet on her healthy leg, law enforcement officers invaded the house of her son Vitaly Ilyinykh, who takes care of her. After that, Vitaliy was taken into custody, in the near future the court will choose a measure of restraint for him. Vitaliy is accused of the same thing as his mother - of believing in Jehovah God.\nIn total, there are more than 20 Jehovah's Witnesses in the cities of Vladivostok, Luchegorsk, Partizansk, Spassk-Dalny and Ussuriysk, as well as in the village of Razdolnoye, as accused or suspects in the Primorsky Territory. At least 8 criminal cases have been initiated, some of them are being investigated by the FSB, and some by the Investigative Committee. For example, in one of the cases investigated by the Primorsky FSB, there are 6 women aged 61 to 85 years in the dock.\nThe investigation into what Olga Opaleva, her son and other residents of Spassk-Dalniy believe in began with an FSB operation that took place on the evening of August 12, 2018. At least 17 FSB officers invaded a rented room on Krasnoznamennaya Street, where a friendly meeting was taking place. Phones and tablets were seized from those present. Until late at night, citizens were asked questions under the protocol, for example: was the name \"Jehovah\" pronounced at the meeting? Was the Bible read in the New World Translation?\n","category":"crime","date":"2019-10-24T10:32:33+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/10/1286/opaleva_olga_web1-2_hu_f1fe56306f104bdf.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/10/1286/opaleva_olga_web1-2.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/10/1286/opaleva_olga_web1-2_hu_a8f4300fdd84bcf2.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/10/1286/opaleva_olga_web1-2_hu_4670b80acaff44b3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/10/1286.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["elderly","health-risk","house-arrest","ankle-tag","families"],"title":"In Spassk-Dalny, a believer suffered a stroke in a convoy car. After that, she put an electronic bracelet on her leg, which was not paralyzed","type":"news"},{"body":"On the evening of October 10, 2019, groups of armed special forces broke down the doors and broke into the apartments of dozens of Sochi residents through the balcony. Both young and old were laid face down on the floor. The action, resembling a special operation against terrorists, turned out to be searches of those who believe in God differently from others.\nSearches in the homes of peaceful believers were carried out at at least 19 addresses in Sochi and its environs. Not only local security officials participated in the special operation, judging by the license plates, even outfits from the Rostov and Volgograd regions joined.\nThe reason for the raid in Sochi was a criminal case under the \" extremist\" article 282.2 (1) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, which is being investigated by the senior investigator of the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Krasnodar Territory, Senior Lieutenant of Justice D. Petrunnikov.\nThey stormed through the balcony. Vyacheslav and Yulia Popov are among those to whom special forces raided the apartment. The assault began at about 7 p.m. Armed masked men burst through the balcony, breaking the handrails. At this time, there were children at home who were very frightened and crying. The security forces immediately took Vyacheslav away for interrogation, then, presenting the decision of the judge of the Central District Court of Sochi, began a search that lasted more than an hour and a half. Cell phones, tablets and other computer equipment were seized from the family, as well as some printed publications, notebooks with personal notes and postcards.\nThe whole family is at gunpoint. On the same evening, employees of the Investigative Committee, accompanied by the National Guard, invaded the house of 26-year-old Normund Gudin. They forced the entire family, including Normund's parents and even his elderly grandmother, to lie on the floor at gunpoint. The search lasted more than three hours. During the search of another family, Vladislav and Alla Martynov, law enforcement officers planted a religious publication that did not belong to them. The security forces admitted that it was unpleasant for them themselves, but that was their job.\nA search warrant issued by Anna Voronkova, a judge of the Central District Court of Sochi, was presented as grounds for the intrusion.\nTwo believers in a pre-trial detention center. As a result of the raid on believers in Sochi, two people were detained - 68-year-old Nikolai Kuzichkin and 45-year-old Vyacheslav Popov. On October 11, a trial was held, Judge Shevelev decided to arrest them and place them in a pre-trial detention center until November 24. Believers came to support their relatives, friends and acquaintances, some gathered at the entrance to the building. They supported their fellow believers with applause as the paddy wagon took them to the place of detention.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-10-21T14:16:07+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/10/1266/190717_nizhniy_novogorod_2_0_0_hu_8d1138c46ce510f0.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/10/1266/190717_nizhniy_novogorod_2_0_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/10/1266/190717_nizhniy_novogorod_2_0_0_hu_ac382ac4b596ce99.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/10/1266/190717_nizhniy_novogorod_2_0_0_hu_e1e1678ebbd47993.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/10/1266.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","new-case","282.2-1","elderly","sizo","plant"],"title":"Elderly Woman Facing the Floor and Planted Material Evidence: Details of the Raid on Believers in Sochi","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 11, 2019, the Central District Court of Sochi sent to the pre-trial detention center Nikolay Kuzichkin and Vyacheslav Popov, who had been detained the day before during a mass raid on believers. Nikolay Kuzichkin, 68, is the oldest of 40 Jehovah's Witnesses currently held in prison for their faith.\nThe decision to send his fellow countrymen to prison for their faith was made by 35-year-old judge Nikolai Shevelev, a native of the village of Krasnaya Polyana (Sochi). Dozens of their friends came to the court to support the believers.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-10-15T16:55:46+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/10/1246/191011_sochi_avtor_eltavskiy_k_2a_hu_fcc8c5f34cd1bf1b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/10/1246/191011_sochi_avtor_eltavskiy_k_2a.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/10/1246/191011_sochi_avtor_eltavskiy_k_2a_hu_d460ba83a8654f80.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/10/1246/191011_sochi_avtor_eltavskiy_k_2a_hu_44eaf91b666672.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/10/1246.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","sizo","elderly"],"title":"Two Sochi residents have been sent to jail for their faith until at least November 24, 2019","type":"news"},{"body":"On the evening of October 10, 2019, groups of armed, masked security officers, sometimes with dogs, invaded at least 19 homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in Sochi, Krasnodar Territory. During the searches, 68-year-old Nikolai Kuzichkin and 45-year-old Vyacheslav Popov were detained.\nSearches took place in Dagomys, Khost, Sochi, Adler, Krasnaya Polyana and the villages of Veseloe and Chereshnya. Law enforcement officers drove up in cars with local license plates, as well as in cars from the Rostov region.\nIn some cases, the seizure groups cordoned off the homes of believers and broke locks. During the searches, electronic devices and books about the Bible were seized.\nThe ban and liquidation of legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses in 2017 have long escalated into real persecution of ordinary believers, most of whom have never been members of liquidated legal entities. Recently, the number of criminal cases has increased significantly, dozens of men and women are behind bars. The believers are waiting for the decision of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), where they filed a complaint.\nUpdate. A total of 36 searches were conducted in Sochi in one day on October 10, 2019. The geography of the roundup: from the Lazarevskoye microdistrict up to the village of Krasnaya Polyana in the mountains and the village of Veseloye near the border with Abkhazia. (The events in Sochi broke the sad record of Nizhny Novgorod, where on July 16, 2019, 35 searches were carried out in the homes of believers.)\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-10-11T17:19:15+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/10/1236/201407_sochi_olimpiyskiy_park_hu_844bf760a68c89c3.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/10/1236/201407_sochi_olimpiyskiy_park.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/10/1236/201407_sochi_olimpiyskiy_park_hu_e9e66171aa080a79.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/10/1236/201407_sochi_olimpiyskiy_park_hu_59429c3280168337.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/10/1236.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","ivs","elderly"],"title":"There is a mass raid on Jehovah's Witnesses in Sochi. At Least Two Believers Detained","type":"news"},{"body":"Armed security officers conduct a record 36 searches in a single day, from the Lazarevskoye neighborhood to the village of Krasnaya Polyana in the mountains and the village of Veseloye near the border with Abkhazia. During the searches, 68-year-old Nikolai Kuzichkin and 45-year-old Vyacheslav Popov were detained.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kuzichkin and Popov in Sochi","date":"2019-10-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sochi.html#20191010","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["search","sizo","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On October 3, 2019, a wave of searches and detentions on the basis of religious affiliation began in the city of Chekhov (Moscow Region). At the moment, it is known that Zinaida Krutyakova, Konstantin Zherebtsov, Vitaly Nikiforov and Nikolai Yakovlev were sent under house arrest.\nThe measure of restraint against believers was chosen by the Babushkinsky District Court of Moscow on October 4, 2019. All four are accused of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. The believers intend to appeal against the unfair decision of the court, according to which the peaceful practice of religion is equated with a serious crime.\nThe details of the incident are being established.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-10-08T12:00:04+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/10/1201/chehov_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_471890a0f4f0fcbb.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/10/1201/chehov_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_f32e540b24b31849.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/10/1201/chehov_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_1e8567944be359e7.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/10/1201/chehov_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_7b42fcc1b4aec27a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/10/1201.html","regions":["moscow_obl"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","house-arrest","elderly"],"title":"In Chekhov, Moscow region, searches and arrests for faith are taking place. Four are under house arrest","type":"news"},{"body":"Six more women aged 61 to 84 were charged with extremism in this case, namely Nadezhda Anoykina, Lyubov Galaktionova, Yelena Zaishchuk, Naila Kogai, Nina Purga, Raisa Usanova.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Osadchuk and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2019-10-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok3.html#20191001","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Pervomaisky District Judge Aleksey Zhizhin releases Korobeynikov and two other believers from house arrest, believing that they will not be able to interfere with the criminal proceedings.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Korobeynikov in Kirov","date":"2019-09-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirov4.html#20190930","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["house-arrest","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Krasnodar Territory initiates a criminal case for faith under Article 282.2 (1) against Nikolay Kuzichkin and Vyacheslav Popov.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kuzichkin and Popov in Sochi","date":"2019-09-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sochi.html#20190924","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On September 5, 2019, in Petrozavodsk (Karelia), FSB officers detained Mikhail Gordeev right at his workplace, suspecting him of professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. The man was searched, his tablet was seized and taken to the FSB department for interrogation.\nInvestigator Grigoriev provided Mikhail with a free lawyer. The interrogation lasted four hours. A criminal case was opened against the believer under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of extremist activity). He is suspected of \"continuing the activities of an extremist religious organization in the city of Petrozavodsk.\" He was placed under recognizance agreement.\nPersecution of residents of Karelia on religious grounds began at the end of July 2019, when mass searches were carried out in the homes of believers in two cities of the region. The authorities opened criminal cases against Aleksey Smelov, Maksim Amosov and Nikolay Leshchenko. These civilians are grieving unfair criminal prosecution.\nIn May 2017, a family of Jehovah's Witnesses from Karelia was awarded the Order of Parental Glory. Exemplary parents received the award from the hands of the head of state Vladimir Putin.\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-09-11T13:04:46+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/09/1138/depositphotos_75905113_7_hu_6a64f9d135eec814.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/09/1138/depositphotos_75905113_7.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/09/1138/depositphotos_75905113_7_hu_24524d05b7660509.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/09/1138/depositphotos_75905113_7_hu_da1a24ace5c1a016.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/09/1138.html","regions":["karelia"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation","282.2-1","recognizance-agreement","elderly"],"title":"A new criminal case for faith in Karelia. Mikhail Gordeev, 59, was detained at his workplace and placed on recognizance not to leave ","type":"news"},{"body":"Under the pretext of a \"population census\", senior investigator D. A. Shevchenko comes to the Filippovs' apartment and conducts a second search. Electronic devices were seized again. Due to the rude treatment of the authorities, Vladimir's wife, Lyubov, suffers a hypertensive crisis for the second time and is forced to call an ambulance.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Filippov in Razdolnoye","date":"2019-08-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volno-nadezhdinskoye3.html#20190815","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["search","elderly","health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On August 2, 2019, in the village of Nikolaevka (Krasnoyarsk Territory), masked and bulletproof security forces broke into the house of 77-year-old Lyubov Mirenyuk when she was alone at home and demanded that all available electronic devices be handed over. The reason is the religion of her grandson. The search warrant was signed by the judge of the Leninsky District Court of Krasnoyarsk, Artem Ginter. The only reason for such actions was that her grandson, who professes the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, was registered in the woman's house. Lyubov Mirenyuk herself does not share this faith. Subsequent events turned into a real nightmare for an elderly woman. In the afternoon, armed men climbed over the fence, broke into the house and began the search without identifying themselves or showing any documents. They threatened a long prison term for her grandson, saying that a criminal case had already been opened against him under the article \"extremism\". Lyubov refused to believe it, knowing that her grandson was a decent and law-abiding person. Lyubov Mirenyuk has poor health and has not gone out for a long time, he moves around the house with great difficulty. She was very frightened by the behavior of armed masked men. From the resulting stress, the pensioner had a dangerously high blood pressure. She did not receive any protocols from the authorities. The search was sanctioned as part of a criminal case against Andrey Stupnikov, which has been going on since July 3, 2018. He is accused of \"organizing the activities of an extremist organization\" (Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) for the sole reason of professing the religious views of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-08-08T14:56:26+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/08/1028/180603_tomsk_vylamyvayut_dver3352_0_0_1_0_0_hu_bd28e33c277bb2b8.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/08/1028/180603_tomsk_vylamyvayut_dver3352_0_0_1_0_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/08/1028/180603_tomsk_vylamyvayut_dver3352_0_0_1_0_0_hu_d1572ef7b17fa68e.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/08/1028/180603_tomsk_vylamyvayut_dver3352_0_0_1_0_0_hu_22af5852128c0969.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/08/1028.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","elderly","health-risk"],"title":"In the Krasnoyarsk Territory, a 77-year-old woman was subjected to an armed raid by security forces because of her grandson's religion ","type":"news"},{"body":"As part of the Stupnikov case, a search was authorized in the house of 77-year-old Lyubov Mirenyuk, who lives in the village of Nikolaevka (Krasnoyarsk Territory). The resolution is signed by the judge of the Leninsky District Court of Krasnoyarsk, Artem Ginter. The only reason for the search is that her grandson, who professes the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, is registered in the woman's house. Lyubov Mirenyuk herself does not share this faith. The woman has poor health, and she has not gone out for a long time, she moves around the house with great difficulty. Armed men climb over the fence, break into the house and start the search without introducing themselves or showing any documents. They are threatening a long prison sentence for her grandson.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stupnikov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2019-08-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk4.html#20190802","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["search","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On July 1, 2019, the Oktyabrsky District Court of Kirov seized Lydia Kachurina's apartment and garden, in case her 60-year-old son, Anatoliy Tokarev, was found guilty of extremism for being a Jehovah's Witness. An apartment and a plot will be needed to recover a large fine from him.\nThe investigation suspects Anatoly Tokarev of \"organizing ... including in his apartment... meetings\" of fellow believers, together with them he sang biblical songs and studied religious literature, \"the so-called \"Holy Scripture\" (Bible).\"\nIn May 2019, Anatoly's house was searched. When Anatoliy refused to cooperate with the investigation, the security services threatened problems for his family members.\nOn July 19, 2019, Anatoliy Tokarev was informed of the decision of Sergey Skorobogaty, a judge of the Oktyabrsky District Court of Kirov, who arrested his housing and land plot owned by Tokarev's elderly mother. On July 24, 2019, Anatoliy Tokarev appealed against the decision to seize property.\nTokarev and his mother are not the only Kirov residents who have faced problems because of their religion. After a series of searches in Kirov, criminal cases were opened against at least 11 Jehovah's Witnesses. Polish citizen Andrzej Oniszczuk has been held in pre-trial detention for more than 290 days. ","category":"property","date":"2019-07-29T00:00:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/07/999/gavel3_1_hu_dd3dd45786dc18d7.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/07/999/gavel3_1.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/07/999/gavel3_1_hu_729a12692809e9c9.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/07/999/gavel3_1_hu_a94a4b6f4208a6df.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/07/999.html","regions":["kirov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["belongings-arrest","elderly"],"title":"Law enforcement officers in Kirov plan to take away the only housing of an elderly woman as punishment for her faith","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 17, 2019, at 10:40 a.m., 6 people raided the apartment of 67-year-old pensioner Nadezhda Kurakina. Knocking on the door, they introduced themselves as social security workers. According to the hostess, the uninvited guests were representatives of law enforcement agencies (three majors and a captain), as well as two witnesses. They seized the elderly woman's personal paper notes and a tablet. ","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-07-22T12:02:49+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/07/991/190206_saransk532_0_0_0_0_hu_b2b238fd9050c1f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/07/991/190206_saransk532_0_0_0_0_hu_50f49b2cdada8266.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/07/991/190206_saransk532_0_0_0_0_hu_e2cbf28b0823aa9b.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/07/991/190206_saransk532_0_0_0_0_hu_4e28f1ef0dfc205f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/07/991.html","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","elderly"],"title":"Search of a peaceful believer in Krasnokamensk, Trans-Baikal Territory ","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 17 and 18, 2019, searches were conducted in the homes of 48-year-old Anton Vasyukov, 62-year-old Aleksey Okatyev and 63-year-old Yuriy Geraskov. The events are carried out within the framework of the criminal case of Anatoly Tokarev. In total, 3 identical cases against 11 Jehovah's Witnesses are being investigated in the city. Polish citizen Andrzej Oniszczuk has been held in pre-trial detention for more than 280 days. 6 men were charged with organizing the activities of an extremist organization in Kirov, 5 more remain in the status of suspects. Many believers are summoned for interrogations. Police officer Maslov from the Center for Countering Extremism, repeatedly comes to believers and knocks loudly on doors for a long time, causing confusion among neighbors. On at least one occasion, after Maslov's visit, believers discovered that a police officer with unknown intent had de-energized their apartment by opening the electricity meterboard.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-07-19T13:51:36+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/07/987/180603_tomsk_obysk2385_0_3_hu_549f00f62bea3577.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/07/987/180603_tomsk_obysk2385_0_3.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/07/987/180603_tomsk_obysk2385_0_3_hu_779f1164636ec93f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/07/987/180603_tomsk_obysk2385_0_3_hu_3f3b893e21f33e8c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/07/987.html","regions":["kirov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","elderly"],"title":"In Kirov, law enforcement officers conduct searches and exert pressure on believers ","type":"news"},{"body":"At about 6 a.m., police officers come to search Gevorg Gevorgyan's home. In addition to him, his wife and 86-year-old relative are in the apartment. Law enforcement officers seize electronic devices and documents from the Gevorgyan spouses. In the evening, police officers come again and seize the system unit.\n","caseTitle":"Gevorkyan case in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2019-07-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod8.html#20190717","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["search","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Tatyana Shamsheva, 42, and Olga Silaeva, 31, were arrested during mass searches conducted in the Bryansk region on June 11, 2019, in the homes of local Jehovah's Witnesses and their relatives. In total, in the city of Unecha, the city of Novozybkov, in the village. Klimovo and the village of Dobrik underwent 22 searches.\nIt is known that a criminal case has been initiated on charges of participation in the activities of an extremist organization (part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). After the searches, Tatyana Shamsheva and Olga Silaeva stopped communicating. On June 14, 2019, it became known that they were in SIZO-2 in the Bryansk region (in Novozybkov, 9 Red Square Street).\nSearches were also carried out in families with young children, as well as in the home of an 83-year-old woman. As part of this criminal case, the 23rd search also took place at Olga Silaeva's relatives in Moscow.\nA huge number of Russian and international figures and organizations unanimously condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. These include the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation, the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, the President of the Russian Federation, prominent public figures of Russia, the European Union External Action Service, observers of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. The Russian government has repeatedly stated that the decisions of the Russian courts on the liquidation and prohibition of organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually.\"\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-06-14T20:48:01+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/06/934/depositphotos_6406965_2_0_hu_e0562c8b0213ce16.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/06/934/depositphotos_6406965_2_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/06/934/depositphotos_6406965_2_0_hu_27a0d46fbb097af4.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/06/934/depositphotos_6406965_2_0_hu_402b6eeea6c9fe5a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/06/934.html","regions":["bryansk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","new-case","282.2-2","sizo","elderly","minors"],"title":"2 women believers were arrested in the Bryansk region. 22 searches carried out","type":"news"},{"body":"The First Investigation Department (based in Rostov-on-Don) of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation initiates criminal cases for faith under Part 2 of Article 282.2 against Olga Ganush (born in 1961), Lyudmila Ponomarenko (born in 1950) and Galina Parkova (born in 1970). According to the investigation, they participated in religious meetings, including religious services; provided living quarters for meetings; made donations; engaged in agitation among persons who are not followers of the religious teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses. The reason for initiating a criminal case against Lyudmila Ponomarenko is the report of the head of the CPE of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia Arthur Metzger. According to Mikhail Antipov, a senior investigator for especially important cases, the believer \"had the intent to participate in the activities of an extremist organization ... bringing to the attention of the population of Rostov-on-Don the content of religious literature.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ponomarenko in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2019-06-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don8.html#20190606","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"FSB officers are conducting a series of searches in at least 9 houses of residents of Sevastopol. Believers are not provided with copies of the court order for the search, the protocol of interrogation, the search of the premises is carried out without the presence of the owners of the apartments or their movement is prohibited. Security forces use force against a 91-year-old woman, threaten others with planting drugs, blackmail relatives, damage or break personal property, and prevent them from drinking water or going to the toilet for four hours.\n15 people, including Viktor Stashevskiy (born in 1966), become innocent victims of law enforcement officers. After the searches, he was detained and placed in a temporary detention facility.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stashevskiy in Sevastopol","date":"2019-06-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol.html#20190604","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["search","siloviks-violence","ivs","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"As of May 24, 2019, 43 women and 157 men across Russia are facing criminal prosecution in connection with the ban imposed on Jehovah's Witnesses organizations in 2017. Exactly half of the victims - 100 people - were sent to Russian prisons. There are 132 people in the status of \"accused\", 64 people as \"suspect\", 3 people as \"defendant\" and 1 person as \"convicted\" (sentenced to 6 years in prison). The following are the main facts and figures.\nAge. 34 people are over 60 years old, 8 people are over 70. The youngest of those who suffer for their faith is 19, the oldest is 85. Many have adult or minor children.\nActivities. All victims of criminal prosecution are ordinary working people, pensioners, entrepreneurs. Some work as drivers, builders, welders, among them there is at least one agronomist, hydrologist, miner, BelAZ driver, mining excavator driver, railroad worker, stove bricklayer, design engineer, poster artist, portrait photographer, system administrator, deputy general director of an energy company, systems engineer in a hospital, translator from Chinese and many others.\nChosen measure of restraint. 32 people are being held in prisons (the remaining 68 preventive measures have been mitigated), 25 people are under house arrest, 14 people are under a ban on certain actions, 74 people have been recognized not to leave, 4 people have given an obligation to appear. 2 people were taken into custody in absentia and are wanted.\nGeography of persecution for faith. Criminal cases for faith have been initiated in 38 regions of Russia, namely: Amur, Arkhangelsk, Belgorod, Volgograd, Ivanovo, Kemerovo, Kirov, Kostroma, Magadan, Murmansk, Novosibirsk, Omsk, Orenburg, Orel, Penza, Penza, Pskov, Rostov, Saratov, Sakhalin, Sverdlovsk, Smolensk, Tomsk, Ulyanovsk regions; Kamchatka, Krasnoyarsk, Perm, Primorsky, Stavropol, Khabarovsk Territories; the republics of Kabardino-Balkaria, Bashkortostan, Crimea, Mordovia, Sakha (Yakutia), Tatarstan, Khakassia; Jewish Autonomous Region and Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug.\nWho is not included in the statistics? This list does not include those who have been searched, who have been and are being monitored, who have eavesdropping or spying devices in their homes, but have not been charged. For 2 years, more than 430 searches have been carried out in the homes of believers in Russia. A search turns an innocent person's life into a nightmare, undermines his health, causes deep emotional trauma and casts a shadow on his reputation in the eyes of neighbors, employers and others. How people feel when they are raided and their loved ones are imprisoned is described in the videos \"Ruthless Searches and Arrests of Believers in Kirov\", \"Arrests of Believers Throughout Russia\" and \"Dzhankoy After the Raid: How Persecution Cripples the Lives of Believers\".\nThe two hundredth was Alexander Parkov, arrested for his faith during a special operation on May 22, 2019 in Rostov-on-Don.\nLaw enforcement officers inappropriately call the religion of citizens participation in the activities of an extremist organization. Prominent public figures of Russia, the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, the President of the Russian Federation, as well as international organizations - the foreign policy service of the European Union, observers of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights - drew attention to this problem . Jehovah's Witnesses have nothing to do with extremism and insist on their complete innocence. The Russian government has repeatedly stated that the decisions of the Russian courts on the liquidation and prohibition of organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually.\"\nThe actions of law enforcement agencies create all the prerequisites for the list of those persecuted for their faith to be replenished. Information about most of them can be found in the \"Prisoners of Conscience\" section of the Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia website.\n","category":"analytics","date":"2019-05-24T16:42:05+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/05/878/allprisoners_hu_878fbed835b39f97.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/05/878/allprisoners_hu_48a7d7515b29b313.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/05/878/allprisoners_hu_43cff652079fad39.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/05/878/allprisoners_hu_f1efda445330f4d6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/05/878.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["review","analytics","statistics","elderly","liberty-deprivation","house-arrest","recognizance-agreement","summon","prohibition-of-actions"],"title":"The number of Jehovah's Witnesses under criminal prosecution has reached 200","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 18, 2019, the judge of the Leninsky District Court of Smolensk, Lyudmila Kuzub, decided to detain two women for a period of 2 months: Tatyana Galkevich and 63-year-old Valentina Vladimirova. Prior to that, both were searched.\nAlthough Valentina Vladimirova was detained under the pretext of stealing from the prosecutor's house, during the interrogation the investigator immediately began to ask prepared questions about her religion. A case was opened against the women under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation in extremist activities). Then her house was searched, interrogated, and electronic devices were seized.\nSmolensk law enforcement officers, following their colleagues in other Russian cities, claim that peaceful believers are engaged in \"organizing extremist activities,\" while they only privately read the Bible and prayed. The Russian government confirmed that the decisions of the Russian courts \"do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice individually the above teachings [of Jehovah's Witnesses].\"\nVladimirova and Galkevich became the seventh and eighth defendants in criminal cases against Jehovah's Witnesses in Smolensk. At the end of April 2019, four believers were sent to the pre-trial detention center, and before that, Maria Troshina and Natalia Sorokina spent 191 days behind bars.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-05-22T15:57:38+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/05/867/depositphotos_6406965_2_hu_85b2da6747d8b2d0.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/05/867/depositphotos_6406965_2.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/05/867/depositphotos_6406965_2_hu_76b675d0f36704c2.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/05/867/depositphotos_6406965_2_hu_7c761acefff1ff48.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/05/867.html","regions":["smolensk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","sizo","elderly","new-case","282.2-2"],"title":"In Smolensk, two more women were sent to a pre-trial detention center for their faith","type":"news"},{"body":"Early in the morning, in the apartment of Lyudmila Ponomarenko, on the basis of a court order, a search is carried out under the direction of police major A. Y. Nikolaenko. During the search, law enforcement officers seized a mobile phone, a tablet, Bibles in various translations, as well as a Bible dictionary, a Bible reference book and a religious studies monograph.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ponomarenko in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2019-05-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don8.html#20190522","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["search","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court orders a search of the home of 70-year-old Lyudmila Ponomarenko.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ponomarenko in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2019-05-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don8.html#20190521","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["search","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the morning, FSB officers searched the house of another believer in Ulyanovsk, 62-year-old Ganin Alexander. After that, Aleksandr is arrested and taken to a temporary detention facility.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zelenskiy and Others in Ulyanovsk","date":"2019-05-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ulyanovsk.html#20190515","regions":["ulyanovsk"],"tags":["search","ivs","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior Investigator of the First Department for Investigation of Particularly Important Cases of the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee for the Volgograd Region, Senior Lieutenant of Justice Ignatov, initiates a criminal case under the article on participation in a banned organization (Article 282.2 (2)). At that time, 48-year-old Vyacheslav Osipov, 71-year-old Valentina Makhmadagaeva and 65-year-old Olga Medvedeva and a number of \"unidentified persons\" became innocent victims of law enforcement officers. They are accused of holding video conferences, discussing biblical thoughts, and singing songs with fellow believers. According to the investigator, this is the resumption of the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses organizations.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rogozin and Others in Volgograd","date":"2019-05-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volgograd.html#20190513","regions":["volgograd"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Arkhangelsk Region and the Nenets Autonomous Okrug initiates a criminal case for faith under Article 282.2 (2); According to the investigation, she continued the illegal activities of the banned local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses in Arkhangelsk. Innocent victims of law enforcement officers are: Mamykina Kaleria (born in 1941).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Mamykina in Arkhangelsk","date":"2019-05-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/arkhangelsk.html#20190507","regions":["arkhangelsk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Another criminal case under Article 282.2 (2) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation was initiated against 78-year-old Kaleria Mamykina. According to investigators, the pensioner allegedly continued the illegal activities of the banned local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses in Arkhangelsk.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yakku in Arkhangelsk","date":"2019-05-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/arkhangelsk2.html#20190507","regions":["arkhangelsk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On May 7, 2019, a criminal case was initiated against Kaleria Fedorovna Mamykina. The woman is accused of \"continuing the illegal activities of the banned local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses in Arkhangelsk.\" Investigators equated reading the Bible and talking about faith with acts with criminal intent.\nFor more than a year, the woman was under surveillance, during which sufficient information was collected, according to investigators, indicating the presence in the actions of Kaleria Fedorovna of signs of a crime under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Namely: participation in meetings of groups of possible participants in extremist activities at their place of residence.\nThe case is being investigated by the investigator for the investigation of especially important cases of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Arkhangelsk Region and the Nenets Autonomous Okrug R. Shagarov, who is in the rank of lieutenant colonel.\nRussian and foreign leaders and organizations unanimously condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. These include the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation, the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, the President of the Russian Federation, prominent public figures of Russia, the European Union External Action Service, observers of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. The Russian government has repeatedly stated that the decisions of the Russian courts on the liquidation and prohibition of organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually.\"\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-05-07T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/06/935/planting-062765_0_hu_79a2372c6640370c.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/06/935/planting-062765_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/06/935/planting-062765_0_hu_7ca561ad54752b0c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/06/935/planting-062765_0_hu_80d5cfff5ccdffee.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/06/935.html","regions":["arkhangelsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["elderly","new-case","282.2-2","hidden-surveillance"],"title":"A 78-year-old resident of Arkhangelsk is accused of inciting religious hatred with criminal intent","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 26, 2019, the Leninskiy District Court of Smolensk sent three local believers to jail - 36-year-old Ruslan Korolev, 41-year-old Valery Shalev and 60-year-old Viktor Malkov. On the eve of Smolensk, mass searches were once again carried out in the homes of citizens whom local law enforcement officers suspect of professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. A criminal case was opened under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The case is being investigated by the Investigative Department of the FSB of Russia in the Smolensk region.\nIn total, on April 25, 2019, about three searches took place in Smolensk. For example, Valery Shalev was detained by law enforcement officers near his place of work. He was taken home, where a search was conducted for 2 hours. After the search, he was placed in the temporary detention center of the Department of Internal Affairs in the Smolensk district.\nThis is at least the second such criminal case. The first became known on October 7, 2018, when the FSB, together with the Center for Counteracting Extremism and SOBR, conducted searches in the homes of believers and arrested two women , Natalia Sorokina and Maria Troshina, who had been behind bars for more than six months. Now that the women have been placed under house arrest, a new case has been opened and three more people have been sent to pre-trial detention.\nIt is noteworthy that on December 18, 2016 in Smolensk , about 15 armed riot policemen, investigators and police officers entered the building for worship of Jehovah's Witnesses on Pushkin Street when a service was held there with the participation of about 60 believers. Law enforcement officers purposefully entered the toilet and pretended to find a brochure included in the list of extremist materials. By that time, evidence had already accumulated that law enforcement officers and persons cooperating with them systematically planted prohibited items on believers.\nLaw enforcers mistakenly mistake citizens' religion for participation in the activities of an extremist organization. Prominent public figures of Russia, the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, the President of the Russian Federation, as well as international organizations - the foreign policy service of the European Union, observers of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights - drew attention to this problem . Jehovah's Witnesses have nothing to do with extremism and insist on their complete innocence. The Russian government has repeatedly stated that the decisions of the Russian courts on the liquidation and prohibition of organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually.\"\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-04-30T17:57:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/04/800/190426_smolensk_shalev2926_hu_506a72147cb0c795.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/04/800/190426_smolensk_shalev2926.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/04/800/190426_smolensk_shalev2926_hu_32e76f31e83a8039.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/04/800/190426_smolensk_shalev2926_hu_e031f79eee1e41c7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/04/800.html","regions":["smolensk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","sizo","elderly","ivs"],"title":"In Smolensk, three men were sent to a pre-trial detention center for 2 months for their faith","type":"news"},{"body":"The Leninskiy District Court of Smolensk is imprisoning three local believers, Ruslan Korolev, 36, Valery Shalev, 41, and Viktor Malkov, 60.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shalev and Others in Smolensk","date":"2019-04-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/smolensk2.html#20190426","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["sizo","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On April 19, 2019, FSB officers simultaneously invaded at least six homes of civilians whom the authorities suspect of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. It became known about the initiation of a criminal case against 64-year-old Alexander Seredkin, 44-year-old Valery Maletskov and 48-year-old Marina Chaplykina. On April 21, 2019, the Oktyabrsky District Court refused to allow the investigator to detain Seredkin and Maletskov. Instead, they chose a measure of restraint in the form of house arrest. Marina Chaplykina signed a recognizance not to leave.\nAleksandr Seredkin is charged under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation with organizing the activities of an extremist organization. According to the investigation, he \"organized meetings and led the reading and discussion of literature recognized as extremist.\" Valery Maletskov and Marina Chaplykina are charged under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation with participation in the activities of an extremist organization. The investigation believes that they assisted A. Seredkin. The case was initiated by the senior investigator for especially important cases of the Novosibirsk Region Directorate of the FSB of Russia, Lieutenant Colonel of Justice E.V. Selyunin. More than 70 people were interrogated in the case.\nSearches in the homes of believers followed a similar pattern. A loud knock on the door was heard at 20:45 in the house of Valery Maletskov, who lives with his wife and young child. Without waiting for an answer, the door was broken into. Shouting \"Stand, do not move, raise your hands!\" 5 people in camouflage, masks, with weapons and tools to break the door burst into the house. After that, 9 more people in civilian clothes immediately entered the house. They stated that the house would be searched by court order. The certificates were presented by police Lieutenant Colonel A.V. Pinaev and FSB Captain D.S. Maslyukov The operation was led by an FSB officer who refused to show the certificate. The search lasted until 3 a.m., during which they seized passports, phones, computer equipment and a CD with a recording of their wedding. After the search, the spouses were taken to the Federal Security Service of Russia Directorate for the Novosibirsk Region at 49 Kommunisticheskaya Street. There, at 5 a.m., their interrogation continued on video. After interrogation, Valeriy Maletskov was placed in an isolation ward. The man appealed to the investigator with a petition for the application of a preventive measure in the form of a written undertaking not to leave due to special circumstances (the only breadwinner in the family, works 2 jobs, in the care of a young child and a 72-year-old mother with a disability of group II). However, investigator Selyunin asked the court to send the man to jail, without even mentioning his petition in court.\nUpdate. In total, searches were carried out at 12 addresses of believers.\nIn the autumn of last year, a criminal case was opened in Novosibirsk against Yuri Savelyev, who is now in a pre-trial detention center.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-04-25T16:15:45+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/04/790/police-034407_0_2_2_hu_42becd24bf2d8182.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/04/790/police-034407_0_2_2.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/04/790/police-034407_0_2_2_hu_6dbb310585fb2375.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/04/790/police-034407_0_2_2_hu_bcdb50d982efface.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/04/790.html","regions":["novosibirsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation","new-case","house-arrest","elderly","282.2-1","282.2-2","ivs"],"title":"A new criminal case for faith is being opened in Novosibirsk, about 70 people have been interrogated","type":"news"},{"body":"In April 2019, in Novosibirsk and in the resort village of Inozemtsevo (Stavropol Territory), during searches in the homes of believers, books included in the list of extremist materials were planted on them. This practice was used by law enforcement officers across the country in 2016-2017 and abruptly stopped after the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to liquidate all communities of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nOn April 19, 2019, during a search in Novosibirsk, a believer noticed a book planted on him, included in the list of extremist materials.\nOn April 22, 2019, in Inozemtsevo, groups of law enforcement officers simultaneously invaded the workplace and house of 65-year-old Oleg Popadin. At work, a book and a digital disc were planted on him, and 5 more printed publications were planted at home to his wife. A search was also conducted in the believer's car. They seized phones and a computer hard drive. They asked questions about Jehovah's Witnesses, asked for the names of his fellow believers, tried to persuade him to cooperate, and hinted that the planted literature might or may not be used against him.\nAt the time of the Supreme Court decision, Jehovah's Witnesses were already aware of at least 60 plantings and falsifications. Illegal actions have repeatedly fallen into the lenses of surveillance cameras. Unscrupulous law enforcement officers, hoping to get a promotion, resort to falsifications, since there are no real violations of the law by Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-04-24T19:26:55+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/04/789/planting-062765_hu_d52197b91490f384.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/04/789/planting-062765.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/04/789/planting-062765_hu_cc13f1ee80b2f179.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/04/789/planting-062765_hu_bb0d3ca61a240253.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/04/789.html","regions":["stavropol","novosibirsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","plant","elderly"],"title":"New cases of planting prohibited items on believers ","type":"news"},{"body":"On the evening of April 19, 2019, in Novosibirsk, Partizansk (Primorsky Territory), Sharypov and Minusinsk (Krasnoyarsk Territory), groups of law enforcement officers came with searches to the apartments of citizens who are suspected of professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. 5 people were detained, two of them remain in the pre-trial detention center.\nIn Novosibirsk, FSB officers invaded 6 houses at the same time. It turned out that in the morning a new criminal case was opened in the city (not related to the Savelyev case). 64-year-old Aleksandr Seredkin, 44-year-old Valery Maletskov, as well as local resident Marina Chaplykina were detained. On April 21, the court refused to detain them, the men were placed under house arrest, and the investigator took a written undertaking not to leave the woman.\nIn Partizansk, from 20:30, a search was conducted for 5 hours in the house of an 80-year-old woman (during the search she needed emergency medical assistance). 8 representatives of the FSB and the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation came to her house. After the search, the women in the house were interrogated until the morning. An investigation team consisting of at least 4 investigators has been established. 44-year-old Irina Buglak was detained.\nIn Sharypov, religious literature was searched in at least 8 houses of local residents. Bibles (the Synodal Edition, as well as the Translation of Archimandrite Macarius), greeting cards, notebooks were seized. An investigation team consisting of more than 10 investigators has been established. 28-year-old Anton Ostapenko was detained.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-04-22T20:32:42+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/04/777/190215c_surgut557_hu_fcbaaf65925f1eeb.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/04/777/190215c_surgut557_hu_548a44b786682382.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/04/777/190215c_surgut557_hu_5e45601c68a67749.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/04/777/190215c_surgut557_hu_61dc344038af9f4d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/04/777.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk","primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","ivs","sizo","elderly"],"title":"On the evening of April 19, incursions against believers took place in 3 regions of Russia, 5 people were detained","type":"news"},{"body":"The Investigation Department of the FSB of Russia for the Novosibirsk Region is initiating a criminal case against three believers - Alexander Seredkin, Valery Maletskov and Marina Chaplykina.\nOn the same day, a series of searches of believers, including 67-year-old Tatyana Oliynyk, took place.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Oleynik in Novosibirsk","date":"2019-04-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk6.html#20190419","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["new-case","search","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lyudmila Shut, a 72-year-old believer, is being involved as a witness in a criminal case on extremism. The woman is interrogated right at her home.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shut in Razdolnoye","date":"2019-04-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volno-nadezhdinskoye2.html#20190419","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["interrogation","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"By April 15, 2019, Yuriy Savelyev, who had been languishing in jail for his faith for almost six months, had received 715 letters with words of support and small gifts. Australia, Austria, Belarus, Great Britain, Poland, Russia, USA, Ukraine, France are just some of the countries whose residents decided to support the 64-year-old believer from Novosibirsk. Fellow believers and simply caring people write him words of support and encouragement, and some even send small parcels, putting a chocolate bar or a postcard in them.\nThe neighbors in the cell are surprised by so many letters and do not stop asking Yuri questions. Especially surprising for them is that the letters come from people he does not know. People who visited Yuriy in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Novosibirsk region report that the flow of letters was a great encouragement for him and an occasion for interesting conversations. According to him, he is respected by his cellmates for his beliefs and dignified behavior, and they even protected him from unfair treatment.\nThis situation is also typical for other Russian Jehovah's Witnesses behind bars. They also reported a never-ending stream of letters. Despite the increasing number of criminal cases, the number of believers in pre-trial detention centers has recently been decreasing. At the moment it is 20 people.\n","category":"prison","date":"2019-04-18T17:02:59+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/04/776/web_image_savelyev_yuriy26312_hu_6340ce4170a1e2f7.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/04/776/web_image_savelyev_yuriy26312.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/04/776/web_image_savelyev_yuriy26312_hu_78e272225b6235fe.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/04/776/web_image_savelyev_yuriy26312_hu_1b24b1a52291e32a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/04/776.html","regions":["novosibirsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","letters","elderly"],"title":"Believers in pre-trial detention centers receive hundreds of letters of support from all over the world","type":"news"},{"body":"Yelena Zaishchuk and six other women aged 61 to 84, namely Nadezhda Anoykina, Lyubov Galaktionova, Naila Kogai, Nadezhda Anoykina, Nina Purga and Raisa Usanova, have been charged with extremism.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zayshchuk in Vladivostok","date":"2019-04-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok11.html#20190417","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["282.2-2","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On the evening of April 10, 2019, in Abakan, armed law enforcement officers in masks invaded the homes of at least two families of local residents who were suspected of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Late at night, at the end of the searches, 44-year-old Roman Baranovsky was detained.\nAccording to preliminary information, a criminal case was initiated against Roman Baranovsky under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (\"participation in the activities of a liquidated organization\"). His mother, who lives with him, was interrogated.\nLaw enforcers mistakenly mistake citizens' religion for participation in the activities of an extremist organization. Prominent public figures of Russia, the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, the President of the Russian Federation, as well as international organizations - the European Union External Action Service, observers of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights - drew attention to this problem. Jehovah's Witnesses have nothing to do with extremism and insist on their complete innocence. The Russian government has repeatedly stated that the decisions of the Russian courts on the liquidation and prohibition of organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually.\"\nUpdate. On April 10, 2019, a criminal case was initiated against Roman Baranovskiy and his mother, 68-year-old Valentina Baranovskaya, under Article 282.2 (1). As part of the case, on the basis of the investigator's order, a total of 4 searches were carried out, Bibles, personal records, electronic devices and various data carriers were seized.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-04-11T16:47:44+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/04/746/190206_saransk532_hu_b2b238fd9050c1f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/04/746/190206_saransk532_hu_50f49b2cdada8266.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/04/746/190206_saransk532_hu_e2cbf28b0823aa9b.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/04/746/190206_saransk532_hu_4e28f1ef0dfc205f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/04/746.html","regions":["khakassia"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","ivs","282.2-2","interrogation","elderly","families","282.2-1"],"title":"Searches and a Criminal Case for Faith in Khakassia","type":"news"},{"body":"On the morning of March 26, 2019, a wave of new searches began in the homes of citizens believed to be Jehovah's Witnesses in Kirov. It is known about searches in at least 10 places. Several people have been detained and interrogated are underway. The criminal case is being investigated against 58-year-old Alexander Shamov, 27-year-old Andrey Shchepin and 70-year-old Yevgeniy Udintsev.\nEarlier, in October 2018, after raids on the homes of believers in Kirov, 5 people were arrested and sent to a pre-trial detention center. Currently, three of them are under house arrest, and two have been languishing in prison for 169 days, including Polish citizen Andrzej Oniszczuk. The only basis for criminal prosecution is the religion of these citizens. (The Polish consulate is monitoring what is happening with Andrzej Oniszczuk.)\nLaw enforcers mistakenly mistake citizens' religion for participation in the activities of an extremist organization. Prominent public figures of Russia, the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, the President of the Russian Federation, as well as international organizations - the European Union External Action Service, observers of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights - drew attention to this problem. Jehovah's Witnesses have nothing to do with extremism and insist on their complete innocence. The Russian government has repeatedly stated that the decisions of the Russian courts on the liquidation and prohibition of organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually.\"\nUpdated. During the searches, Andrey Shchepin was detained. After 48 hours, he was released, and later, on March 29, on his own, without hiding from anyone, he came to court, which chose a measure of restraint for him in the form of a ban on certain actions. Alexander Shamov and Yevgeny Udintsev were released on the same day.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-03-26T18:38:43+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/03/689/depositphotos_75905113_6_hu_6a64f9d135eec814.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/03/689/depositphotos_75905113_6.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/03/689/depositphotos_75905113_6_hu_24524d05b7660509.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/03/689/depositphotos_75905113_6_hu_da1a24ace5c1a016.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/03/689.html","regions":["kirov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","elderly"],"title":"New searches and detentions in Kirov","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 19, 2019, the court ruled to send two believers from the village of Luchegorsk, Yuriy Belosludtsev and 63-year-old Sergey Sergeyev, who were detained during searches on March 17, 2019 and taken to Dalnerechensk, to a pre-trial detention center for 2 months.\nAccording to preliminary information, they should be held in the pre-trial detention center of Spassk-Dalny. As of March 21, 2019, 25 people are being held in various prisons for their faith, whom law enforcement officers consider to be followers of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Another 27 people are under house arrest.\nMeanwhile, a wave of criminal prosecutions for faith has moved along the Chinese border to the Amur region. On March 21, 2019, at least 5 searches were conducted in Zeya, and a criminal case was initiated.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-03-22T15:05:35+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/03/682/depositphotos_18573119_0_1_0_hu_ce161cf84821de70.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/03/682/depositphotos_18573119_0_1_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/03/682/depositphotos_18573119_0_1_0_hu_c1f484f057caff49.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/03/682/depositphotos_18573119_0_1_0_hu_6ce22198e65c04e3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/03/682.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","elderly"],"title":"In Primorye Territory, the court sent 2 believers to prison","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 13, 2019, in Severodvinsk (Arkhangelsk region), searches were carried out in at least 7 homes of citizens who are suspected of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. A criminal case has been initiated under the article \"organization of the activities of an extremist organization\". 61-year-old Vladimir Teterin and 37-year-old Sergey Potylitsyn were involved in the case as suspects. Vladimir Teterin signed a recognizance not to leave.\nThe searches were carried out by FSB investigators P. Yuriev, I. Kozodubov, I. Mironov and others. About 20 conscripts were involved as witnesses. The searches were authorized by the Severodvinsk City Court. Some of the believers were taken to Arkhangelsk, where they were interrogated at the FSB Directorate at 54 Troitsky Prospekt. After interrogations, which lasted until late at night, everyone was released.\nEarlier, on February 18, 2019, 39-year-old Yevgeny Yakku was arrested in Arkhangelsk on a similar charge. Later, the court chose a preventive measure for him in the form of a ban on certain actions.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-03-21T21:31:07+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/03/679/180603_tomsk_obysk2385_0_hu_a8f1ad2f7b12f143.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/03/679/180603_tomsk_obysk2385_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/03/679/180603_tomsk_obysk2385_0_hu_846a337fbfeccca8.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/03/679/180603_tomsk_obysk2385_0_hu_31bfeeb7737fc64b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/03/679.html","regions":["arkhangelsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation","elderly","282.2-1"],"title":"Searches and a Criminal Case for Faith in Severodvinsk","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 17, 2019, in the village of Luchegorsk (Primorye Territory), searches were carried out in the homes of citizens whom law enforcement officers consider to be Jehovah's Witnesses. The operation was carried out by FSB officers from Dalnerechensk, which is 80 kilometers away. In some places, searches and interrogations lasted for 7 hours. Two believers, Yuriy Belosludtsev and 63-year-old Sergey Sergeyev, were detained and taken to Dalnerechensk.\nIt is not yet known whether a criminal case has been opened and what is the fate of the detainees.\nThis operation took place against the backdrop of a lawsuit in Luchegorsk: the prosecutor's office is seeking to turn into state ownership the building in which Luchegorsk's Jehovah's Witnesses used to hold their services. The building was sold, the prosecutor's office is trying to invalidate the transaction.\nEarlier in Primorye Krai, four (!) criminal cases had already been initiated against Jehovah's Witnesses for their faith: in Vladivostok (2), Spassk-Dalny and the village of Volno-Nadezhdinsky. Six people were sent to jail, five of them were placed under house arrest. Five more are under recognizance not to leave. 44-year-old Dmitry Barmakin has been in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in Primorsky Krai for 235 days.\nLaw enforcers mistakenly mistake citizens' religion for participation in the activities of an extremist organization. Prominent public figures of Russia, the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, the President of the Russian Federation, as well as international organizations - the European Union External Action Service, observers of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights - drew attention to this problem. Jehovah's Witnesses have nothing to do with extremism and insist on their complete innocence. The Russian government has repeatedly stated that the decisions of the Russian courts on the liquidation and prohibition of organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually.\"\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-03-19T18:16:01+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/03/669/depositphotos_75905113_5_0_hu_da2a1ff34fb391a9.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/03/669/depositphotos_75905113_5_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/03/669/depositphotos_75905113_5_0_hu_69c366f149e3cbff.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/03/669/depositphotos_75905113_5_0_hu_5edd28c4666c6c0d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/03/669.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","elderly"],"title":"Searches and Detentions of Jehovah's Witnesses Near the Chinese Border","type":"news"},{"body":"In Severodvinsk, searches have been carried out since early morning at at least nine addresses: in the homes of Igor Shaman, Sergey Potylitsyn, Sergey Antropov, Oleg Vokhtomin, Vlad Shchegolkov, Viktor Kuznetsov, Alexander Okon, Oleg Novikov and Vladimir Teterin. At another address, the believer is not at home. 24-year-old Andrey Maksimovich is taken from his workplace, after interrogation he is brought home and searched in the presence of his wife and 3-year-old child.\nThe searches are carried out by FSB investigators P. Yuriev, I. Kozodubov, I. Mironov, D. Fedotov and others. About 20 conscripts were involved as witnesses. Believers report the seizure of equipment, personal records, information carriers, Bibles and religious literature; In some cases, operatives break down the doors. The searches were sanctioned by the Severodvinsk City Court.\nSergey Antropov, 34, Sergey Potylitsyn, 37, Vladimir Teterin, 61, Vlad Shchegolkov, 25, and Oleg Novikov, 44, are interrogated by the FSB in Arkhangelsk. There they are directly told that the goal of law enforcement officers is to stop the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses, but they do not object to each individually professing his faith.\nA criminal case has been opened under the article \"organization of the activities of an extremist organization\" (part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). The suspects are Vladimir Teterin and Sergey Potylitsyn (later another suspect is Andrei Maksimovich).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Teterin and Others in Severodvinsk","date":"2019-03-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/severodvinsk.html#20190313","regions":["arkhangelsk"],"tags":["search","new-case","282.2-1","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"V. S. Obukhov, investigator of the Investigative Department of the Federal Security Service of Russia in the Amur Region, initiates a criminal case for his faith under Article 282.2 (2) against 76-year-old Vasily Reznichenko.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Reznichenko in Zeya","date":"2019-03-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya.html#20190311","regions":["amur"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On March 1, 2019, the Supreme Court of Kabardino-Balkaria overturned the conviction of Arkada Hakobyan from Prokhladny. The proceedings were discontinued. The decision takes effect immediately.\nEarlier, the prosecutor asked for 3 years of suspended imprisonment for Arkadi Hakobyan. The Prokhladnensky District Court sentenced him to 120 hours of compulsory labor. In the meantime, an amendment was made to the Criminal Code, according to which Arkadya Hakobyan cannot be prosecuted under the article imputed to him (part 1 of article 282 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).\nFrom the very beginning, the believer insisted on his complete innocence.\n","category":"victory","date":"2019-03-01T20:26:48+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/03/651/web_image_2_arkadya_akopyan6942_0_hu_9445088a37f277a0.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/03/651/web_image_2_arkadya_akopyan6942_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/03/651/web_image_2_arkadya_akopyan6942_0_hu_3e2b93f37d96a915.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/03/651/web_image_2_arkadya_akopyan6942_0_hu_c77c8765bf62a7c6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/03/651.html","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["case-dismissed","282.2-1","elderly"],"title":"Arkadi Hakobyan's case has been dismissed, he is considered to have no criminal record","type":"news"},{"body":"The Supreme Court of Kabardino-Balkaria overturns the conviction. The case was dismissed. Arkady Hakobyan is considered not to have a criminal record.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Akopyan in Prokhladny","date":"2019-03-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokhladny.html#20190301","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["appeal","case-dismissed","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Supreme Court of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic has scheduled for March 1, 2019 the consideration of appeals against the sentence handed down to a 70-year-old Jehovah's Witness from Prokhladny. On December 27, 2018, the district court found Arkadya Hakobyan guilty under Part 1 of Article 282 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and sentenced him to 120 hours of compulsory labor.\nThree appeals were filed from Arkadi Hakobyan himself, as well as from his lawyers, asking for the cancellation of the verdict and full acquittal. There is no real evidence of Hakobyan's guilt in the case, so the verdict was appealed. In the past, all attempts to charge individual Jehovah's Witnesses under Article 282 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation were unsuccessful.\nIn addition, a request was submitted by the prosecutor with a request to cancel the sentence and terminate the proceedings in connection with the decriminalization of the criminal article.\nThe appeal hearing in the Supreme Court of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic will be held on March 1, 2019 at the address: Nalchik, st. Pacheva, 12.\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-02-14T17:00:20+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/02/614/akopyan4501_1_0_hu_8866f2d1d114b793.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/02/614/akopyan4501_1_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/02/614/akopyan4501_1_0_hu_5da8f0ebfcfd36bd.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/02/614/akopyan4501_1_0_hu_2b48f7ac915354d4.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/02/614.html","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","elderly"],"title":"Announcement: appeal in the case of Arkadi Hakobyan in Kabardino-Balkaria","type":"news"},{"body":"The Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug initiates a criminal case for faith under Part 1 and Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation against Sergey Loginov, Yevgeniy Fedin, Artur Severinchik, Yevgeniy Kayryak, Vyacheslav Boronos, Artem Kim, Aleksey Plekhov, Savely Gargalyk, Sergey Volosnikov, Igor Trifonov, Viktor Fefilov, Timofey Zhukov, Leonid Rysikov, Igor Kobotov, Vasily Burenescu, Yevgeny Kozak, Igor Petrov, Pavel Romashov and his wife Viola Shepel.\nThe investigation considers peaceful conversations of believers about the Bible and God with friends and other people to be illegal actions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Loginov and Others in Surgut","date":"2019-02-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/surgut.html#20190211","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","282.2-2","families","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug Stepan Tkach initiates a criminal case for faith under Part 1 and Part 2 of Article 282.2. Innocent victims of law enforcement officers are: Yevgeny Kozak, Artur Severinchik, Sergey Loginov, Evgeny Fedin, Yevgeny Kayryak, Vyacheslav Boronos, Artem Kim, Alexey Plekhov, Savely Gargalyk, Sergey Volosnikov, Igor Trifonov, Viktor Fefilov, Timofey Zhukov, Leonid Rysikov, Igor Kobotov, Grigory Ozhiganov, Pavel Romashov, Vasily Burenescu, Viola Shepel, Ilhom Aminzhanov, Igor Petrov.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Khorikov and Others in Surgut","date":"2019-02-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/surgut2.html#20190211","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","282.2-2","families","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On January 20, 2019, at least 11 searches were conducted in the homes of citizens suspected of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk and Nevelsk, as well as in the village of Nogliki. This is the first action of this kind after President Putin expressed dissatisfaction with the persecution of believers of this religion and promised to deal with it. The events began on Sunday morning at 11:10 in the village of Nogliki (Sakhalin region). Armed FSB officers stormed the apartment of Alexander Ryndin, where guests had gathered at home. The 47-year-old owner was punched in the face and knocked to the floor. The search in the apartment lasted 5 hours. Then Aleksandr Ryndin was taken to the FSB department for interrogation. His 14-year-old child was also questioned in the presence of witnesses, a teacher from his school and 2 special forces. His guests were also taken away to have their apartments searched. Electronic devices, books, photographs, and even a greeting card for the newlyweds with the inscription: \"Be an example in love and faithfulness to Jehovah and to each other\" were seized from citizens. Among others, two 80-year-old women were taken to the local FSB for interrogation. After searches and interrogations, everyone was released. A criminal case under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation was initiated on December 24, 2018 against 57-year-old Sergey Kulakov from Nevelsk. D. Melnikov, an investigator of the Sakhalin Oblast Directorate of the FSB, believes that in the fall of 2017, Sergey Kulakov \"led a religious group consisting of residents of Nevelsk professing the faith of Jehovah's Witnesses, provided material and other support for the group's activities, convened appropriate meetings, religion, ensured the performance of religious rites and ceremonies, taught religion and religious education.\" The judge of the Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk City Court, Galina Masterkova, to whom the FSB officer applied for a search warrant, considered that the above circumstances were enough to unleash persecution of innocent believers in her own city. The search warrants were signed by the judge on January 17, 2019.\nRussian law enforcement officers mistakenly mistake the joint religion of citizens for participation in the activities of an extremist organization. In addition to the president, prominent public figures of Russia, as well as the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, drew attention to this problem. Jehovah's Witnesses have nothing to do with extremism and insist on their complete innocence.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-01-23T10:58:44+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/01/576/180603_tomsk_vylamyvayut_dver3352_0_0_hu_b0187c3a24b39069.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/01/576/180603_tomsk_vylamyvayut_dver3352_0_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/01/576/180603_tomsk_vylamyvayut_dver3352_0_0_hu_a36c0190aeb22e7.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/01/576/180603_tomsk_vylamyvayut_dver3352_0_0_hu_7221ab41f2cc6311.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/01/576.html","regions":["sakhalin"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation","minors","elderly","new-case","282.2-1"],"title":"The FSB conducted a series of searches in the homes of believers on Sakhalin","type":"news"},{"body":"According to available data, in 2018, 269 searches were conducted throughout Russia in the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses. All searches are a direct consequence of the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to ban Jehovah's Witnesses. A search turns an innocent person's life into a nightmare, undermines his health, causes deep emotional trauma and casts a shadow on his reputation in the eyes of neighbors, employers and others.\nThe year 2018 began with 12 searches in the homes of believers in Kemerovo in January and 13 searches in Belgorod in February. In Belgorod, large groups of law enforcement officers knocked citizens to the floor, put them against the wall. Some searches were carried out in a rude form and were accompanied by offensive comments, Bibles, electronic devices, passports, money, even photographs hanging on the wall were seized from citizens.\nIn April 2018, 8 searches took place: 2 in Ufa, 4 in Polyarny (Murmansk region) and 2 in Vladivostok. In Polyarny, armed riot police officers acted extremely rudely. In one case, they broke down the door to an apartment and, at gunpoint, forced a man and his minor daughter at home to lie on the floor. Elsewhere, the commandos pushed an elderly man with such force that he fell, and, in addition, bruised two other women who were visiting him. The teenagers, siblings, were put against the wall and ordered to hold their arms outstretched.\nIn May 2018 , a total of 68 searches took place in the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses: 17 in Orenburg, 22 in Birobidzhan, 1 in Perm, 8 in Orel, 10 in Naberezhnye Chelny (Tatarstan), 6 in Shuya (Ivanovo region) and 4 in Magadan. In Shuya, during one of the searches, riot police officers put a gun to a man's head, although he did not offer any resistance, and forced him to lie on the floor for 15 minutes. In Birobidzhan, about 150 security officials simultaneously participated in a raid on Jehovah's Witnesses, code-named \"Judgment Day\".\nIn June 2018 , a total of 19 searches were conducted in the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses: 4 in Pskov, at least 2 in Tomsk, 7 in Saratov , and 8 in Lensk , Yakutia. In Pskov, law enforcement officers broke down doors, among the victims of searches were 2-year-old children and 80-year-old people.\nIn July 2018, 27 searches took place: 4 in Omsk, 4 in Penza, 2 in Razdolnoye (Primorsky Territory), 3 in Blagoveshchensk, in Berezovsky (Kemerovo Region), 2 in Kostroma, 1 in Nakhodka (Primorsky Territory) and 3 in Vilyuchinsk (Kamchatka Territory). In Omsk, masked security forces broke down the door of the apartment where the couple slept and, without making any demands, struck the man several blows to the head, as a result of which severe bleeding began. After a while, the man was picked up and forced to wipe the blood on the floor. In the village of Razdolnoye, armed masked law enforcers hit a 75-year-old landlord in the face during the assault and twisted his hands behind his back.\nIn August 2018 , 12 searches took place: at least 1 in Karpinsk (Sverdlovsk region), 4 in Khabarovsk, 3 in Spassk-Dalny (Primorsky Territory) and 4 in Yelizovo (Kamchatka Territory).\nIn September 2018, 13 searches took place: 6 in Perm and 7 in Kostroma.\nIn October 2018, 38 searches took place: 8 in Sychevka and Smolensk, 19 in Kirov and 11 in Dyurtyuli (Bashkortostan). In Smolensk, during a search, 2 women were arrested, who have been behind bars for about 100 days.\nIn November 2018 , 51 searches took place: 20 in Krasnoyarsk, 10 in Novosibirsk, 4 in Khabarovsk, 8 in Dzhankoy (Crimea), 5 in Nevinnomyssk (Stavropol Territory) and 4 in Spassk-Dalny (Primorsky Territory).\nIn December 2018, 8 searches took place: 1 in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and 7 in Neftekumsk (Stavropol Territory). In Neftekumsk, during a search, a woman was forced to fully undress in the presence of witnesses. In addition, a minor was subjected to a body search with exposure to his underwear. A woman with group II disability was not allowed to use the toilet for a long time. A young girl, in front of whom the search took place, cried with fear. Another woman required emergency medical attention after the search.\nIn addition to searches in homes, at least 57 other people were subjected to a personal search (an investigative action consisting in finding on the body of the searched person, in his clothes and shoes, as well as in his personal belongings objects relevant to the criminal case). The above number of home searches and personal searches is probably incomplete.\nHow do Jehovah's Witnesses who have been searched live? How do they feel when they are rounded up and their loved ones are imprisoned? They themselves talk about this in the videos \"Ruthless searches and arrests of believers in Kirov\", \"Arrests of believers throughout Russia\" and \"Dzhankoy after the raid: how persecution cripples the lives of believers\".\nA search is a significant restriction of a person's constitutional right to liberty and security of person, privacy, personal and family secrets, honor and good name. Concern about what is happening was expressed by the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation and personally by President Vladimir Putin. ","category":"analytics","date":"2019-01-15T19:20:37+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/01/563/180725_kostroma_vtorzhenie_istochnik_foto_tv_centr38042_1_hu_df155d9a524fa255.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/01/563/180725_kostroma_vtorzhenie_istochnik_foto_tv_centr38042_1.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/01/563/180725_kostroma_vtorzhenie_istochnik_foto_tv_centr38042_1_hu_6a9c3af324cb3f3d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/01/563/180725_kostroma_vtorzhenie_istochnik_foto_tv_centr38042_1_hu_bdd8e08f833ac9c1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/01/563.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","review","siloviks-violence","minors","health-risk","elderly","disability","personal-inspection"],"title":"Record 269 Searches of Jehovah's Witnesses' Homes in a Year (Review)","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 9, 2018, searches were conducted in several homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in Kirov. As a result, 5 people were arrested, including a Polish citizen. Their families tell the details of what happened and how they live now.\nNina Korobeynikova, a resident of Kirov, who has a disability, draws a postcard for her father Vladimir. For two months now, he and four other Jehovah's Witnesses have been in pre-trial detention. \"When I was little, my dad was my best friend,\" says Nina. We played together, talked, went fishing. And all my life I've always lived with my parents, and my dad was always there.\"\nGalina Khalturina, Maksim Khalturin's mother, recalls the details of that October morning when the raids took place. \"We were still sleeping, but Maxim was in the kitchen, he had breakfast, he goes to work early.- Then my husband and I woke up, I went out into the corridor and saw a lot of people. Maxim is facing the wall. Legs and arms are wide apart.\"\nAnd here is what happened in the house of Vladimir Korobeynikov. Says his wife Olga, who, due to illness, practically does not get out of bed: \"I tried to wake Volodya up, he quickly got up, approached, he was told: \"Open the door, we want to talk to you about God.\" And he said, \"I won't open it for you, and if you don't leave now, I'll just call the police.\" Well, that's when they say, \"We're already here.\" And they showed their crusts.\n\"We quickly got dressed, opened the door, and in a second the apartment was filled with men in black,\" says Svetlana, the wife of Yevgeny Suvorkov, \"I was just shocked. They flew into the apartment in an instant.\" Her relative Svetlana, the wife of Andrey Suvorkov, says: \"They behaved busily, they felt like masters in our apartment. This, too, of course, was unpleasant.\nAnna, who is married to Polish citizen Andrzej Oniszczuk, shares her feelings: \"For me, it was just a humiliation when people come to you and walk through your clean linen with dirty boots. When they start opening things, look in. They also look at us in such a way that we may have something wrong there. Yes, it was a shame, a humiliation, I was embarrassed in front of my neighbors, because they know us ... To be honest, I still try to put everything together in such a way that if they come again, I won't be ashamed.\"\nAs a result, 50-year-old Andrzej Oniszczuk, 65-year-old Vladimir Korobeynikov, 25-year-old Andrey Suvorkov, 40-year-old Yevgeny Suvorkov and 44-year-old Maxim Khalturin were sent to a pre-trial detention center. They are accused of organizing and financing extremist activities simply because of their religion.\n\"The exact time, 8:39, I remembered for the rest of my life,\" says the mother of Maxim Khalturin.- This is probably a long time I will not forget. At that time, Maksim was taken away from the apartment.\" \"I hoped that he would leave for two hours,\" admits Olga Korobeynikova.- But by the evening I already realized that he would not return. Not today, most likely, not tomorrow.\" \"When he left, it was like we said goodbye to him for two hours. He himself probably did not expect such a turn, \"says the wife of Andrei Suvorkov. \"When I began to collect food, the operative advised me to collect things,\" says Anna Onischuk.- And the investigator said: \"He doesn't need to collect anything, maybe I'll let him go today.\" The implication was that if he cooperated, I might let him go.\"\nUnfortunately, when deciding on the measure of restraint, the court did not take into account the difficult family situations of the accused. In particular, Maxim Khalturin's elderly parents have serious health problems. His father is completely dependent on his son's support and care. \"It's very hard for me without him. After all, I take care of my husband alone. And I'm 81 years old,\" says Galina Khalturina.- My husband lost his speech and the right side. He couldn't talk, so these facial expressions, these tongue twisters, it had a very big effect on him and on his speech. And at least now he speaks a little, slowly. It's all the merit that Maxim helped him a lot.\"\nThe situation in the family of Vladimir Korobeynikov is no less difficult. His wife practically does not get up, and his daughter Nina is not able to provide her with the necessary support, since she herself is a disabled person of group I. She says: \"Sometimes mom needs immediate medical attention, and usually dad would call an ambulance and accompany her in the car, because only he knows in what position you can put it, how to lift it.\" Here is how his lawyer, Yegiazar Chernikov, comments on the situation: \"The court's decision looks blasphemous from the point of view of human relations, since the court's decision contradicts the basic principles of mercy in the administration of justice. It breaks my heart to see the situation of their families.\" \"When you see a 66-year-old pensioner who has lived a well-deserved life, or a middle-aged man who has sick relatives, of course, it causes only human sympathy,\" says Yevgeny Kokoulin, deputy chairman of the Vyatka Committee on Human Rights.\nRelatives of prisoners share that the incident seriously affected their own physical and emotional state. \"I couldn't sleep and eat for the first week at all,\" says Olga Korobeynikova.- When I just wake up, it's just pain. When no one is at home, no one at all, I allow myself to cry loudly, to pray out loud. Well, that is, this is no longer a prayer, this is a cry, this is a supplication. Andrey Suvorkov's wife Svetlana shares: \"I constantly think about Andrey, I constantly think about how he is now, what is happening to him, what he feels. I miss him very much, and I think he misses me too.\" Maksim Khalturin's mother Galina: \"I miss him very much. It's so hard for me without him! I don't know how I can wait for it? Valery Petrovich also misses his son. And when they took him away, he also had tears on his face.\"\nThe wives and close relatives of five imprisoned believers try to support each other. They get together, read letters from the pre-trial detention center, discuss the life of prisoners and share the latest news from behind barbed wire.\n\"I walk around the cell a lot, I can walk six steps, then back. You know, I love walking. I refuse to walk only in severe rain. I really like to walk, there is a larger area, you can walk in circles, and look at the sky through the lattice, breathe fresh air\" (from a letter from Yevgeny Suvorkov).\n\"Today they brought 60 letters, more than a kilogram. Letters, of course, have come before, but so many at once, for the first time\" (from a letter from Maxim Khalturin).\n\"How I miss you! Previously, it was enough for me to be aware that you were in the next room, and I could approach you at any time. And now I just need to get at least some news from you like air!\" (from a letter from Vladimir Korobeynikov).\n\"Life gives each of us black and white sketches, and they are not always beautiful. But we have felt-tip pens of all colors, and it's up to us to decide which ones to use. But how much wiser it is to paint life with bright colored felt-tip pens, then you will find a joyful heart. Look around, what colors the joyful God uses\" (from a letter from Andrei Suvorkov).\nThese women very much hope that law enforcement officers will come to their senses and stop the senseless persecution of their husbands, fathers and sons. Moreover, quite recently, the president of the country promised to look into this issue.\n\"And it is necessary, of course, to do what you propose - to analyze law enforcement practice. And if necessary, make some adjustments. [...] Jehovah's Witnesses are also Christians, and I also don't really understand why they should be persecuted. Therefore, we just need to analyze, we need to do it. I will talk to Vyacheslav Mikhailovich [Lebedev, Chairman of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation], and try to do it\" (from the transcript of Vladimir Putin's speech at a meeting of the Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights on December 11, 2018).\n\"I imagine that we will meet at home,\" says Nina Korobeynikova.- Mom will be able to get up for a while, all three of us will hug, and we will all cry.\nFortunately, this meeting did not have to wait long. On December 20, the Kirov Regional Court considered the believers' appeal and placed one of them, Vladimir Korobeynikov, under house arrest.\nFour more believers from Kirov still remain in the pre-trial detention center.\nAs of January 1, 2019, 25 Jehovah's Witnesses were detained in Russia.\n","category":"eyewitnesses","date":"2019-01-11T14:50:09+03:00","duration":"10:01","image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/01/561/kirov-01_0_hu_b57cd52a045ae343.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/01/561/kirov-01_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/01/561/kirov-01_0_hu_301e954397902dff.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/01/561/kirov-01_0_hu_4d2b80d1623d9f73.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/01/561.html","regions":["kirov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","ivs","elderly","disability","families","video"],"title":"Ruthless Searches and Arrests of Believers in Kirov","type":"video"},{"body":"To find Arkadya Akopovich Akopyan guilty under Part 1 of Article 282 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and sentenced to 120 hours of compulsory labor. This decision was announced on December 27, 2018 by Oleg Golovashko, a judge of the Prokhladnensky District Court. There is no real evidence of Hakobyan's guilt in the case, so the verdict will be appealed. In the past, all attempts to charge individual Jehovah's Witnesses under Article 282 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation were unsuccessful.\nThe court believed in an implausible accusation: five witnesses for the prosecution, who do not profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, unanimously admitted that they had massively distributed Jehovah's Witnesses brochures with signs of extremism on behalf of Arkadi Hakobyan. The court considered all other episodes to be unproven or insignificant.\n\"Jehovah's Witnesses never instruct strangers to distribute our liturgical literature,\" says Yaroslav Sivulsky of the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses. Finally, for some people who do not profess our religion to so unanimously undertake to spread the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses is something out of the realm of fantasy. We are deeply saddened by the stigma of a criminal that the judge imposed on an honest, decent person.\"\nIt is noteworthy that in 2018, Russia took steps to decriminalize Part 1 of Article 282 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation at the legislative level. Nevertheless, the court considered itself entitled to sentence a 70-year-old pensioner who worked all his life working as a tailor to punishment in the form of compulsory labor.\nEarlier, under Article 282 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, the authorities tried to accuse Jehovah's Witnesses in Gorno-Altaisk, Yoshkar-Ola, Sergiev Posad, and Chita. All the trials that came to a verdict under this article ended with the full acquittal of believers with the right to rehabilitation.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2018-12-27T17:33:28+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/12/555/akopyan4501_1_hu_af8261a98f0a6798.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/12/555/akopyan4501_1.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/12/555/akopyan4501_1_hu_9c9f383e5d85e2c1.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/12/555/akopyan4501_1_hu_8b1c150d1468922b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/12/555.html","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","labor","282.2-1","fabrications","elderly"],"title":"In Kabardino-Balkaria, a court convicted a peaceful believer","type":"news"},{"body":"Sergey and Zhanna Lungu have been married for two years. Although they look quite happy spouses, it is not easy for them to talk about what happened on November 15, 2018. As a result of those events, they lost a child.\nThat evening, in Dzhankoy (Crimea), one of the largest special operations in modern Russia was carried out against peaceful believers. Almost two hundred police, FSB and riot police officers were involved.\n\"I saw that there was a large crowd of employees in black masks near my gate,\" recalls Vladimir Bezhenar, \"They were crawling through my gate, and I got the impression that they were like snakes. I thought that if I didn't open the door first, they would start kicking us out, screaming and beating us. There were friends of mine in the house who were also in a state of shock.\"\nAmong his friends was Alexei Filatov. He tried to make a video recording of what was happening, but he was immediately twisted and taken to his home. It turned out that a large group of armed special forces soldiers was waiting for him at the gate, since the searches were taking place in the case against his father, Sergei Filatov. \"When I went in,\" says Sergey Filatov, \"I saw my son standing with his back to the refrigerator, he was handcuffed.\" Alexei says: \"I was handcuffed for about forty minutes before my parents arrived.\"\nMeanwhile, security forces invaded the house of 78-year-old Alexander Urs, whose name was not even mentioned in the search warrant. He painfully recalls how brutally law enforcement officers acted against him: \"I managed to take one step, I got here, he broke this arm for me, then this hand, he beats me on the legs: \"There, to the wall!\" And then I wanted to turn around and see what they were doing to my son, and he hit me back to the wall, and I hit my head. And it spreads my legs, I'm already more ... I have no strength, and I am already starting to fall, already on my knees. \"What are you doing? \"I'm going to be 80 years old, I'm resisting, or what, why are you wringing my hands out?\" And then let's search me again, from head to toe. Three times he walked over his hands, commanded: \"Hands up!\" I hold my hands up. Again: \"Hands up!\" and then he led me. His hands were brought back to me, and so, holding me back with his hands, he already led me into the house.\nThe unjustifiably harsh actions of the security forces led to the fact that some believers needed urgent medical attention. \"From what I saw, from what was happening in my house, my blood pressure began to rise,\" says Vladimir Bezhenar.- Then my left arm began to twist and my left leg began to go numb. His wife Lilia recalls: \"I see that Vova is getting worse and worse, worse and worse. They began to say that it was necessary to call an ambulance. I said: \"Of course, call an ambulance, of course!\"\" The ambulance team arrived and decided to urgently hospitalize Vladimir with a suspected stroke.\nIn the meantime, another medical team provided emergency assistance in the house of Mikhail and Lyubov Gozhan, where operatives also invaded. Lyubov had high blood pressure and a rapid heart rate, all accompanied by leg cramps. \"I felt that my blood pressure was rising, I was getting sick, I had a sting in my chest, everything was squeezing,\" says Lyubov Gozhan.- The doctor asked what was the reason for my high pulse. I say, \"Stress.\" He looked like that and said: \"Of course, from such stress and there will not be such a pulse.\"\nThe searches, which began simultaneously in 8 houses of believers, continued until late at night. Electronic devices, personal records, letters and photographs were seized.\n\"When they took me out of the house, I thought they were taking me to a pre-trial detention center, I saw correspondents with the Vesti 24 logo near my yard,\" recalls Sergey Filatov. Later, footage circulated on the air and information networks in which journalists shouted: \"Just a few words, what happened? They say that you are a sectarian. Sergey says: \"I did not answer a single word, because I understood that everything I said could be distorted and then presented incorrectly.\" The news anchor also told viewers: \"Extremist literature was found in his house, as well as manuals on psychology and recruitment.\" It wasn't true. \"Such materials were not seized during the search,\" says Sergey.- False information was given in order to highlight me, my family and my friends in a bad light. They snatched up angles that showed me in an awkward position: as if I was sitting and feeling guilty, but at the moment I was praying to Jehovah that he would give me the strength to endure it all.\"\nAfter a short conversation with the investigator, Sergey Filatov was released on his own recognizance. He was charged with \"continuing the activities of an extremist organization.\" \"In the car, I was offered cooperation,\" says Sergey.- \"I need information: all my accomplices, all my appearances, all my meetings.\" To which I refused, so they brought charges and now I am the accused.\"\nAt about the same time, law enforcement officers entered the house of Sergei and Zhanna Lungu, who were mentioned at the very beginning. There were no owners of the house. When they returned the next morning, they found obvious traces of a search. \"I saw that the door was broken into. When I go in, I see what is trampled. I also see that everything seems to be in place, but then, as we discovered, our tablet disappeared, \"says Sergey. The couple decided not to stay in the house, but to go to Zhanna's parents in Yalta. On the way, Jeanne got worse and worse, she complained of pain. They wanted to tell their parents the news of the pregnancy. \"But the very next day it turns out that I take her to the hospital, to gynecology,\" says Sergey. A day later, it became finally clear that they had lost a child. \"As soon as I was told on the ultrasound that that's it, there is no child, I have a tantrum. I couldn't even call Seryozha and tell him about it.\"\nBelievers hope that law enforcement officers will have the courage not to resort to concealing the tragedy and that, going to the next search of peaceful believers, they will at least not lose human face while doing their job.\n\"They took us ... how they take criminals, armed. We jumped over the fence. Wouldn't we have opened it if we had been told: 'Police!' but instead to break in so hard..,\" says Victor Ursu. His elderly father shows abrasions and bruises left over from the brutal actions of the security forces. But these wounds, he assures, are nothing compared to the emotional experiences and humiliations that he and his friends had to endure. \"This, one might say, is lawlessness,\" he says, \"Wringing your hands, searching. It's such a humiliation.\"\n\"Life in our family began to divide into before and after,\" admits Vladimir Bezhenar.- All in the aggregate: the feelings that we experienced that evening, the humiliation - moral, physical and much more.\nMany of those who were searched in Dzhankoy know from childhood what persecution for faith is. But, according to them, they have never faced such ill-treatment. \"There has never been such treatment,\" says Alexandru Ursu, \"neither in childhood, when they were evicted, nor when there were still searches , nor when they were summoned and talked.\" \"No one allowed himself, for example, to wring his hands, to beat his legs,\" adds his son Victor. \"No one climbed over the gate, no one surrounded the house, there were no people with such weapons,\" says Lilia Bejenari.\nBelievers still try to find the positive. \"Some people met us and said: 'We pray for your family,'\" says Lilia Bezhenari. People understood that... Well, you can't do that to us, we're not the same people! What have we done wrong?\"\nEven the country's president called the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses \"complete nonsense\" and promised to look into the matter. \"Regarding Jehovah's Witnesses. [...] Of course, this is sheer nonsense, we must look into it carefully, and I agree with you on this. [...] Jehovah's Witnesses are also Christians, and I also don't really understand why they should be persecuted\" (from the transcript of Vladimir Putin's speech at a meeting of the Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights on December 11, 2018).\nIn the meantime, Sergey Filatov, a father of four, is forced to travel to Simferopol for interrogations every week. \"I'm worried about my family, about my children, because I don't know what to expect next from law enforcement officers, because they have already stigmatized me as a criminal.\"\nThe day after the searches, Vladimir Bezhenar was transferred to inpatient treatment. Fortunately, his suspicions of a stroke were not confirmed. \"I don't know when we'll recover from this condition,\" says his wife, \"and he's on such serious pills that help him calm down a little.\"\nLyubov Gozhan still takes drugs that normalize blood pressure, and can not sleep without sedatives, as well as other victims. \"It was a lot of stress for me,\" she says, \"I couldn't sleep for several nights. For me, it was scary when the evening came.\nSergey and Zhanna really hope that they will definitely have a baby.\n","category":"eyewitnesses","date":"2018-12-27T13:29:03+03:00","duration":"10:33","image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/12/554/djankoy_size750x375_hu_bd863411b18d6c81.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/12/554/djankoy_size750x375.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/12/554/djankoy_size750x375_hu_3d9da09c1f3500ee.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/12/554/djankoy_size750x375_hu_78f35dd1134cdb29.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/12/554.html","regions":["crimea"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","health-risk","minors","elderly","fabrications","recognizance-agreement","siloviks-violence"],"title":"Dzhankoy after the raid: how persecution cripples the lives of believers ","type":"video"},{"body":"Judge Oleg Golovashko finds the believer guilty and sentences the 70-year-old pensioner to 120 hours of compulsory labor.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Akopyan in Prokhladny","date":"2018-12-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokhladny.html#20181227","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["sentence","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Some cases of violation of the rights of believers that occurred in 2018 are published.\nOn January 21, 2018 , in Ilovaisk, two men disrupted a worship meeting of Jehovah's Witnesses. They knocked down a stand with a microphone, took away a smartphone and a tablet from two believers, and then beat several participants in the meeting, including a woman. The attackers threatened physical violence, said they were authorized to do so by the \"central church,\" and accused Jehovah's Witnesses of \"destroying the Orthodox faith.\" Children witnessed what was happening, they were very frightened. The believers called the police. The DPR security forces who arrived interviewed those present and promised to check whether Jehovah's Witnesses were a banned organization. The believers also tried to submit an application to the military commandant's office, but the document was not accepted there.\nOn February 22, 2018, in the village of United (Makiivka), a man beat up two women who were talking to people about the Bible. At the same time, the man insulted believers and threatened them with murder. One of the victims was a 60-year-old woman.\nOn March 19, 2018 , in the village of Bulavinskoye, unknown persons broke the window of the Kingdom Hall, entered and set fire. Several benches were burned, traces of autopsy attempts remained on the metal safe. Burnt matches, the contents of a first-aid kit and household chemicals were scattered throughout the room. Some of the equipment disappeared from the building. The arsonists left a note to the believers: \"You have 200,000 rubles and everything will be fine.\" Thefts have already been committed in this building - in October 2017. Then the DPR police refused to initiate a criminal case.\nOn April 12, 2018, in the village of Nizhnyaya Krynka, the DPR security forces came to the home of a 61-year-old local resident, Olga A. (not her real name). One of the employees hit an elderly woman in the kidney area. They took her phone, keys to the apartment and took her away for interrogation to the local police station. At the police station, the woman was insulted and beaten, and a gas mask was put on her to get a confession of theft (allegedly during a conversation on biblical topics, Olga stole money from one of the local residents). Olga was kept in the department for a day without food. The woman was released only after her acquaintances saw her through the window of the police station. At home, Olga discovered the loss of several tens of thousands of rubles that her relatives had previously sent her. According to those who have known Olga for many years, she has an impeccable reputation. Olga herself claims that she never talked with the allegedly robbed woman.\nOn September 5, 2018, in Shakhtersk, against the backdrop of a trial to ban the organization of Jehovah's Witnesses, the DPR security forces summoned one of the believers for questioning about religious activities. Dmitry B. was summoned by phone, the caller introduced himself as a police officer and threatened with riot police in case of refusal to voluntarily appear. Dmitry B. arrived at the police station. He refused to talk about his religious activities, referring to Article 44 of the DPR Constitution, which allows him not to testify against himself. A high-ranking police officer tried to search him and convince him that he was misinterpreting the provisions of the Constitution. Dmitriy was kept in the police station for about 3 hours, after which he was released.\nOn December 19, 2018, in Snezhnoye, a group of 10 people, including presumably administrative staff, entered the Kingdom Hall and sealed all doors and windows.\"\n","category":"analytics","date":"2018-12-25T15:47:36+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/12/553/gorlovka_dnr147_hu_e285b62cefa1f50b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/12/553/gorlovka_dnr147.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/12/553/gorlovka_dnr147_hu_7016476f0a1ba0bf.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/12/553/gorlovka_dnr147_hu_2d1b978261306fd.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/12/553.html","regions":["dnr"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["vandalism","meetings-disruption","review","siloviks-violence","minors","hatred-attacks","elderly","interrogation"],"title":"Violation of the rights of believers in a separate territory in the Donetsk region of Ukraine in 2018","type":"news"},{"body":"Arkada Hakobyan will be sentenced in the Prokhladnensky District Court on December 27, 2018. Earlier, on December 21, the arguments of the parties were held in his case, and he himself made the last word. The prosecutor asked for a 3-year suspended sentence. The believer insists on his complete innocence.\nA suspended sentence means that if during this period Arkadya Hakobyan is seen in something that the court regards as extremist activity or other crime, or failure to fulfill the imposed obligations (not to change his place of residence, to appear for registration, not to visit certain places), then the believer will go to the colony. Therefore, any conviction would be a substantial violation of human rights.\nArkadya Hakobyan was prosecuted under Part 1 of Article 282 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The prosecution relies on the testimony of witnesses that Arkady Hakobyan made a speech to fellow believers, in which he allegedly spoke derogatorily about representatives of other religions. The defense insists that Hakobyan did not make a speech at all on the specified day. The prosecution does not have an audio or video recording of Hakobyan's speech. It is also significant that the video recordings from the surveillance cameras were seized by law enforcement officers and destroyed. Moreover, there is evidence in the case that the witnesses were not present at the service on the day they indicated. Finally, the court-appointed psychological and linguistic examination of the testimonies came to the conclusion that there are no signs of propaganda of the inferiority of citizens in the words attributed to Arkada Hakobyan.\nLaw enforcement agencies had no complaints against Hakobyan until the security forces launched a campaign in Russia to harass Jehovah's Witnesses on the basis of far-fetched accusations.\nThe announcement of the verdict will begin on December 27, 2018 at 16:00 in the Prokhladnensky District Court at the address: Kabardino-Balkarian Republic, Prokhladny, K. Marx St., 36.\n","category":"trial","date":"2018-12-25T15:41:50+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/12/552/3148_hu_d2d7a352ce1e5044.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/12/552/3148.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/12/552/3148_hu_417dab788ed5454b.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/12/552/3148_hu_79bb46fdd5c45cf7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/12/552.html","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["elderly","282.2-1","prosecutor-request","suspended"],"title":"A 70-year-old believer is expected to be sentenced in Kabardino-Balkaria on December 27","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 21, 2018, the arguments of the parties in the case of 70-year-old Arkadi Hakobyan began in the Prokhladnensky District Court (Kabardino-Balkaria). He is charged under Part 1 of Article 282 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The prosecutor asked him for 3 years of suspended imprisonment with a probation period of 2 years.\nArkadia Hakobyan, a native of a small Armenian village in Azerbaijan, came to Kabardino-Balkaria with his wife and three children in 1988, fleeing ethnic violence caused by the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict. He met Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia in the early 90s, amazed at the fact that this religious group was alien to the ideas of interethnic hostility and violence.\nLaw enforcement agencies had no complaints against Hakobyan until the security forces launched a campaign in Russia to harass Jehovah's Witnesses on the basis of far-fetched accusations.\nArkady Hakobyan was accused of distributing banned literature, as well as inciting hatred. The accusations are based on the testimony of six witnesses who said they attended meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses and heard Hakobyan speak disrespectfully about Muslims and Orthodox priests.\nThe court examined the evidence of the parties for a year and a half. During the hearings, facts indicating the fabrication of the case were voiced.\nOne of them is the billing of witnesses' mobile phones. He pointed out that during the religious meetings, the prosecution witnesses not only did not attend services on many of the days declared, but were not even in the city of Prokhladny. In addition, the billing revealed a close relationship between witnesses and law enforcement officers, which casts doubt on the impartiality of the testimony.\nThe witnesses themselves became confused in their testimonies and could not describe the details of where and how Hakobyan \"committed the crime.\" It turned out that on the day when, according to the case file, Arkady Hakobyan expressed \"hatred or enmity\" against representatives of other religions from the stage, he did not speak at all at a meeting of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nArkadya Hakobyan denies the accusations and claims that he never saw prosecution witnesses at religious meetings until the day law enforcement officers came to the Kingdom Hall and banned literature was planted in the building. That day he saw for the first time one of these prosecution witnesses, who tried to smuggle banned literature into the building. Most of the prosecution witnesses he saw only in court or during investigative actions.\nAfter Arkadya Hakobyan delivers his last speech, the judge of the Prokhladnensky District Court will leave for sentencing.\n","category":"trial","date":"2018-12-21T12:31:16+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/12/547/akopyan4501_0_0_0_hu_8866f2d1d114b793.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/12/547/akopyan4501_0_0_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/12/547/akopyan4501_0_0_0_hu_5da8f0ebfcfd36bd.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/12/547/akopyan4501_0_0_0_hu_2b48f7ac915354d4.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/12/547.html","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["prosecutor-request","defense-arguments","elderly","fabrications","plant","suspended"],"title":"The prosecutor's office in the city of Prokhladny demanded a 3-year suspended sentence for the believer","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 25, 2018, in the city of Spassk-Dalny (Primorye Territory), five people were detained and sent to an isolation ward in the wake of searches in the homes of citizens suspected of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Two days later, 28-year-old Dmitry Malevan, 59-year-old Alexei Trofimov, 59-year-old Olga Panyuta and 66-year-old Olga Opaleva were placed under house arrest. One man was released without a preventive measure.\nIt is noteworthy that on November 13, 2 weeks before this happened in reality, the media, citing the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Primorsky Territory, disseminated information about the arrest of 5 believers. It was also reported that a criminal case was initiated under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of activities of an extremist organization).\nEarlier, in Spassk-Dalny, an FSB operation took place to disrupt a friendly meeting. On the evening of August 12, 2018, at least 17 FSB officers invaded rented premises on Krasnoznamennaya Street in Spassk-Dalny (Primorsky Territory), where a friendly meeting was taking place with the participation of 28 people. Phones and tablets were seized from those present. Until late at night, citizens were asked questions under the protocol, for example: was the name \"Jehovah\" pronounced at the meeting? Was the Bible read in the New World Translation? The basis for these actions was the decision to conduct a number of operational-search activities \"Inspection of premises, buildings, structures, terrain and vehicles\", which was issued on August 10, 2018 by the acting head of the Service in the village of Kamen-Rybolov of the FSB of Russia in the Primorsky Territory. As a result, the rented premises were searched, as well as the houses and cars of several citizens.\nThus, a total of at least four criminal cases have been initiated in the Primorye Territory against citizens who are suspected of professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. The case of Valentin Osadchuk is being investigated by the Investigative Department of the FSB of Russia in Vladivostok. The case of Dmitry Barmakin, who came to take care of his wife's sick mother, but instead ended up in a pre-trial detention center, is being investigated by the body of the Investigative Committee of Russia in the Pervorechensky district of Vladivostok. The case in the village of Razdolnoye (Primorsky Territory), during which a brutal military operation against civilians was carried out, is being investigated by the Investigative Department for the Nadezhdinsky District of the Investigative Committee of Russia. Law enforcement agencies across the country mistakenly interpret peaceful meetings of believers as \"extremist activity.\" Dozens of human rights defenders, as well as the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation , expressed concern about the growing religious repression.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2018-12-06T15:15:29+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/12/528/depositphotos_75905113_5_hu_653a5395002c1c7d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/12/528/depositphotos_75905113_5.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/12/528/depositphotos_75905113_5_hu_c77552a844af5927.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/12/528/depositphotos_75905113_5_hu_648de896c2bf7987.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/12/528.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","new-case","282.2-1","ivs","house-arrest","elderly","interrogation"],"title":"Primorye: Criminal Case and Arrests in Spassk-Dalniy","type":"news"},{"body":"More than 200 police and FSB officers were involved during the raid conducted on November 15, 2018 in the city of Dzhankoy (Crimea). That evening, FSB officers, with the support of the police, invaded at least 8 homes of local residents who are suspected of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. At least 25 law enforcement officers were thrown to storm each of the houses.\nA criminal case under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation was initiated against 46-year-old Sergey Filatov, a father of four children. More than 35 law enforcement officers drove up to his house in 3 minibuses, several official cars and a 50-seater bus, about half of them were special forces soldiers armed with pistols. Some cars were without license plates, some had visible numbers of the Rostov region. Sergey Filatov's house was searched, he was interrogated and released on his own recognizance.\nIt is known that the FSB of Russia in the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, the Center for Countering Extremism of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in the Republic of Crimea, and police officers from the regions of Russia participated in the military operation. According to media reports, law enforcement officers from Moscow also participated in the operation. CCTV footage shows that law enforcement officers, armed with devices for breaking doors, without knocking or ringing, put a ladder to the gate and entered households, knocking out doors.\nLaw enforcement officers acted rudely, allowing derogatory comments about believers. After the search, two citizens discovered the loss of cash savings - large sums of money. In another case, the loss of jewelry made of precious metal was discovered.\n78-year-old Alexander Urs had his hands twisted behind his back, because of which he fell. He was forcibly lifted and, turning his face to the wall, was pushed hard against the wall. From hitting the wall, a hematoma remained on his face. Many hematomas are also recorded on the legs. In Soviet times, Alexander Ursu was repressed for his faith, and was later rehabilitated. During the search, the 50-year-old believer's blood pressure rose, part of his face, torso and arm were paralyzed. An ambulance was called, the man was hospitalized with a microstroke.\nDuring the search, one of the women had high blood pressure and an ambulance was called. While medics treated the 53-year-old woman, law enforcement officers continued to search her home.\nOne of the men, returning home the next morning after interrogation, found a rout in his house. His 22-year-old wife was taken to the hospital. As a result of psychological trauma, she had a miscarriage. The young couple have no children and are grieving the tragedy.\nA criminal case under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation was initiated by the investigator of the Investigative Department of the FSB Directorate for the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, Lieutenant of Justice A. Chumakin. The investigation was entrusted to a team of investigators consisting of 11 people. According to investigators, Sergey Filatov continued the activities of the Jehovah's Witnesses organization, which was liquidated by the Supreme Court of Russia in 2017. This activity allegedly was expressed \"in holding meetings, religious speeches, as well as promoting the religious ideas of the said organization, using for these purposes the dwelling at the place of its registration and actual residence.\"\nThe Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights referred to such criminal cases in its appeal to the Prosecutor General's Office of Russia. \"Accusations of citizens that they read the Bible together and pray to God are interpreted as \"continuation of the activities of an extremist organization.\" The Council considers that such an interpretation is not consistent with the legal position of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation. There is a contradiction between the declared position of the Government of the Russian Federation and law enforcement practice. This cannot but cause concern, since criminal prosecutions and arrests have become systemic.\"\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2018-11-28T15:56:54+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/11/526/web_image_filatov_sergey_hu_b5de0e35d6c3221e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/11/526/web_image_filatov_sergey.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/11/526/web_image_filatov_sergey_hu_6f0aa8d47b3e2aef.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/11/526/web_image_filatov_sergey_hu_6dbab7a9213a6020.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/11/526.html","regions":["crimea"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","new-case","282.2-1","interrogation","recognizance-agreement","elderly","siloviks-violence","health-risk"],"title":"The Dzhankoy Searches Are the Largest Operation Against Believers in Recent Times","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 21, 2018, in Nevinnomyssk (Stavropol Territory), starting at 6 a.m., 9 searches were conducted in the homes of citizens who are suspected of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Computers and other electronic devices were seized from believers.\nDuring one of the searches, a man, a disabled person of group I, was detained. During another search, spouses with a one-year-old child were detained. The child was left in the care of one of the relatives. During the interrogation, the 77-year-old believer required emergency medical attention. All those who were detained for questioning were released. It is not known whether a criminal case has been opened and what the believers are suspected of. The searches in the homes of believers, which take place throughout Russia, were a direct consequence of the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of April 20, 2017, which imposed a ban on the activities of all registered legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses. The decision of the Supreme Court is appealed to the ECHR as a matter of priority. Meanwhile, dozens of human rights defenders, as well as the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, express concern about the growing religious repression.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2018-11-27T23:15:04+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/11/525/police-034407_0_5_hu_ce56a800d53ddbcf.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/11/525/police-034407_0_5.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/11/525/police-034407_0_5_hu_65f8c2fbb4a140ab.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/11/525/police-034407_0_5_hu_1bebc466b1b3f403.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/11/525.html","regions":["stavropol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation","disability","minors","elderly"],"title":"Mass Searches of Believers in Nevinnomyssk ","type":"news"},{"body":"The court chooses a measure of restraint in the form of house arrest for 28-year-old Dmitry Malevan, 59-year-old Alexei Trofimov, 59-year-old Olga Panyuta and 66-year-old Olga Opaleva. One man was released without a preventive measure.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malevaniy and Others in Spassk-Dalniy","date":"2018-11-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/spassk-dalny.html#20181127","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["house-arrest","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the FSB's November operation against Jehovah's Witnesses, 78-year-old Alexandr Ursu, who has a certificate of rehabilitation as a victim of political repression, was knocked down. In a 3-minute interview, he talks about the tragic events of the past, which are repeated in the present.\nAlexandru Ursu: \"It was July 6, 1949. I was nine and a half. It was still dark in the morning when we were woken up. When we broke in, we saw that they were military men. They came in and read out that they were evicting them to an eternal settlement. Two soldiers began to tear things from the walls that were on the walls, and put them together: take it, because it will be useful to you with you.\nWhile others were brought and put in a wagon, relatives from our village brought us something from food. Because there was almost nothing to take with us, we did not know that we would be evicted. There was no warning, it was all sudden.\nThere were already bunks in two floors in the car. We were accommodated on the ground floor. There is another family above, there were two old ones traveling with us. On the contrary, the other two families were in this car, it was a two-axle car. They had just had a little child, two or three months old. And most of it... There were cries because it was very hot. And the heat became when we were kept for hours somewhere on a station or in the steppe. And the air came only through a small window, through which even my head could hardly crawl to look. Then the brothers made a toilet. They cut a hole in the floor and made a screen so that they could go to the toilet.\nThere was always hunger. All the time - hunger and hunger.\nWe were taken to the border of the Kurgan and Tyumen regions. To the dead end, to the wilderness...\"\nNovember 15, 2018, Dzhankoy. The FSB, with the support of riot police, carried out brutal incursions into the homes of citizens suspected of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. A criminal case has been opened under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\nFSB officer: \"You don't need to shoot.\"\nUnknown voice: \"What's going on, please tell me?\"\nFSB officer: \"Some organization banned in Russia, sectarians. Investigative actions are underway, so please do not interfere.\"\nAs of November 19, 2018, 93 people across Russia are subjected to various forms of criminal prosecution on suspicion of professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. 47 people (including 2 EU citizens) were taken into custody. 25 people (including 3 women) remain in the pre-trial detention center. 23 people are under house arrest. More than 35 people are under recognizance not to leave. Most face 6 to 10 years in prison.\nPunitive authorities in modern Russia consider any worship of Jehovah as participation in the activities of an \"extremist organization\" (with reference to the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to liquidate all 396 registered organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses), while the Russian government officially declares that the decision of the Supreme Court \"does not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually.\" \"There is a contradiction between the declared position of the Government of the Russian Federation and law enforcement practice. This cannot but cause concern, since criminal prosecutions and arrests have become systemic,\" the Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights said in a statement .\n","category":"eyewitnesses","date":"2018-11-19T16:30:24+03:00","duration":"2:51","image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/11/518/dzhankoy_ursu_0_hu_ea4f6eaf1811531c.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/11/518/dzhankoy_ursu_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/11/518/dzhankoy_ursu_0_hu_333ab46b3afdd158.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/11/518/dzhankoy_ursu_0_hu_81bae446c486a118.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/11/518.html","regions":["crimea"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["video","elderly","siloviks-violence","deportation","ussr"],"title":"Crimea: the rehabilitated is again subjected to repression (video)","type":"video"},{"body":"78-year-old Alexander Petrovich Ursu, who was repressed for his faith and later recognized as an innocent victim, was pressed against the wall and fell to his knees, handcuffed. This happened on the evening of November 15, 2018 in the city of Dzhankoy (Crimea), where the FSB, with the support of riot police, carried out gross incursions into the homes of citizens who are suspected of professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. A criminal case under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation was initiated against a 46-year-old local resident Sergey Filatov. The arrests are not yet known, the handcuffs of Alexandr Ursu have been removed.\nThe Russian authorities in 2018 are repeating the tragic mistake made during the Stalinist period. Since the early 1930s, Alexandr Ursu's family has considered itself to be one of Jehovah's Witnesses. In the 1940s, his father, uncle and grandfather were sent to labor camps because of their religion. In 1947, with a serious injury, but alive, only his father returned. \"When I was nine years old, our family and hundreds of other Witnesses from Moldavia were exiled to Siberia,\" Alexander Ursu said in his autobiography, \"On July 6, 1949, we were loaded into cattle cars, and we traveled non-stop for 12 days. Having covered more than six thousand kilometers, we arrived at the Lebyazhye station. The local authorities were already waiting for us there. We were divided into small groups and immediately settled in different places. For our group, a small empty school became home. We were exhausted and depressed.\" Later, Alexandru Ursu was repeatedly subjected to various forms of pressure from the state security agencies, including searches in his house. On May 21, 1991, Alexandr Ursu was rehabilitated in accordance with the Decree \"On additional measures to restore justice for the victims of repressions that took place in the period of the 30-40s and early 50s\". Certificate of rehabilitation No. 23 was issued to him on 17 June 1991.\nPunitive authorities in modern Russia consider any worship of Jehovah as participation in the activities of an \"extremist organization\" (with reference to the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to liquidate all 396 registered organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses), while the Russian government officially declares that the decision of the Supreme Court \"does not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually.\" \"There is a contradiction between the declared position of the Government of the Russian Federation and law enforcement practice. This cannot but cause concern, since criminal prosecutions and arrests have become systemic,\" the Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights said in a statement .\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2018-11-16T16:42:57+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/11/517/ursu_aleksandr6523_hu_30ea99ca4c57141f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/11/517/ursu_aleksandr6523.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/11/517/ursu_aleksandr6523_hu_fd5ad98bffa38fe8.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/11/517/ursu_aleksandr6523_hu_be6f8619659dc747.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/11/517.html","regions":["crimea"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["elderly","siloviks-violence","deportation","ussr","new-case","282.2-1"],"title":"Crimea: A Believer, a Victim of Political Repression, Was Injured in a Force Operation","type":"news"},{"body":"Sergey's house is searched, during which officers seize documents. Along with this search, the security forces invaded the homes of 7 more families. 78-year-old Alexander Petrovich Ursu, previously repressed for his faith and recognized as an innocent victim, was pressed against the wall and fell to his knees, handcuffed. These searches become the largest operation against believers, as more than 200 police and FSB officers were involved in the raid. At least 25 law enforcement officers were thrown to storm each of the houses.\nOn the same day, Filatov was chosen a preventive measure in the form of a written undertaking not to leave the place.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Filatov in Dzhankoy","date":"2018-11-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dzhankoy.html#20181115","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["search","siloviks-violence","elderly","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On November 12, 2018, the Industrial District Court of Khabarovsk sent to jail 46-year-old Vitaly Zhuk, 48-year-old Nikolai Polevodov and 50-year-old Stanislav Kim, suspected of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. The arrests were preceded by an operation with the participation of riot police to capture citizens who had gathered in a café for a friendly non-religious meeting.\nOn November 10, 2018, a friendly meeting was held in a rented café in Khabarovsk, which was attended by about 55 people. The purpose of the meeting was to treat and entertain, it was not religious in nature. Half an hour after the start, at least 30 riot policemen led by FSB investigators suddenly invaded the building, breaking down the doors. The fighters dispersed around the perimeter of the room, ordered everyone to stay in their seats and forbade touching phones and tablets. After that, everyone who was in the café was interrogated (including minors), fingerprinted and photographed, and many had their tablets and phones seized. All this lasted 5 hours. Several men and a woman of retirement age were detained and taken away for searches. On November 12, 2018, Svetlana Telina, judge of the Industrial District Court of Khabarovsk, decided to arrest Vitaliy Zhuk for 2 months. Following him, Stanislav Kim and Nikolai Polevodov were sent to the pre-trial detention center.\nA criminal case under 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation was initiated on November 10, 2018 by the Investigative Directorate for the city of Khabarovsk of the Investigative Committee of the Khabarovsk Territory. Vitaliy Zhuk, Stanislav Kim and Nikolay Polevodov are prosecuted under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (\"organization of activities of an extremist community\"), and two women, one of them of retirement age, are prosecuted under Part 2 (\"participation in the activities of an extremist community\"). The proceedings in the case were entrusted to a group of 8 investigators, the investigator for especially important cases D. Shlenchak was appointed its head.\nEarlier, on August 2, 2018, the FSB of Russia in the Khabarovsk Territory conducted searches in at least 4 houses of Khabarovsk residents who are suspected of professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. 51-year-old Valery Moskalenko was sent to pre-trial detention center-1 in the Khabarovsk Territory. Law enforcement agencies across the country mistakenly interpret peaceful meetings of believers as \"extremist activity.\" Dozens of human rights activists, as well as the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation , express concern about the growing religious repression.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2018-11-13T16:53:48+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/11/514/police-034407_0_2_hu_ce56a800d53ddbcf.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/11/514/police-034407_0_2.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/11/514/police-034407_0_2_hu_65f8c2fbb4a140ab.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/11/514/police-034407_0_2_hu_1bebc466b1b3f403.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/11/514.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["leisure-disruption","sizo","interrogation","elderly","282.2-2"],"title":"In Khabarovsk, the disruption of a friendly meeting, searches and new arrests for faith","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 8, 2018, searches were conducted in Novosibirsk in at least 10 homes of civilians who were suspected of jointly practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. 64-year-old Yuriy Prokopievich Savelyev was arrested. By order of Maria Shishkina, judge of the Central District Court of Novosibirsk, he was sent to the pre-trial detention center until January 7, 2019.\nOperational activities were led by the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of Russia in the Novosibirsk Region. According to eyewitnesses, during the invasion of one of the apartments, where guests gathered at that time, law enforcement officers pointed the muzzle of a machine gun at civilians. In total, at least 19 people, including a young girl, suffered morally from the actions of law enforcement officers. During the searches, personal belongings were seized from citizens.\nThe events in Novosibirsk were a direct consequence of the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of April 20, 2017, which imposed a ban on the activities of all registered legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses. The decision of the Supreme Court is appealed to the ECHR as a matter of priority. Meanwhile, dozens of human rights defenders, as well as the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, express concern about the growing religious repression.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2018-11-12T22:30:22+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/11/513/signal-2018-11-12-1336136515_hu_80d0fed22570a3cf.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/11/513/signal-2018-11-12-1336136515.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/11/513/signal-2018-11-12-1336136515_hu_3c30e5c84758d2f1.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/11/513/signal-2018-11-12-1336136515_hu_3d28b4847767aa09.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/11/513.html","regions":["novosibirsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","elderly","sizo"],"title":"Mass Searches and a Criminal Case for Faith in Novosibirsk","type":"news"},{"body":"The Kirov Regional Court releases Vladimir Korobeynikov under house arrest due to the illness of his wife and daughter, who have no one to take care of.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Korobeynikov in Kirov","date":"2018-10-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirov4.html#20181020","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["house-arrest","elderly","disabled"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On October 9, 2018, in the city of Kirov, during a search in the house of pensioner Vladimir Bogomolov, who collects artifacts from the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945), investigators seized fragments of obviously incapable rusted shells. The man was searched because his 69-year-old wife (the only one of her entire family) professes the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. The woman does not share her husband's passion for antiques. Thus, the report that the ammunition was allegedly seized from Jehovah's Witnesses is not true.\nJehovah's Witnesses do not take up arms for reasons of conscience. For this position, they appeared before the tribunals of different countries and went to concentration camps. They will be grateful to the media for clarifying the misunderstanding.\nVladimir Bogomolov, from whom the relics were seized, in the past an active participant in the search movement (aimed at burying the remains of soldiers who died in the Great Patriotic War), the foreman of the search party. The activities of his detachment were written in the newspapers. On October 9, 2018, a criminal case was opened on the discovery of artifacts on illegal possession of weapons, it was separated into a separate proceeding. The items were sent for examination.\nThe criminal prosecution of peaceful believers, including searches and arrests of civilians in Kirov, was the result of a miscarriage of justice—the recognition of all registered Jehovah's Witnesses organizations in Russia as \"extremist.\" Believers will appeal this decision to the European Court of Human Rights. The Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation expresses concern about the growing religious repression.\n","category":"crime","date":"2018-10-12T19:19:13+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/10/489/depositphotos_215301272_hu_7791ab8045930c9e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/10/489/depositphotos_215301272.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/10/489/depositphotos_215301272_hu_2efdb7995b408ea.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/10/489/depositphotos_215301272_hu_c1cb72a2005071d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/10/489.html","regions":["kirov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","elderly","new-case","fabrications"],"title":"Jehovah's Witnesses have nothing to do with ammunition in Kirov","type":"news"},{"body":"The court decides to detain Korobeynikov and two of his co-religionists. A day earlier, two more were sent to the pre-trial detention center, the rest remain at large.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Korobeynikov in Kirov","date":"2018-10-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirov4.html#20181012","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["sizo","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On October 9, 2018, searches were carried out in Kirov in the homes of citizens accused of professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, as well as relatives who do not share their beliefs. 5 people were detained, including a foreigner. According to investigators, the question of the further measure of restraint for them should be decided on October 10-11, 2018.\nThe list of detainees includes 50-year-old Andrzej Oniszczuk (a citizen of the Republic of Poland living in Russia), 65-year-old Vladimir Korobeynikov, 25-year-old Andrey Suvorkov, 40-year-old Yevgeny Suvorkov and 44-year-old Maxim Khalturin. During searches in their homes, all electronic devices were seized. The investigating authorities searched not only believers, but also their relatives who do not profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nThe case was initiated by investigators of the Investigative Committee under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of activities of an extremist community) and Part 1 of Article 282.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (financing of extremist activities). The official report of the investigation states that the citizens \"organized meetings of followers and participants of this association in various apartments in compliance with the actions characteristic of this association, expressed in the joint singing of biblical songs, improving the skills of missionary activity, studying religious literature, the so-called \"Holy Scripture\" (Bible), which is included in the Federal List of Extremist Materials Containing Doctrine Jehovah's Witnesses.\"\nAs can be seen, this criminal case is a direct consequence of the decision of the Vyborg City Court to recognize as extremist material the translation of the Bible into modern Russian, which was seized at customs from Jehovah's Witnesses.\nAfter the Russian Supreme Court liquidated and declared all Jehovah's Witnesses organizations \"extremist\", law enforcement agencies throughout the country mistakenly interpret peaceful meetings of believers as \"extremist activity.\" Dozens of human rights activists, as well as the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation , express concern about the growing religious repression.\n","category":"org","date":"2018-10-10T15:31:08+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/10/486/depositphotos_21862193_1_hu_9b6f79324fac00f6.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/10/486/depositphotos_21862193_1.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/10/486/depositphotos_21862193_1_hu_cfdf709ec7304528.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/10/486/depositphotos_21862193_1_hu_9368c35e75cd3383.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/10/486.html","regions":["kirov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","ivs","elderly","families","new-case","282.2-1","282.3-1"],"title":"In Kirov, a new criminal case for faith and the arrest of 5 citizens, including a Polish citizen","type":"news"},{"body":"Searches are being conducted in the homes of believers, during which all electronic devices are seized, including those belonging to relatives who do not profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Vladimir Korobeynikov and four other believers were detained.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Korobeynikov in Kirov","date":"2018-10-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirov4.html#20181009","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["search","ivs","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Kirov Region initiates a criminal case for faith against seven Jehovah's Witnesses, including Vladimir Korobeynikov (born in 1952).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Korobeynikov in Kirov","date":"2018-10-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirov4.html#20181003","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["new-case","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigative Department of the FSB of Russia for the Perm Territory initiates a criminal case for faith under Article 282.2 (1); According to the investigation, together with others, he conducted worship services, which is interpreted as \"organizing the activities of an extremist organization\" (with reference to the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to liquidate all 396 registered organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses). Innocent victims of law enforcement officers are: Igor Turik (born in 1968), Viktor Kuchkov (born in 1967), Boris Burylov (born in 1941).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Turik and Others in Perm","date":"2018-09-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/perm2.html#20180907","regions":["perm"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On the morning of August 2, 2018, the FSB of Russia in the Khabarovsk Territory conducted searches in at least 4 houses of Khabarovsk residents who are suspected of professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. 51-year-old Valery Moskalenko was detained. According to preliminary data, on August 3, 2018, the court chose a measure of restraint in the form of detention.\nSome of the citizens who were searched were taken to the police station, where they were interviewed, fingerprinted and released. Others were sent to the FSB building, where they were interrogated by investigator V.S. Balakirev.\nDuring a search in the house of Valery Moskalenko, his 83-year-old mother, who had a pacemaker installed, became ill and an ambulance was called. At the end of the search, which lasted about 5 hours, Valeriy Moskalenko was taken away. According to the investigators, it is known that a case was opened against him under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation in the activities of an extremist organization). Law enforcement agencies across the country mistakenly interpret peaceful meetings of believers as \"extremist activity.\" Dozens of human rights activists, as well as the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation , express concern about the growing religious repression.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2018-08-03T17:18:54+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/08/379/depositphotos_21862193_hu_9b6f79324fac00f6.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/08/379/depositphotos_21862193.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/08/379/depositphotos_21862193_hu_cfdf709ec7304528.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/08/379/depositphotos_21862193_hu_9368c35e75cd3383.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/08/379.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","ivs","sizo","interrogation","elderly","health-risk","282.2-2","new-case"],"title":"A local resident was arrested in Khabarovsk for his faith","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 19, 2018, in the village of Razdolnoye (Primorsky Territory), armed masked law enforcement officers rudely broke into the homes of local residents who are suspected of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. During the assault, law enforcement officers hit the 75-year-old landlord in the face. Shouting: \"Lie down!\" his hands were twisted behind his back.\nWhen armed law enforcement officers broke into another apartment, there were at least seven people aged 70 or more, some of them disabled, together with the hostess. One woman had a seizure. An ambulance arrived at the scene and took the woman to intensive care.\nAmong others, investigators A.A. Sendzyuk and D.A. Shevchenko, FSB officer N.B. Belyaev, and Alexander Zhertovskoy, an employee of an unidentified law enforcement agency, participated in the operation against civilians. The case is being investigated by the Nadezhdinsky District Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee of Russia.\nDuring the searches, phones, tablets, computers were seized from citizens. The detained citizens were taken for interrogation to the village of Volno-Nadezhdinskoye (Primorsky Territory). The interrogation dragged on until late at night.\nThis is the third criminal case for faith in the Primorsky Territory. The first case, against Valentin Osadchuk, is being investigated by the Investigative Department of the FSB of Russia in Vladivostok. The second case, against Dmitry Barmakin (sent to the pre-trial detention center until September 27, 2018), is being investigated by the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Pervorechensky District of Vladivostok.\nCurrently, criminal prosecution for faith, accompanied by rough searches and arrests of law-abiding citizens, occurs in 7 of the 9 regions of the Far Eastern Federal District, namely: in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), in the Amur, Magadan and Jewish Autonomous Regions , Primorsky (3), Khabarovsk and the Kamchatka Territory. Law enforcers mistakenly mistake the joint religion of citizens for participation in an extremist organization. Prominent public figures of Russia, as well as the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, have already drawn attention to this problem.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2018-08-01T16:21:35+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/08/376/police-034407_0_0_hu_ce56a800d53ddbcf.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/08/376/police-034407_0_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/08/376/police-034407_0_0_hu_65f8c2fbb4a140ab.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/08/376/police-034407_0_0_hu_1bebc466b1b3f403.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/08/376.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","elderly","siloviks-violence","health-risk","disability","interrogation"],"title":"In Primorye Territory, the Third Criminal Case for Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"At 7 a.m., a group of armed masked men burst into the home of a 90-year-old woman who is visiting the Barmakins. The spouses were detained and taken to Vladivostok. Yelena was released, threatening that she \"will be next\" and \"will go under arrest after her husband.\" Dmitriy was charged under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of an extremist organization). Dmitry is suspected of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. He was prosecuted and detained for 48 hours.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Barmakin in Vladivostok","date":"2018-07-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok2.html#20180728","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["search","sizo","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A search is being conducted in Vladimir Filippov's apartment and garage with the use of brute physical force. During the assault, law enforcement officers hit 75-year-old Vladimir Filippov in the face. With a cry: \"Lie down!\" his hands are twisted behind his back. The search is conducted by investigator A. A. Sendzyuk. Bibles in various translations, personal publications and electronic equipment were seized. The process takes more than six hours, after which believers Vladimir and Lyubov Filippov, as well as their daughter, are taken for interrogation, which lasts until midnight.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Filippov in Razdolnoye","date":"2018-07-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volno-nadezhdinskoye3.html#20180719","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["search","siloviks-violence","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In June 2018, officers of the FSB of Russia in the Pskov region, with the support of the armed National Guard, conducted a series of searches in the homes of peaceful Pskov residents who are suspected of professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses and continuing the activities of a liquidated extremist organization. The searches were authorized by Judge Galina Belik, deputy chairman of the Pskov City Court.\nAt least 5 searches were conducted in the homes of believers on June 3, 2018. In some cases, law enforcement officers broke down the doors. Among the victims of the searches are 2-year-old children and 80-year-old people. Citizens were interrogated until late at night. At least three were taken to the FSB building for questioning. During the searches, law enforcement officers made caustic remarks in connection with the religion of citizens. Tablets and mobile phones were confiscated.\nThe case was initiated on May 31, 2018 against Gennadiy Shpakovsky and other unidentified persons under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. It is being investigated by the FSB of Russia in the Pskov region. The searches were carried out by FSB officers, including Sergey Bogodukhov, Ivan Kalita, Tigran Merzabasov, Irina Pravdivtseva, M. Shogenov. Gennady Shpakovsky was chosen as a preventive measure in the form of a written undertaking not to leave.\nThe Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights referred to this criminal case in its appeal to the Prosecutor General's Office of Russia. \"The accusations of citizens that they read the Bible together and pray to God are interpreted as \"continuation of the activities of an extremist organization,\" the appeal says. - The Council believes that such an interpretation does not correspond to the legal position of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation. There is a contradiction between the declared position of the Government of the Russian Federation and law enforcement practice. This cannot but cause concern, since criminal prosecutions and arrests have become systemic.\"\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2018-07-04T22:43:23+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/07/358/police-034407_0_6_0_hu_42becd24bf2d8182.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/07/358/police-034407_0_6_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/07/358/police-034407_0_6_0_hu_6dbb310585fb2375.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/07/358/police-034407_0_6_0_hu_bcdb50d982efface.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/07/358.html","regions":["pskov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","elderly","minors","presidential-council"],"title":"In June, the Pskov FSB conducted mass searches in the homes of believers","type":"news"},{"body":"On the morning of June 3, 2018, a raid was carried out in Tomsk on the basis of religious repression. The interrogations lasted until 2 a.m. Sergey Klimov, 48, was arrested and sent to a temporary detention facility.\nOn Sunday, at approximately 10:00 a.m., law enforcement officers, including special forces soldiers, invaded a number of houses where believers live. About 30 people were gathered on a bus and taken for interrogation to the Center for Countering Extremism. Among the detainees was an 83-year-old woman. It is known that during the day an ambulance came to the building where the interrogation was carried out several times, one person was hospitalized.\nSearches were carried out in homes and private cars. Phones, tablets, computers, Bibles, personal records, photos, money, bank cards were seized. Law enforcement officers refused to hand over the acts of seizure of things and copies of interrogation protocols. One of the detainees was intimidated by being expelled from the university. It is also reported that some of the investigators were clearly slandered. It is known that the case was initiated under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization and participation in the activities of an extremist organization). Russian law enforcement officers mistakenly mistake the joint religion of citizens for participation in an extremist organization.\nThe arrested Sergey Klimov is in the temporary detention facility for suspects and accused at the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia in the Tomsk Region at the address: Tomsk, Elizarov St. 46/4. The issue of choosing a preventive measure for him must be decided no later than June 5, 2018.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2018-06-04T18:17:29+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/06/339/180603_tomsk_vylamyvayut_dver5108_hu_1d0487a784ab1f1e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/06/339/180603_tomsk_vylamyvayut_dver5108.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/06/339/180603_tomsk_vylamyvayut_dver5108_hu_2e5f1e42bcd73c8b.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/06/339/180603_tomsk_vylamyvayut_dver5108_hu_ae5a7ac7097259e1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/06/339.html","regions":["tomsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation","ivs","elderly","282.2-1"],"title":"Raids and arrests in Tomsk ","type":"news"},{"body":"In Tomsk, raids on believers begin, a series of searches, detentions and arrests take place. Among the dozens of detainees is an 83-year-old woman, a minor, and an informant collaborating with the security forces, a man who pretends to be interested in the Bible and provoked believers to talk about religion.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klimov in Tomsk","date":"2018-06-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk.html#20180603","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["search","minors","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On May 27, 2018, in Naberezhnye Chelny (Tatarstan), law enforcement officers raided 10 apartments of local residents who are suspected of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Ilham Karimov, 37, Vladimir Myakushin, 30, and Konstantin Matrashov, 29, were arrested.\nSearches and interrogations in the homes of peaceful believers began on Sunday evening and continued until late at night. Law enforcement officers introduced themselves as employees of the Investigative Committee and the FSB. All electronic devices, mobile phones, and passports were seized from the believers, including 4 men, 10 women (including the elderly) and a child.\nIn the coming days, the issue of the measure of restraint for the detainees should be resolved. It became known that the criminal case was initiated under Parts 1 and 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization and participation in the activities of an extremist organization). Russian law enforcement officers mistakenly mistake the joint religion of citizens for participation in an extremist organization. This criminal prosecution is a direct consequence of the decision of the Supreme Court of Russia, which on April 20, 2017, liquidated and recognized as \"extremist\" 396 registered religious organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses throughout the country.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2018-05-30T00:41:13+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/05/332/police-034407_0_3_hu_ce56a800d53ddbcf.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/05/332/police-034407_0_3.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/05/332/police-034407_0_3_hu_65f8c2fbb4a140ab.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/05/332/police-034407_0_3_hu_1bebc466b1b3f403.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/05/332.html","regions":["tatarstan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","ivs","interrogation","elderly","minors","new-case","282.2-1","282.2-2"],"title":"Three believers arrested in Tatarstan after mass raids ","type":"news"},{"body":"As part of the criminal case, a series of searches are taking place in Vladivostok, during which FSB officers interrogate 83-year-old Yelena Zaishchuk, 66-year-old Nailya Kogay and 42-year-old Valentin Osadchuk. Law enforcement officers take a written undertaking not to leave the place from elderly women, and Osadchuk was detained for 48 hours.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zayshchuk in Vladivostok","date":"2018-04-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok11.html#20180419","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["search","recognizance-agreement","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"As part of the criminal case, a series of searches are taking place in Vladivostok, during which FSB officers interrogate 83-year-old Yelena Zaishchuk, 66-year-old Nailya Kogay and 42-year-old Valentin Osadchuk. Law enforcement officers take a written undertaking not to leave the place from elderly women, and Osadchuk was detained for 48 hours.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Osadchuk and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2018-04-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok3.html#20180419","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["search","elderly","interrogation","ivs","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the dock of the Prokhladnensky city court is 70-year-old Arkady Akopovich Hakobyan, who worked all his life with his own hands, fled to the city of Prokhladny (Kabardino-Balkaria) from ethnic violence on the territory of Azerbaijan. Arkadya Akopovich is a Jehovah's Witness by religion, which is why he is now being prosecuted under the article \"extremism\" (part 1 of article 282 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).\nThe accusation is based on the testimony of five prosecution witnesses who, not being followers of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, claim that they allegedly distributed Jehovah's Witnesses publications en masse on behalf of Hakobyan only after attending several religious meetings (which is implausible in itself). In addition, these people claim that during the service, Hakobyan gave a speech in which he criticized other religions. Earlier, Hakobyan appealed to the Investigative Committee of Russia with a request to bring these five witnesses to criminal responsibility for false testimony. However, his criminal complaint has not yet been properly vetted.\nThe court began consideration of the case on May 16, 2017. 9 volumes of the case were read out and prosecution witnesses were questioned. Due to the weakness of the evidence, the state prosecutor even involved as witnesses for the prosecution police officers who did not see the facts of the distribution of literature and did not attend religious services, but only participated in operational-search actions against believers. On January 10, 2018, the public prosecutor announced the completion of the presentation of evidence.\nOn January 11, 30 and 31, 2018, the defense presented its evidence to the court. Lawyers claim that there was no crime itself, that is, Hakobyan did not give the speech that the prosecution witnesses spoke about. Interestingly, the lawyers provided the court with information about the location of the mobile phones of the prosecution witnesses, and it turned out that none of them was even near the worship building on the specified day. In order to somehow justify themselves, prosecution witnesses falsely stated that believers \"were forbidden to bring mobile phones to worship services,\" so they \"did not take them with them.\" Naturally, the lawyers were also able to present evidence to the court that there is no ban on mobile phones, that believers brought phones with them to worship services and even broadcast a spiritual program for those who are sick. This served as additional evidence of perjury. In addition, the prosecution witnesses incorrectly named both the interior of the worship building and the composition of the religious groups in which the services were held. Finally, numerous testimonies were presented to the court that these citizens were not present at the service.\nSonya Hakobyan, the wife of the defendant, was questioned as a witness for the defense. Unlike Arkadi Akopovich, she is not a baptized Jehovah's Witness. Nevertheless, they have been happily married for about 40 years. Since becoming one of Jehovah's Witnesses 25 years ago, her husband has never forced her or her children to change their religion. All this does not correspond to the accusation of \"extremism\" brought against Hakobyan. Both the family and neighbors, including people of different nationalities, cultures and religions, respect Arkada, know him as a kind and sympathetic person.\nThe hearing of the case will continue in the Prokhladnensky City Court on February 20, 2018 at 10:00.\n","category":"trial","date":"2018-02-01T23:05:06+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/02/283/akopyan4501_0_hu_af8261a98f0a6798.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/02/283/akopyan4501_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/02/283/akopyan4501_0_hu_9c9f383e5d85e2c1.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/02/283/akopyan4501_0_hu_8b1c150d1468922b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/02/283.html","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["first-instance","elderly","fabrications"],"title":"In the Elbrus region, a peaceful respected person is being tried for his faith","type":"news"},{"body":"On Saturday, August 26, 2017, 18 citizens who were resting with children on the shore of the lake in the vicinity of the city of Neftekumsk (Stavropol Territory) were blocked by a detachment of armed police officers who arrived by bus and 5 cars. Police Lieutenant Colonel Ostrikov, who led the operation, stated that \"an anonymous call was received that Jehovah's Witnesses had gathered on the river, and they were banned.\" Under the threat of force, citizens were forced to enter a police bus and taken to the police station.\nMore than half of the detainees were children, the elderly and the disabled. For 3 hours, the police interrogated them, asking questions about their attitude to religion, and the children were interrogated despite the disagreement of their parents, without explaining their rights and obligations. The children were frightened and crying. Everyone, without exception, experienced severe stress. Some citizens noted in the interrogation record that they had experienced degrading treatment at the hands of the police. In particular, it was expressed in the fact that citizens were loaded into a dirty bus inside, they were not allowed to use the phone, they were escorted to the toilet, and they made sarcastic remarks during interrogation.\nIt is noteworthy that for several days before this event, the police went around the houses of these citizens, trying to establish their place of work, occupation, etc. Despite the absence of any signs of illegal actions, the police did not apologize to the citizens for the disrupted rest.\n","category":"from-the-scene","date":"2017-08-30T12:01:33+03:00","duration":"1:21","image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/08/210/lake-13629_hu_62d20daed5f064ed.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/08/210/lake-13629.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/08/210/lake-13629_hu_5bb23d84b6ac3a54.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/08/210/lake-13629_hu_682c30761f33453.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/08/210.html","regions":["stavropol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["elderly","disability","minors","interrogation","leisure-disruption"],"title":"In the Stavropol region, a police raid on citizens during a picnic","type":"video"},{"body":"Armed law enforcement officers detained 18 people who were resting on the shore of the lake in the vicinity of Neftekumsk. More than half of the detainees are children, the elderly and the disabled. The detainees were taken for interrogation - they were asked about their attitude to religion. The children were interrogated despite the protests of their parents. ","caseTitle":"Case of Samsonov and Others in Neftekumsk","date":"2017-08-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/neftekumsk.html#20170826","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["interrogation","minors","elderly","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It became known that on December 14, 2016, the criminal case against six Jehovah's Witnesses from Taganrog (Rostov Region) was terminated on rehabilitative grounds. This criminal case was an exact repetition of the sensational \"Case of Sixteen\", which has been heard in the courts for about four years and on which a guilty verdict was passed (at present, believers and their defenders are appealing it to the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation).\nBack in 2011, six believers, as well as sixteen, were caught praying and reading the Bible and regarded this as \"extremist activity\" on the grounds that the court had previously liquidated a legal entity - the local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses \"Taganrog\". The liquidation of the legal entity did not mean that believers were deprived of the right to freedom of religion. After many years, it became clear to the investigation that there was no corpus delicti in the actions of the accused. Now believers must return the Bibles and other personal property seized from them during searches in 2011, and two of the accused, 67-year-old spouses Vladimir and Svetlana Chesnokov, will also have to unblock their bank accounts, which contain their modest retirement savings.\n","category":"victory","date":"2017-01-12T15:15:04+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/01/85/vlcsnap-error168187_hu_e3ec16bd4226c43e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/01/85/vlcsnap-error168187.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/01/85/vlcsnap-error168187_hu_5de8072af56885d8.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/01/85/vlcsnap-error168187_hu_c0cb80a5676144c4.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/01/85.html","regions":["rostov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["case-dismissed","rosfinmonitoring","families","elderly","liquidation"],"title":"Criminal prosecution of six Taganrog Jehovah's Witnesses has been terminated","type":"news"},{"body":"On January 31, 2020, a criminal case was opened against Chekhov, a resident of Moscow Region. 66-year-old Stepan Adamov is accused of extremism.\nStepan was born in 1954 in Sverdlovsk. He has a younger sister, Maria.\nIn his youth, he was engaged in running, was fond of freestyle wrestling - he participated in district and regional competitions, and also worked as a coach. In addition, Stepan always liked to do housekeeping, in the summer he worked in the forestry. He graduated from the Velikoanadolsky Forest College, after which he worked as a forest master. He is now retired.\nStepan is a widower and has two children. He lived in Odessa, Tver, Moscow. He moved to Chekhov to support his children and be closer to his grandchildren. Stepan's son, Victor, is very worried about him.\nStepan shares that the criminal prosecution has changed all plans. Age and poor health impose their own difficulties. However, he tries not to lose heart and entrusts all his worries to the Creator.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/adamov/photo_hu_93ae66be57ff3a45.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/adamov/photo_hu_6d363da7843833aa.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/adamov/photo_hu_18ef1fc8f67a9d96.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/adamov/photo_hu_42da9beddb5a3dea.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/adamov.html","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Stepan Adamov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"The decision to become a Christian radically changed the life of Sergey Afanasiyev and his family: “It filled our lives with happiness and purpose,” he says. However, 20 years later, because of his beliefs, the peaceful believer became a victim of religious repression.\nSergey was born in April 1964 in the village of Horonkhoy (Buryatia). He has an older sister. When Sergey was 10 years old, his father died tragically, and his mother had to raise the children alone.\nAs a child, Sergey was fond of hockey, football and fishing. After school, he went to Blagoveshchensk and entered the river college. Later he gained construction skills and worked for about 15 years in a housebuilding factory.\nSergey met Irina in Blagoveshchensk and in 1984 they got married. The couple raised three children with Christian values. Two of them are adults and already have families of their own.\nSergey was concerned with spiritual questions for many years, but he found answers to them only in 1996, when he and Irina began studying the Bible thoroughly. They were glad to learn that the Holy Scriptures contain the name of God, and they also found useful advice on strengthening the family and raising children. In 1998, the Afanasiyevs became Christians. According to Sergey, Bible knowledge had a positive effect on him: “I began to devote more time to my family and children, and also to help other people”.\nIn their free time, the Afanasiyevs go to the forest to pick mushrooms, go fishing, go ice-skating and play volleyball. Sergey recently took up painting.\nAfter the searches in the summer of 2018, the life of the Afanasiyev family changed a lot. The criminal prosecution affected their emotional state and physical health. However, the family does not lose heart. Sergey says: “The prosecution dramatically changed our lives. At first we were anxious; there was some kind of uncertainty. But we were not frightened, because we understood that this could happen to anyone”.\nRelatives and colleagues are at a loss because of the unfair sentence handed down to this peaceful and exemplary family man—6.5 years in a penal colony only because of his religion. Sergey's daughter, Yekaterina, is also being prosecuted for her faith, and in December 2022 her husband, Anton, was sentenced along with his father-in-law to 6 years and 3 months imprisonment for his beliefs.\n","date":"2022-01-07","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/afanasiyev/photo_hu_12ecd44fd5938b64.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/afanasiyev/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/afanasiyev/photo_hu_4423263ffb80978a.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/afanasiyev/photo_hu_d15c2d7ee7ec1bf8.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/afanasiyev.html","regions":["amur"],"tags":["elderly","families","health-risk"],"title":"Sergey Afanasiyev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On March 20, 2019, searches and interrogations of citizens in connection with their Christian beliefs resumed in Magadan. Sergey Agadzhanov became a new defendant in the criminal case against believers in Magadan, who by this time had already become 13. The investigation believes that he participated in worship services. What is known about him?\nSergey was born in 1957 in the village of Pervomaisky, Luhansk region of Ukraine. He has a younger sister and two adult sons. As a child, he was fond of modeling, worked as a driver for more than twenty years. Now retired, but does not like to sit idly by - he is engaged in apartment repairs, goes to the gym to maintain good physical shape.\nOver the years, Sergey lived in Moscow, the Kaliningrad region and Yakutia. Recently he has been living in Magadan. In the 2000s, he was greatly impressed by the evidence that the Bible is God's Word.\nSergey's relatives cannot understand why a peaceful person is being prosecuted under criminal articles, although they understand that this is exactly what the Bible predicted.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/agadzhanov/photo_hu_e33cda49750c4b.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/agadzhanov/photo_hu_fb98fa043a488528.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/agadzhanov/photo_hu_7e9e228d51d3fb94.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/agadzhanov/photo_hu_a476c5d6f083eba.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/agadzhanov.html","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Sergey Agadzhanov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In December 2019, in Nevinnomyssk (Stavropol Territory), the Investigative Committee opened criminal cases against 9 believers. Charges of extremism were brought against elderly people, the eldest of whom is 89 years old. Among the accused is Evgenia Akhrameeva.\nEvgenia was born in November 1948 in the village of Novoalekseevskaya (Krasnodar Territory) in a family of rural workers. At school she studied excellently, was engaged in rhythmic gymnastics, performed at concerts together with the collective farm choir.\nShe graduated with honors from an agricultural technical school with a degree in animal husbandry. She worked by profession, and after moving with her husband to Nevinnomyssk, she got a job at a railway station. Having improved her qualifications, she took the position of a shunting dispatcher, and later became a station attendant.\nEvgenia became interested in the Bible in the 90s, while studying at a technical school. She was convinced of the truth of the biblical story about the Creator by the complex structure and diversity of living organisms. Even during her school years, she could not agree with the theory of evolution.\nIn 1998, Evgenia was widowed. She has 3 three children, 7 grandchildren and 1 great-grandchild. A special hobby is gardening.\nDuring the search, the 71-year-old believer experienced extreme stress. That morning she was lying with a high fever. The security forces, who broke into the house, lifted her out of bed, took her to the police and kept her there until three o'clock in the afternoon. The emotional shock exacerbated Evgenia's problems with memory and diabetes.\nChildren, grandchildren, friends and neighbors are very worried about Evgenia. It is difficult for them to understand why a good-natured elderly man was recorded as an extremist.\n","date":"2020-05-04","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/akhrameeva/photo_hu_afe863e16c839e2f.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/akhrameeva/photo_hu_1119884c14dbdd36.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/akhrameeva/photo_hu_aa15ddaea6ac1386.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/akhrameeva/photo_hu_e9002be667fdc10d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/akhrameeva.html","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["elderly","health-risk"],"title":"Evgeniya Akhrameeva","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Arkadya Hakobyan was born in 1948 in a small Armenian village in Azerbaijan. Parents worked on a viticultural collective farm, raised four sons. Arkadya unsuccessfully entered the Pedagogical Institute, but eventually began to work in a sewing studio, fell in love with tailoring and even completed correspondence studies at the Faculty of Modeling of the Baku Technical School.\nIn 1978, Arkadya married Sonya. Ten years later, an outbreak of ethnic violence in Azerbaijan forced him and his three children to move to Kabardino-Balkaria. Having met Jehovah's Witnesses in the early 1990s, Arkadya Akopovich appreciated the depth of biblical wisdom. Separately, he was struck by how alien ethnic hostility is to the followers of this religion.\nHis wife Sonia is not a baptized Jehovah's Witness. Nevertheless, they have been happily married for about 40 years. Since becoming one of Jehovah's Witnesses 25 years ago, her husband has never forced her or her children to change their religion. All this does not correspond to the accusation of \"extremism\" brought against Hakobyan. Both the family and neighbors, including people of different nationalities, cultures and religions, respect Arkada, know him as a kind and sympathetic person.\nMarital status: married. He has 3 children, 6 grandchildren, 3 siblings.\nIn the photo (from left to right): granddaughter Alina, Arkadya Hakobyan, his wife Sonya, granddaughter Oksana, daughter Liana, son-in-law Alexander, granddaughter Diana. ","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/akopian/photo_hu_d7ec05754ef12539.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/akopian/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/akopian/photo_hu_c270ff802a46e56e.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/akopian/photo_hu_2d13fbaa6e572e13.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/akopian.html","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Arkadya Akopyan","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In May 2018, Alam Aliyev was detained during an operation code-named \"Judgment Day\", in which 150 law enforcement officers took part. He spent 8 days in a detention center. The believer was accused of organizing the activity of an extremist organization. After 4.5 years, the court found him guilty and sent him to a penal colony for 6.5 years only because of his faith in Jehovah God.\nAlam was born in 1963 in the village of Lyaki (Azerbaijan) in a large family of simple workers. Alam has 2 brothers and 3 sisters. As a child, Alam was fond of checkers, but he was not particularly obedient. He did his military service in Germany and then got a job as a sailor on a fishing boat.\nIn 1989, Alam moved to Khabarovsk, where he began to read the Bible and was impressed with what he learned from it. In 1991, he chose to become a Christian. His parents, who professed Islam, initially did not approve of this, but they began to respect Alam's faith after they saw positive changes in him. His mother was so delighted with how the Bible changed her son that she told the neighbors: \"Alam became like an angel\".\nIn recent years, Alam worked as a machinist in a boiler room. He has two adult children from his first marriage. Alam remarried in 2015 after the death of his first wife. He likes to spend time in nature with his family and in his free time he enjoys playing chess.\nAlam's wife, Svetlana, also became a victim of criminal prosecution for her faith - she was given a 2.5-year suspended sentence. Standing before the court, Alam firmly stated: “I am not ashamed to stand before the court for being one of Jehovah's Witnesses. It would be shameful if I was tried for a real crime”.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/aliev/photo_hu_e2e2a295849e4b2.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/aliev/photo_hu_20fff5f2f8a5c9aa.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/aliev/photo_hu_c4d6ce4b06b730d9.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/aliev/photo_hu_226355245cff362e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/aliev.html","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["elderly","families","health-risk"],"title":"Alam Aliyev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Labor veteran Boris Andreev from Primorye Territory faced criminal prosecution for believing in God in the fall of 2022—his house was searched, the man was detained and placed in a pre-trial detention center, accused of extremism. Being behind bars worsened his health.\nBoris was born in November 1951 in the village of Monastyrishche (Primorye Territory). He has an elder brother and sister. Their mother worked as a primary school teacher.\nAs a child, Boris liked to ride a bicycle. He read a lot. After school, the young man graduated from the Far Eastern Polytechnic Institute with a degree in electrical engineering, as well as the University of Marxism-Leninism. Prior to the criminal prosecution, Boris worked for 18 years as a dispatcher of the unified duty dispatch service. At various times he lived in Vladivostok, the village of Khorol and the village of Yaroslavsky.\nFrom a young age, Boris wanted to read the Bible, but he began to study it thoughtfully only at the age of 50. In this book, he found answers to his questions. With the help of advice from the Bible, Boris was able to quit smoking and overcome alcohol addiction. In 2004, he embarked on the Christian path.\nBoris has three adult sons from his first marriage. In 2019, he met Aleksandra, who shares his views on life. A year later they got married. Aleksandra loves gardening. The spouses enjoy spending time together, as well as with friends, walking, going to the sea and playing board games.\nDue to the long stay in the pre-trial detention center and the lack of full-fledged physical activity, it became difficult for Boris to perform the simplest actions, heart problems and dizziness began. He was also diagnosed with a precancerous condition that requires regular follow-up by specialists, which is not easy in prison.\n","date":"2022-11-04","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/andreyevb/photo_hu_b7335bd7d070314e.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/andreyevb/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/andreyevb/photo_hu_87697184b7cbe599.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/andreyevb/photo_hu_898c6c2e617ed0aa.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/andreyevb.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["elderly","health-risk","disability"],"title":"Boris Andreyev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Nikolay Anufriyev is a simple tractor driver from Pechora (Komi Republic). He was born in May 1957 not far from this city, in the village of Akis. His parents were believers, and the family often talked about God. Nikolay has a brother and four sisters, he is the third child in the family.\nNikolay worked on the drilling rigs for many years, and now he is retired. He is fond of fishing, which is often combined with friendly conversation.\n\"I was very touched by Jehovah's justice,\" says Nikolay, recalling his path in faith. He was also impressed by the love and friendliness that reigns among Christians. In 2008, he firmly decided to devote his life to serving God.\nNikolay was widowed in 2019. His only daughter is adult and lives in St. Petersburg. Although she does not share the religious beliefs of her father, she sincerely worries about his criminal prosecution on false accusations. Nikolay seeks consolation in God and is happy that the repression has not yet affected his health.\n","date":"2020-12-10","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/anufriyev/photo_hu_73348a1b0b092f1c.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/anufriyev/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/anufriyev/photo_hu_214bcbc9337cd724.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/anufriyev/photo_hu_2fb6d67d9ed5ea87.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/anufriyev.html","regions":["komi"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Nikolay Anufriyev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In the city of Shuya, Ivanovo region, a criminal case was opened for faith against five civilians. What do we know about one of them, Alexei Arkhipov?\nAlexey was born in Arkhangelsk in 1960 and has a younger sister. As a child, he was fond of skiing and photography, loved to make crafts from wood. In the late 1970s, he served in the army, and later settled in Murmansk.\nAlexey worked all his life as a bus driver, for many years of conscientious work he was awarded various awards, including a ministerial diploma, and also received the title of veteran of labor. At work, he met his future wife Natalia, with whom he was in the same bus crew. The marriage was registered in 1984, and two children were raised together. Natalia spares no effort, maintaining comfort in the house, together with her husband receives guests whom he likes to treat with cakes of his own making. In addition to cooking, Alexey enjoys chatting with friends and traveling.\nAfter retiring, Aleksey and his wife moved to Shuya to take care of Natalia's elderly parents. Together, the couple decided to get acquainted with the Bible, and they were struck by the wisdom of the Bible's teachings. They were also touched by love and mutual assistance among those who live by them.\nThe search and the criminal case against Aleksey came as a complete surprise to the spouses, bringing anxiety and pain to the life of this peaceful, hardworking family. Chronic diseases have worsened. Alexei cannot report what is happening to his relatives, as his mother, who lives in another city, has a heart condition.\nThe son and daughter, who do not share the beliefs of their parents, try to be a support for them in everything. They, as well as colleagues at work, are shocked by what is happening. The managers of the company where Alexei works say that Alexey's religion does not matter to them, because they see how well he treats people and does his job.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/arkhipov/photo_hu_4066f7cbef7ed3fa.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/arkhipov/photo_hu_c21b65cd9e31fe91.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/arkhipov/photo_hu_f40feced293bf376.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/arkhipov/photo_hu_c580dd12f8e31a22.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/arkhipov.html","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Aleksey Arkhipov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On March 20, 2019, searches and interrogations of citizens in connection with their Christian beliefs resumed in Magadan. Lyubov Asatryan became a new defendant in a criminal case against believers in Magadan, who by this time had already become 13. The investigation believes that she participated in worship services. What do we know about Lyubov?\nLyubov was born in 1951 in Kirovabad (Azerbaijan), which is now called Ganja. She is the youngest of six children of her parents (five sisters and one brother). Since childhood, Lyubov loved to read, knitted and sewed. After school, she graduated with honors from a vocational technical school and became a laboratory chemist. In 1973 she moved to Krasnodar (Russia), where she got a job as an optician at a pharmaceutical factory. Later she lived in several cities of the Far East, including Magadan. Since childhood, Lyubov was worried about the fact that she saw a lot of violence around her, and she was very happy to learn from the Bible that God intends to put an end to all violence and cruelty. This made her want to harmonize her life with the commandments of the Holy Book. This happened back in 1991.\nLyubov still loves to read a lot, chat with friends, pick berries and cones in the forest. She was married and had no children.\nNeighbors and acquaintances who do not share Lyubov's religious beliefs are completely perplexed by her criminal prosecution, while Christian friends pray fervently for her.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/asatryan/photo_hu_5cecfa4997e3bb72.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/asatryan/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/asatryan/photo_hu_16d26af830e1a177.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/asatryan/photo_hu_63e308f508a188aa.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/asatryan.html","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Lyubov Asatryan","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"As a child, Nina Astvatsaturova's mother and grandmother instilled faith in God. Since then, she has been searching for the truth about the Creator and already in adulthood - in 2003 - she embarked on the Christian path, convinced of the scientific accuracy of the Bible and its usefulness in modern life. 17 years later, a criminal case was opened against her - in fact, Nina is being persecuted for her love of the Holy Scriptures.\nNina was born in July 1959 in the city of Kuibyshev (now Samara). She is the only child in the family. Nina's childhood was spent in different cities - her father was a military man, so they often moved.\nAt school, Nina studied excellently. She also graduated from music school with a degree in piano. Later she entered the Department of Mechanical Engineering Technology at the Institute of Oil and Chemistry in Baku (Azerbaijan) and, after graduating from it, worked in her specialty.\nIn addition to Samara and Baku, Nina lived in Kaliningrad, and later moved to Vladivostok at the place of her husband's military service. The couple raised a son.\nIn her youth, Nina studied English, ballroom dancing and horse riding. Now she enjoys attending theater and classical music concerts. Nina loves animals, nature and travel, she enjoys spending time with friends.\nThe criminal prosecution affected Nina's health: after the search, she had a hypertensive crisis. Other diseases have also worsened. Relatives and friends of the believer are outraged by the persecution and consider it unfair.\n","date":"2022-01-10","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/astvatsaturova/photo_hu_1d0bceee89c77671.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/astvatsaturova/photo_hu_d2ea542a6db013d1.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/astvatsaturova/photo_hu_ce020747ebd7c443.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/astvatsaturova/photo_hu_436a18fc20692542.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/astvatsaturova.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["elderly","health-risk"],"title":"Nina Astvatsaturova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In November 2018, authorities conducted a series of searches at the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in Spassk-Dalny. Aleksey Trofimov was detained. After several years of investigation and trial, the court sentenced him to 6.5 years in prison just because of his faith.\nAlexey was born in 1959 in the working village of Mamakan (Irkutsk region). His parents' family had five children. They loved to walk and play sports, and on weekends they helped their parents in the country.\nWhile still a student in Vladivostok, Alexei met Tamara, and soon the couple got married. After receiving his diploma, he worked for many years as a locksmith at various enterprises in the field of housing and communal services. Recently he worked as the head of the boiler house.\nIn the early 1990s, Aleksey discovered that the Bible makes people happy, helps them lead meaningful lives and show genuine love for their neighbors. So he made a decision that he would serve God.\nIn 2001, Alexey and Tamara moved to Spassk-Dalny, where his wife's elderly parents lived. This made it easier for them to take care of them. Today, Alexey and Tamara are loving parents of four children, as well as grandparents.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/atrofimov/photo_hu_2ab36c8c40140eb0.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/atrofimov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/atrofimov/photo_hu_35a40a668cef0173.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/atrofimov/photo_hu_b0936365ebb74e2b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/atrofimov.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Aleksey Trofimov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In July 2021, the court sentenced Vilen Avanesov to 6 years in prison for believing in Jehovah God, and his son Arsen to 6.5 years in prison. The believers were found guilty of extremism because they read and discussed the Bible with friends.\nVilen was born in 1952 in Baku (Azerbaijan). He worked as an electrician and builder, now retired. Since childhood, Vilen is fond of cooking, loves to bake homemade bread. Another of Vilen's hobbies is reading. One of his favorite books from a young age was the Bible.\nIn 1980, Vilen married Stella, they had a son, Arsen, and a daughter, Elina. Due to the conflict in Nagorny Karabakh in 1988, the family was forced to leave their home and move to Armenia as refugees. But the earthquake in Yerevan in the same year and the deteriorating financial situation forced the family to move again. This time, the place of residence was the Russian Rostov-on-Don. Vilen had to start everything from scratch, because he lost his home first in Baku and then in Yerevan.\nThe whole big family of Vilen is worried about the fact that they and Arsen were convicted. Vilen is in poor health. “Vilen and prison are incomparable things,— says his wife.— Vilen is the kindest person. This is how all his family and friends know him.\"\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/avanesov/photo_hu_20d16c9ff635f5b9.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/avanesov/photo_hu_8deed135a3386a40.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/avanesov/photo_hu_f0f45ca338bf810.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/avanesov/photo_hu_66d9ec2923a02913.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/avanesov.html","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["elderly","families"],"title":"Vilen Avanesov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"A resident of Lipetsk, Viktor Bachurin, along with two fellow believers, were sent to jail after a series of searches that took place on December 2, 2019. Two days later, at the request of the investigator of the Investigation Department of the FSB of Russia in the Lipetsk region, without notifying the relatives, the Sovetsky District Court of the city of Lipetsk sent them to the pre-trial detention center.\nViktor Bachurin was born in 1962 in the city of Pavlovsky Posad, Moscow Region. He is married, the couple has two adult children, has a granddaughter who will soon go to the 1st grade.\nVictor became seriously interested in the Bible in the early 1990s. At that time he lived in Surgut. In 1993 he moved to Lipetsk.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/bachurin/photo_hu_5e41d3fc29f16917.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/bachurin/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/bachurin/photo_hu_b2e8b404fee1239a.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/bachurin/photo_hu_1d1d90996f072302.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/bachurin.html","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Viktor Bachurin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Vladimir Balabkin, a pensioner from the Amur region, who worked all his life on the railway, did not expect that, because of his faith, he would be involved in a criminal case. However, in the spring of 2021, security forces broke into his house and accused the believer of extremism.\nVladimir was born and raised in the city of Belogorsk, Amur Region and still lives in the same house where he was born in 1952. He had a brother Gennadiy, he died at the age of 11. After school, Vladimir was drafted into the army. After serving, he got a job on the railway, where he worked for many years as an electrician in the communications system.\nIn 1972, Vladimir married Tatiana. Together they raised two sons. One of them, Dmitry, became an artist. The second, Gennadiy, followed in his father's footsteps and works as an electrician.\nTatyana was the first to get acquainted with the biblical teachings, after some time Vladimir became interested in them. He says: \"It amazed me that God has a name, Jehovah. I have never heard of this, but it is found even in the works of Russian writers!\" The entire Balabkin family loves and appreciates the Bible.\nThe search and the criminal case against Vladimir worsened the health of the elderly couple. Tatiana is on disability, she underwent heart surgery. Most of Vladimir's stomach has been removed, stress aggravates the pain. Nevertheless, the court sentenced the elderly believer to a real prison term.\n","date":"2021-08-26","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/balabkin/photo_hu_5f1448278149fd3a.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/balabkin/photo_hu_1a0d0d4228508440.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/balabkin/photo_hu_9bdfd034791752a7.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/balabkin/photo_hu_b950aff4191ec38d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/balabkin.html","regions":["amur"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Vladimir Balabkin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On December 19, 2019, a wave of mass searches swept through Vologda, as a result of which 67-year-old Yuri Baranov was detained and then placed under house arrest.\nYuri was born in 1952 in Vologda. He grew up without a father, as a child he loved to ski and play the accordion. All his life he worked as a gas electric welder. He is now retired.\nYuriy is known as a sympathetic person, always ready to help. If necessary, he always helps friends and acquaintances with minor repairs around the house, supports in word and deed. By his example, he shows young people how important it is to help others.\nIn 1989, Yuri met his future wife Nadezhda, and in 1990 they got married. Together they raised Nadezhda's daughter, Elizabeth.\nIn search of justice and answers to his questions, in 1992 Yuri, his wife and daughter began to study the Bible together, and then, according to Yuriy, \"everything fell into place.\"\nAfter the searches and subsequent arrest, the life of the spouses changed dramatically. Yuri's heart problems worsened (before his arrest he was preparing for an operation in Moscow) and a number of other diseases, insomnia began. Yuri needs to undergo an annual course of treatment.\nYuri's mother, who is already over 90, needs constant care and assistance from Yuriy, has a disability group.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/baranov/photo_hu_ed5bc0f4b1ed32bc.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/baranov/photo_hu_43d666baa53b043d.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/baranov/photo_hu_3ea825b3c797386e.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/baranov/photo_hu_74597171b0a6013f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/baranov.html","regions":["vologda"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Yuriy Baranov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On April 10, 2019, searches were carried out in the families of believers in Abakan. Valentina Baranovskaya and her son Roman were detained. A criminal case was opened against them under an \"extremist\" article. The investigation lasted more than a year, and then the case was considered in court for 8 months. In February 2021, an unprecedented decision was made: a 70-year-old woman was sentenced to 2 years in prison for believing in Jehovah God. 3 months later, the Supreme Court of Khakassia upheld the verdict.\nValentina was born in 1951 in the Kazakh village of Vannovka. Together with her older brother and sister, she grew up in a family dominated by communist beliefs. In 1973 she graduated from the Ufa Financial College in absentia. The next year, a son, Roman, was born. When he was 7 years old, the family settled in Ashgabat (Turkmenistan). In 1991 they moved to Abakan, where they still live.\nValentina worked as an accountant and economist and retired in 2006. She is a creative person, since childhood she writes poetry, loves to give her friends wedding greetings and songs. She loves to cook and receive guests, and in her free time she loves to solve crosswords.\nBack in 1995, Valentina and her son began reading the Bible. She was struck by the beautiful truths that are contained there. She was particularly impressed by the idea that God could not lie. She decided to trust the Bible always and in everything and live according to its commandments.\nThe criminal prosecution undermined Valentina's health: in the summer of 2020, just before the start of the court hearings, she was diagnosed with a cerebral infarction, or ischemic stroke. According to the doctors, the believer was in the hospital in a moderate condition. All this, however, did not prevent the court from sentencing the elderly woman to a real prison term.\nRelatives were shocked to learn that Valentina and her son were convicted only because of their faith. “They know that we are peaceful, kind, decent people ... They still cannot come to their senses,” says Valentina.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/baranovskaya/photo_hu_b6ca56ce01dbe335.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/baranovskaya/photo_hu_636b39b620aaba7e.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/baranovskaya/photo_hu_14ad1d2ebe6791e6.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/baranovskaya/photo_hu_cbafa077ff11c3eb.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/baranovskaya.html","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":["families","elderly"],"title":"Valentina Baranovskaya","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Love for biblical moral norms radically changed the life of Vladimir Baykalov from Kemerovo: he used to teach people boxing, now he appreciates love and forgiveness. In February 2022, a criminal case was opened against him only because of his belief in God.\nVladimir was born in April 1963 in the village of Krapivinsky, Kemerovo Region. He has an elder sister. Their father loved horses, with his own hands he made teams, sledges and even a carriage, on which he rode his grandchildren. In 2015, he died, and in 2020, their mother died of COVID-19.\nVladimir was fond of sports since childhood and loved to design. At the age of 16, he entered an agricultural technical school and at the same time seriously took up boxing. Later, he entered the Kemerovo Technological Institute of Food Industry, where he met his future wife, Irina. They married in 1984.\nIn 1983, Vladimir graduated from helicopter courses. The following year he became a master of sports in boxing and received an invitation to play for the national team of Belarus. He accepted him, and the couple moved to Bobruisk for a while.\nAfter graduation, Vladimir worked as a stadium director and coach. In the 2000s, he trained as a plumber and worked in the industry for many years. For the last 2 years he has been working in the cleaning industry.\nThe couple raised two children — a son and a daughter. They already have families of their own. The Baykalovs have two grandchildren. Vladimir and Irina lead an active lifestyle, love cycling in the summer and skiing in the winter. They enjoy spending time outdoors in tents, especially with friends. Vladimir also likes to fish, to be in nature in silence. Irina is fond of creativity, needlework and cooking. She also sews professionally.\nIrina was the first in the Baykalov family to study the Bible, later her daughter and then sister Vladimir joined her. He recalls: \"I resisted for a while, but I stopped resisting them because I saw how this study affected them.\" He himself became interested in the Bible after he was hospitalized in the 1990s with a gunshot wound—his elbow was shattered by a shot, there was a danger of losing his arm. After leaving the hospital, he began to diligently study the Holy Scriptures. This had a positive effect on him, and in 1999 Vladimir embarked on the Christian path. The man who shot him was impressed that he had forgiven him and was not going to take revenge.\nCriminal prosecution has become stressful for the Baykalovs, but they are trying not to lose heart. He says: “Our dear children, grandchildren and friends support us. The nieces also call us and encourage us.”\n","date":"2022-03-28","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/baykalovv/photo_hu_7197e583596bdf2b.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/baykalovv/photo_hu_9d4581e39e1c9f5e.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/baykalovv/photo_hu_8fb4b6c351812c45.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/baykalovv/photo_hu_e6e7895024f9c5a2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/baykalovv.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Vladimir Baykalov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On March 17, 2019, mass interrogations and detentions of citizens for their faith took place in the village of Luchegorsk (Primorye Territory). Two days later, the court ruled to send two local believers to the pre-trial detention center. One of them is Yuri Belosludtsev. What do we know about him?\nYuriy was born in 1964 in the village of Smidovich (Jewish Autonomous Region). He has an elder brother. As a child, he often lived with his grandmother in the village and used to help with the housework. He graduated from the Primorsky Forestry Technical School. He worked at the state district power plant, first as a crawler, later as a power unit driver. He likes fishing in the summer and skiing in the winter. In addition to Smidovich and Luchegorsk, he lived for some time in Novoshakhtinsk (Primorsky Krai).\nIn 1985, Yuri married Elena, whom he met during his studies. A few years later, both spouses were impressed by the fulfilled prophecies from the Bible, as well as God's promise to remove evil and suffering from the earth. They decided to devote more time to Bible study. Yuriy and Elena have adult children.\nYuri's relatives do not share his religious views, but even they find it difficult to understand why he is behind bars.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/belosludtsev/photo_hu_aa935ba56fa1a42b.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/belosludtsev/photo_hu_13747418c8da1f95.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/belosludtsev/photo_hu_37e78ecaa3f4c3c5.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/belosludtsev/photo_hu_25e5198f36d1f04c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/belosludtsev.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Yuriy Belosludtsev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"All his life, Aleksey Bogatov had been searching for justice. Bible study helped him find answers to his troubling questions, and in 1994 he became one of Jehovah's Witnesses. 27 years later, the believer was prosecuted for his beliefs.\nAleksey was born in 1960 in the village of Baklushi (Ulyanovsk Region). He has a sister. As a child, Aleksey was fond of hockey, football, skiing and swimming. After school, he received the profession of an engine maintenance technician at the Astrakhan nautical school.\nIn 1982, Aleksey married Lyubov, with whom he studied together at school from the 4th grade. The couple raised three sons. In their leisure time, the Bogatovs like to go to the forest for mushroom foraging. They enjoy swimming in the Volga and playing chess. Lyubov is now retired. She is fond of knitting. In his free time, Aleksey used to go to the gym and ride a bicycle. For some time, the believer worked at the fire station, and before his arrest, he worked as a driver at a medical center in Balakovo.\nRelatives painfully endure the arrest of Aleksey and consider the criminal prosecution unfair. They do not understand why an honest and decent person is accused of extremism and inciting hatred.\n","date":"2022-05-05","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/bogatov/photo_hu_fa0b084f93b654e.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/bogatov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/bogatov/photo_hu_6b97f44e3b28e5b.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/bogatov/photo_hu_778fd598e3e94529.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/bogatov.html","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Aleksey Bogatov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In 2022 Tatyana Bondarenko, a pensioner from the Far East Region, was accused by law enforcement officers of violating two articles of the Criminal Code on extremism because of conversations about the Bible.\nTatyana was born in May of 1960 in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, Khabarovsk Territory. Her mother was a builder who raised her daughter alone. The girl was fond of reading and attended ballet school.\nTatyana graduated from college and technical school and became a miller. After graduation, she worked in this profession for nine years.\nIn 1992 Tatyana married Vladimir. He is a carpenter and concrete worker, and he participated in the construction of the Eastern Space-Launch Complex. The couple have three adult sons. After her maternity leave, she worked as a maid until her retirement.\nTatyana became genuinely interested in the Bible. Her study of this book instilled in her a desire to become a Christian, which she did in 2005.\nThe search in October 2021 was very stressful for this elderly woman; she never expected that belief in God could be considered extremism. Her chronic illness worsened. Although the family does not share Tatyana's religious beliefs, they are worried about her. Her husband helps her to cope with these new difficulties.\n","date":"2023-03-06","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/bondarenko/photo_hu_500a78efb49b2bfb.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/bondarenko/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/bondarenko/photo_hu_abbb7202eedf730.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/bondarenko/photo_hu_508f2932fc4f80e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/bondarenko.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Tatyana Bondarenko","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On December 12, 2019, in Nevinnomyssk (Stavropol Territory), the Investigative Committee opened criminal cases under two \"extremist\" articles against 9 believers. One of them is 78-year-old Anatoliy Boyko.\nAnatoliy was born in 1941 in the Alarsky district of the Irkutsk region. He grew up in a large family, but out of eight children, only two sisters survived, except for Anatoly. Both grandfathers were repressed and died during the Great Terror.\nThe first years of Anatoly's life were in wartime. Because of poverty and hunger, instead of children's games, the boy collected plants from which the mother could prepare food for the children. At the age of 5, he was on the verge of starvation. Growing up, he began to get involved in technology. He took care of animals and tried to breed bees.\nAnatoly graduated from 7 classes of school. He did not serve in the army, as at the age of 13 he injured his spine and became disabled. For many years he worked on an excavator. After leaving home, for some time he lived in Bratsk, in the city of Nartkala (Kabardino-Balkaria), and in 1971 he moved to live in Nevinnomyssk. He is currently retired. They have three children.\nAnatoliy says that a difficult childhood, hunger and cruelty of the war and post-war years prompted him to think: \"Is it really going to end like this?\" In 1967, Anatoliy began to study the Holy Scriptures. Having received answers to his questions, despite the strong opposition of relatives and colleagues, he decided to embark on the path of a Christian.\nHere Anatoly was waiting for new trials. The criminal prosecution had a negative impact on the health of the elderly person. During the search, he became ill and had to call an ambulance.\nAnatoly's friends are very worried about him, and do not understand how a person at this age can be persecuted just for believing in God.\nOnce upon a time, both of Anatoly's grandfathers suffered from repression, and now, 82 years later, their grandson is subjected to new repressions - religious.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/boyko/photo_hu_6299f23f534a851b.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/boyko/photo_hu_db34ba7ead5c2442.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/boyko/photo_hu_413cb8f8e9973d7a.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/boyko/photo_hu_d65af70ecc3e3f0a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/boyko.html","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["elderly","disability"],"title":"Anatoliy Boyko","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"After the storming of the houses of believers in July 2018, Sergey Britvin ended up in a pre-trial detention center, where he ended up spending almost 2 years. He was tried and found guilty of organizing extremist activities, appointing 4 years in a general regime colony. In March 2021, he was taken to a Novosibirsk colony.\nSergey was born in 1965 in the city of Belovo (Kemerovo region). Since childhood, he was fond of gymnastics and other sports. Sergey is a crane operator and driver by profession, worked as a BelAZ driver. Currently, he is a disabled person of group II.\nIn 1992, Sergey got married, and in 1995 he began to study the Bible, as he was interested in the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead. Years later, his wife Natalia also became interested in the Holy Scriptures. She was particularly moved by the positive effects of faith on her husband.\nSergey's daughter, son-in-law, grandson, brothers and sister do not share his religious beliefs, but they are outraged by what happened to him. According to the believer's relatives, it is unacceptable to imprison people just because they peacefully study the Bible at home.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/britvin/photo_hu_2312ec4ac03a8c31.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/britvin/photo_hu_774320bc881066ff.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/britvin/photo_hu_ece439f3158a2132.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/britvin/photo_hu_84d47c1d01a72438.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/britvin.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["elderly","health-risk","disability"],"title":"Sergey Britvin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In 2018, the Investigation Department of the FSB opened a criminal case against peaceful pensioner Boris Burylov. For more than three years, together with 4 other believers from Perm, he defended his good name in the courts. In 2021, the court found Boris Ivanovich guilty of participating in the activities of an extremist organization and sentenced him to 2.5 years of suspended imprisonment.\nBoris Burylov was born in 1941 in Sevastopol. During the war, his family was evacuated to the Perm region. Childhood was difficult, I had to work a lot on a par with adults. Boris graduated from a technical school and an institute, received the specialty of an agronomist. He says: \"My total work experience is 45 years, during which I was awarded certificates of honor and gratitude, without a single penalty.\"\nBoris Ivanovich remembered that as a child, his mother read him passages from the Holy Scriptures, and they impressed him. After his mother's death, he read all the Gospels on his own, dreaming of reading the entire Bible, but he could not find it on sale. It was only in the 1990s that this dream came true. Then the study of the Bible became an integral part of Boris's life.\nIn the summer, Boris Ivanovich spends time at the dacha, caring for the garden, and in the winter he reads a lot. For people who know him, it is surprising that this respected and peace-loving man was sentenced to probation for extremism. Speaking in court, Boris Ivanovich emphasized: \"Jehovah's Witnesses, including myself, are benevolent, hardworking, God-fearing, peace-loving people. We respect all state authorities... Any extremism and terrorism are condemned by the Bible, and are unacceptable for me.\"\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/burylov/photo.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/burylov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/burylov/photo_hu_d9911f15fea1331f.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/burylov/photo_hu_d9911f15fea1331f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/burylov.html","regions":["perm"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Boris Burylov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/chaykovskiy/photo_hu_d542b1459c314b1.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/chaykovskiy/photo_hu_f7a9384167592072.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/chaykovskiy/photo_hu_155fdb5a6f41a1cd.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/chaykovskiy/photo_hu_70ecf95c37a2ad26.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/chaykovskiy.html","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Ivan Chaykovskiy","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In 2020 Viktor Chernov, a landscape designer from the village of Tavrichanka, began facing persecution for his belief in Jehovah God. His house was searched, and a year later, his wife died; another year later, a criminal case was initiated against him and he lost his job.\nViktor was born in April 1963 in the city of Vladivostok. His father worked as a carpenter, and his mother was a housewife and worked part-time as a watchman. There were 10 children in the family—five boys and five girls.\nAs a child, Viktor was fond of soccer and loved to fish and to take walks. As he grew older, he never lost his love for nature and the sea—he likes to grow coniferous plants, travel by boat around the islands, fish, and go to the taiga with friends in the fall.\nViktor has a specialized secondary education. He started working at the age of 15. He served in the army for two years, where he became a bricklayer. Later he learned six more professions. He was a sailor for eight years.\nIn the 1970s, Viktor's parents were introduced to the Bible, and they began to instill Christian values in their children. Viktor recalls: “My parents always loved to read the Bible. It was their handbook, and they loved to share what was written in it.\" As a result, all 10 children became Christians.\nObservation of the world around him prompted Viktor to think about God and his creation. He recalls: “When I went to the sea, I saw whales, dolphins, killer whales, penguins, and many different birds. I loved to look at the stars and admire them.\" This prompted him to study the Bible more deeply. His future wife, Yevgeniya, shared his views. In 1993 they got married and decided to become Jehovah's Witnesses.\nYevgeniya worked as an electrician. Like Viktor, she loved growing flowers and conifers. The couple were married for 28 years and raised a son. Now dealing with the loss of his wife, Viktor says, “Being a widower is not easy. I have always loved taking care of my wife and son.”\nRelatives and friends worry about Viktor and provide him support. Despite his health problems, he does not become discouraged, and he maintains a positive attitude.\n","date":"2023-03-23","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/chernov/photo_hu_8a2c4baae14c5526.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/chernov/photo_hu_6c2a7470bb3349a5.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/chernov/photo_hu_759e5e2351db495e.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/chernov/photo_hu_9ca1a14af4e6a06b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/chernov.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Viktor Chernov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Insults, harsh treatment and threats to send their underage daughter to an orphanage were what the Chernyshev family from Moscow had to face when the security forces bro into the house of believers in the early November morning. As a result, the court sentenced the head of the family to 6 years in prison for believing in Jehovah God.\nYuriy Chernyshev (pronounced as \u0026quot;Chernyshov\u0026quot;) is a native of Moscow. He was born in 1963. As a child, he was engaged in sports swimming. After school, he graduated from the Moscow Civil Engineering Institute, and later worked as a civil engineer.\nYuriy\u0026#39;s mother, who is no longer alive, was a believer and from childhood instilled in her son a love for God and the Bible. The study of the Holy Scriptures helped Yuriy to be convinced of God\u0026#39;s love, compassion and care for people and for him personally. He was impressed by the kindness and hospitality of people who try to live according to the biblical commandments, and this prompted Yuriy to do the same.\nIn 1989, Yuriy met his future wife Yekaterina. In 1996, the young people got married, and soon they embarked on the Christian path together. They are raising a daughter who is in medical college. Yekaterina runs a household, she has a hobby—decoupage. Before the persecution, the Chernyshevs loved to spend time with the whole family, visiting various attractions, parks and exhibitions, traveling and learning the history of other countries.\nIn 2014, the head of the family was diagnosed with serious problems with the spine, which worsened after the search. After Yuriy was placed under house arrest, he and his wife had to live separately for six months, as Yekaterina was a witness in a criminal case against her husband.\nIn his last plea at the trial, Yuriy Chernyshev stated: \u0026quot;On November 24, 2020, my life and the life of my family changed. The investigator accused me of something I had never done. I . . . did not undermine the foundations of the constitutional system and the security of the state, did not incite religious discord, did not encourage the rupture of kinship and family relations.\u0026quot;\n","date":"2021-01-01","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/chernyshev/photo.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/chernyshev/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/chernyshev/photo_hu_b17ab2a5e530721b.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/chernyshev/photo_hu_b17ab2a5e530721b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/chernyshev.html","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Yuriy Chernyshev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In June 2021, a peaceful pensioner from Cheboksary, Vladimir Chesnokov, was accused of organizing extremist activities. The reason was his peaceful religious activity, which was expressed in the discussion of the Bible.\nVladimir was born in March 1959 in the village of Bakhmutovo (Chuvashia). Father worked as a driver, mother — as an accountant. The parents are no longer alive. Vladimir grew up with his older brother Nikolay, who passed away in 2020. As a child, Vladimir was fond of football, volleyball and hockey, participated in school competitions, studied in the acrobatics section. In the evenings he liked to read.\nIn 1980, after graduating from the Alma-Ata Higher Border Military School named after F. E. Dzerzhinsky Vladimir received the rank of lieutenant. In the same year, he married Nina. Two sons were born in the marriage\nUntil 1993, Vladimir served in the border troops of Ukraine. During the service, he learned the biblical promise that people \"will hammer their swords into plowshares, and their spears into sickles: the people will not raise a sword against the people, and they will no longer learn to fight.\" This prompted Vladimir to resign from the armed forces. He retired and returned to his native Cheboksary. Bible study helped Vladimir find the meaning of life, and also convinced him of the existence of God. At the end of 1993, he became a Christian.\nFrom 2000 to 2008, Vladimir worked as a stoker. He resigned due to deteriorating health. He tries to be in nature more often. Before the pandemic, he regularly went in for swimming. Recently, I began to study English. Vladimir's wife, Nina, is retired, but still works as a nurse. Spouses love to walk together, cook, work in the country.\nThe criminal prosecution affected Vladimir's health. Due to stress at night, there is difficulty breathing, an increased heart rate, and exacerbated problems with the spine. The adult children who lived with their parents were also affected by the search: their hard drive was seized, which created difficulties for their work.\nAlthough none of Vladimir's family shares his religious views, they are all discouraged by the persecution of peaceful Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.\n","date":"2021-08-23","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/chesnokov/photo_hu_50724feeddc1e76e.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/chesnokov/photo_hu_2950bbbfb4c68acd.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/chesnokov/photo_hu_fae1ed3e87b5469d.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/chesnokov/photo_hu_9665a7872e6b1aec.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/chesnokov.html","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Vladimir Chesnokov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/person_placeholder_male.jpg","jpg2x":"/person_placeholder_male.jpg","webp":"/person_placeholder_male_hu_7ca079b4cb5b78b2.webp","webp2x":"/person_placeholder_male_hu_7ca079b4cb5b78b2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/dementev.html","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Yuriy Dementev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Galina Dergacheva is one of the believers in Magadan who were prosecuted for their faith. In 2024, the court gave her a 3-year suspended sentence for participating in Christian meetings for worship.\nGalina was born in 1956 in the village of Myaundzha (Magadan Region) in a large family. Her parents are ordinary workers. Her childhood was like many Soviet children\u0026#39;s: drawing and art reading circles, gymnastics, dancing, theatrical scenes.\nIn 1972, Galina got a secondary specialized education and worked as a kindergarten teacher. In 1980 she got married and moved to Magadan. In 1986, Galina graduated from the Khabarovsk State Pedagogical Institute. For 40 years she worked at the Magadan Polytechnic College, since 1992 as a teacher. For her good work, Dergacheva was repeatedly awarded certificates of honor and letters of appreciation. Galina is a veteran of labor, she has been retired since 2020. Dergacheva\u0026#39;s adult daughter has her own family.\nGalina loves to travel, pick berries and spend time with friends and grandchildren. She takes Bible teachings seriously and has lived by them for many years. \u0026quot;I always realized that the Bible is a special book, I wanted to read and understand it,\u0026quot; the believer recalls. \u0026quot;When I started studying it, I saw how logical and practical it is. It contains the truth that helps us find the meaning of life, reveals much about our loving Creator and his purpose.\u0026quot;\nGalina has many relatives in different cities of Russia. They do not share her religious views, but they are sure that she did not commit any crime.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/dergacheva/photo_hu_2ba8e6446f58bbb9.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/dergacheva/photo_hu_d76e1c98c2530c63.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/dergacheva/photo_hu_fa396ec508ae476.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/dergacheva/photo_hu_8f3d31ed642c3172.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/dergacheva.html","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Galina Dergacheva","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Nikolay Dikhtyar, a pensioner from Primorye Territory, led a calm, measured life until the security forces came to his house to conduct a search. It turned out that the father of three children was suspected of extremism only because of his faith in Jehovah God.\nNikolay was born in December 1954 in the city of Makeyevka (Donetsk region of the Ukrainian SSR). He has an elder and a younger sister.\nAfter school, Nikolay worked as a concrete worker and stoker. Later he graduated from the Irkutsk Polytechnic Institute and received the profession of a thermal power engineer. For many years he worked in his specialty until he retired - 14 years after the retirement age. As a child, Nikolay fell in love with fishing and to this day does not miss the opportunity to go fishing in his free time.\nIn 1975, Nikolay got married. The couple raised three children: a son and two daughters. The family lived in the city of Samarkand (Uzbekistan), the city of Kainda (Kyrgyzstan), the village of Berkakit (Yakutia). Later, Nikolay, together with his wife and three children, moved from Yakutia to where the climate is warmer - to Primorye Territory. There, Nikolay began to study the Bible and learned the benefits of applying its advice. He embarked on the Christian path in 1998.\nDue to the criminal prosecution of Nikolay, his relatives experienced stress and are perplexed, for which the authorities opened a case against this law-abiding head of the family.\n","date":"2022-06-30","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/dikhtyar/photo_hu_6346633081753bf8.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/dikhtyar/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/dikhtyar/photo_hu_7e0d224bb353fa7c.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/dikhtyar/photo_hu_62bdcc190b6ce5b1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/dikhtyar.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Nikolay Dikhtyar","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In her old age, Liliya Dolinina, a widow from the village of Dormidontovka, was searched, interrogated and prosecuted for her religious beliefs. In February 2023, a criminal case was initiated against the woman. The accusation was based on letters that Liliya sent to an acquaintance. \u0026quot;In the correspondence there were words from the Bible with a wish to get to know this book better and, as a result, become happier,\u0026quot; said the believer.\nLiliya was born in September 1946 in the city of Obluchie, Jewish Autonomous Region. There were three children in the family. In childhood and adolescence, Liliya skied professionally. She was attending a sports club, participating in competitions, and preparing to receive the title Master of Sports, but her wedding changed her plans.\nLiliya finished a secretarial course. For several years before retiring, she worked at a factory as a crane operator. She gave birth to two sons. After the death of her second husband, the woman lived alone.\nAlthough none of her close relatives shared her views, Liliya loved to read the Bible and has lived by its standards since 2000. She was especially touched by the fulfilled prophecies in this book. Reflections on the Holy Scriptures helped the believer not to lose heart. Due to problems with her heart, vision and hearing, it was difficult for Liliya to participate in court hearings, so they were interrupted for several months. A month after the court of appeal, in August 2025, the woman died.\n","date":"2023-03-20","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/dolinina/photo_hu_b550aef6ad856d81.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/dolinina/photo_hu_dc146f2e231719f8.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/dolinina/photo_hu_ab86973d652bbafa.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/dolinina/photo_hu_3ce758efae21b76f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/dolinina.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["elderly","died"],"title":"Liliya Dolinina","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"May 20, 2021 marks one year since the search in the house of pensioner Svetlana Dubovkina. Due to the stress she has endured, she still cannot calmly look at the police cars and hear the sounds of sirens. “I am in constant tension, I listen to all knocks and it often shakes me. Hair began to fall out, vision deteriorated, and chronic diseases worsened, ”says the believer.\nSvetlana was born in June 1961 in the city of Zelenokumsk (Stavropol Territory). After 7 years, her younger sister was born. Their father worked as a driver. Mom was a seamstress, also worked in a cannery. Parents divorced when Svetlana was only 9 years old. Then the family moved to the village of Solomenskoye (Stavropol Territory).\nAs a child, Svetlana was an active child, she loved to play basketball. After school, she graduated from the Mozdok Mechanical and Technological College with a degree in Grain and its Processing Products Technologist. She worked as a chemist in the laboratory of the Kotlyarevsky distillery.\nSvetlana got married in 1981. After the wedding, the couple lived with their husband's parents in the village of Orlovka, Budennovsky district. In 1982, their eldest daughter Nataliya was born. Since 1983, Svetlana has been living in the city of Maysky (Kabardino-Balkaria), where she worked as a laboratory assistant in the technical control department. In 1988 and 1996, the couple had 2 more daughters, Yulia and Anastasiya. Before retirement, her husband worked as a driver of a motor transport company, and Svetlana worked as a teacher's assistant in a kindergarten. Now she is also a pensioner, sometimes working part-time in the field of cleaning private apartments. Despite the difficulties with her health, Svetlana tries to lead an active lifestyle: ride a bike and go hiking with friends.\nSvetlana thought about the lack of harmony in the world. In the Bible, she found answers to her questions. This prompted her to become a Christian in 1995. Svetlana made many friends among the believers. She recalls: \"I did not have friends at all, and now there are many of them, and what kind!\" According to her, the believer feels the benefits of applying biblical principles, they gave her a sense of inner harmony.\nThe daughters support Svetlana, although they do not share her religious views. Speaking about the persecution of the mother by law enforcement officers, the eldest daughter was indignant: \"Let them catch the real criminals!\" The youngest daughter also considers the criminal prosecution to be unfair, since her mother did not violate any Russian laws.\n","date":"2021-06-15","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/dubovkina/photo_hu_86f16cfbd284c409.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/dubovkina/photo_hu_8e6895b6b7550d54.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/dubovkina/photo_hu_4368e7c1b774686f.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/dubovkina/photo_hu_4b3662ef157bda54.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/dubovkina.html","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Svetlana Dubovkina","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In 2020 57-year-old Vladimir Dutkin from Cheboksary suffered a lot of hardships. In June he lost his only younger sister, who died of cancer, and in November security forces came to him with a search. A criminal case was opened against the believer under an „extremist“ article.\nVladimir was born in May 1963 in Novoaltaisk (Altai Territory) in the family of a carpenter and a cashier-seller. In early childhood, he moved with his parents to Cheboksary. Father died in 1992.\nVladimir grew up as a versatile child: he played volleyball, football, hockey, went skiing, took part in amateur performances and olympiads in mathematics, played the guitar. After school he worked as a locksmith at a factory, a stone-cutter-graniter, an entrepreneur, was a secretary of the Komsomol organization, played volleyball and took part in humor competitions. In 1995 he received a higher education in economics with a degree of an accountant. From 1998 to the present day he has been working as an insurance agent. Vladimir still leads an active lifestyle: he goes in for sports, loves to sing and dance with friends.\nVladimir began to think about the meaning of life when he was 25 years old. At 31 he began looking for answers to his questions and found them in the Bible. „The prophecies convinced me how accurately they came true. This clearly confirmed that God was behind them,“ says the believer. At the age of 39, he became one of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nIn 1996, Vladimir had a daughter, Juliette, in marriage. After the divorce, the daughter stayed with her father. She graduated from the College of Communications and works as an advertising specialist. Juliette loves to read since childhood. When she realized that without the Creator there could be no such order in the Universe, she, like the her dad, decided to embark on the Christian path of life.\nThe death of his sister and the criminal prosecution radically changed the life of Vladimir and his family. The 81-year-old mother started having health problems, which forced the believer to move to her place.\nDuring the search, all equipment was confiscated from Vladimir, which prevents him from working fully and having the necessary means for living. Relatives and acquaintances of the believer are outraged and do not understand how it is possible to rush in with searches to peaceful people and persecute them only for their faith in God.\n","date":"2021-03-15","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/dutkin/photo_hu_a3ecc14495d7d1.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/dutkin/photo_hu_afe1e0f9d59013e9.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/dutkin/photo_hu_b04e758ba40f5157.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/dutkin/photo_hu_5a1a04b377024755.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/dutkin.html","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Vladimir Dutkin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Sergey Livievich Yerkin was born in 1953 in Vladivostok. He is a technician-architect by education. Since 1975, Sergey lived in Kazakhstan, where he worked as an engineer, architect and lead designer, designed buildings. In the 1980s, he moved to the Magadan Region, where he was also employed in the construction industry. The last place of work before retirement was as an engineer for design and estimate work at one of the mining enterprises in Chukotka.\nHis friends and acquaintances know Sergey as a kind and sympathetic person. He cared for his elderly mother until her death in 2007.\nThis intelligent and humble man, who had worked all his life for the good of society, is now accused of absurd crimes incompatible with his Christian beliefs.\nIn connection with the existing disease, doctors prescribed a diet for Sergey. The disease aggravates his position as a prisoner.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/erkin/photo_hu_c06754d322e2f257.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/erkin/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/erkin/photo_hu_43c19e7e20d6863e.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/erkin/photo_hu_8515ec652c968b11.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/erkin.html","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Sergey Yerkin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Pensioner Yelena Savelieva, a teacher with forty years of experience, found herself under criminal prosecution for reading and discussing the Bible, thanks to which she found meaning in life.\nYelena was born in July 1941 in the village of Katka (Republic of Belarus) at the height of World War II. The settlement was beautiful and well-groomed, therefore, having occupied it, the German troops tripled their headquarters there. The first years of Yelena's life were spent in poverty, hunger and fear.\nThe girl grew up separately from her parents, she was raised by her grandmother. Having moved to Russia and having lived for three years in the city of Chernyakhovsk (Kaliningrad region), in 1950, the grandmother sent Yelena to her mother, being unable to provide her granddaughter financially. Yelena's stepfather was a cruel person, so life was very difficult for her. At the age of 15, she left her parents' home for the city of Sovetsk, Kaliningrad Region, where she studied at the school of projectionists.\nIn the spring of 1960, Yelena, at the insistent request of her parents, who at that time lived in the Kemerovo region, came to them. But later that year, she moved to the city of Tomsk, where she decided to settle down and continue her education. Yelena graduated from the railway technical school, graduated from high school as an external student and entered the Tomsk Pedagogical Institute at the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics. After graduation, she devoted more than 40 years to teaching.\nIn 1963, Yelena married the nuclear physicist Leonid, with whom they had been married for 55 years until his death in 2018. Together, the couple raised two sons.\nIn her youth, Yelena had a strong desire for the spiritual. In her prayers, she often asked God: “Why do I live? What can I do for you?\". Later, after meeting Jehovah's Witnesses and starting to read the Bible, Yelena received answers to her questions. In 2002, she made the decision to embark on the Christian path.\nThe criminal prosecution did not change her attitude towards others, including her ill-wishers. “When I get to know new people, I start to love them with all my heart,” says Yelena.\n","date":"2021-09-17","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/esavelyeva/photo_hu_2b3aa512cdff9231.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/esavelyeva/photo_hu_a968a7cfda64c8c.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/esavelyeva/photo_hu_bfac6df548adb18f.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/esavelyeva/photo_hu_2b61ec41c1dd5922.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/esavelyeva.html","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Yelena Saveliyeva","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On February 15, 2019, one of the most massive and inhuman operations against believers took place in Surgut and several other cities of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug. 7 people reported torture, 3 people were in custody for a long time, and the total number of defendants in criminal cases exceeded 20. One of them is Viktor Fefilov. What do we know about him? Viktor was born in 1962 in the village of Uinskoye (Perm Territory). His parents are no longer alive, but there are three siblings. As a child, Victor loved to be in nature and observe the animal world. After graduating from high school, he entered the school, where he received the profession of a universal turner. Later he worked as a driver. Due to economic difficulties, he was forced to move to Surgut to work. For a long time he was engaged in his favorite activities - hunting and fishing. Victor met his wife Natalia in 1996, a year later they got married. Natalia is a caring and loving wife. She was the first in the family to become interested in truths from the Bible. Later, Victor joined her, finding answers in the Bible to the questions that had worried him for many years: why is there so much evil and injustice in the world? Why are wars blessed? Relatives and friends of Viktor and Natalia are outraged by what is happening. It is difficult for them to understand why peace-loving people are being prosecuted. ","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/fefilov/photo_hu_2bc218dfb41d3ae1.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/fefilov/photo_hu_f28dbeba6c3714bf.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/fefilov/photo_hu_9184a47a58f86c07.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/fefilov/photo_hu_76a449b740125d23.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/fefilov.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Victor Fefilov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In March 2021, 77-year-old Vladimir Filippov was given a 6-year suspended sentence because of his faith in Jehovah God. This was preceded by searches and lengthy criminal prosecution of a peaceful pensioner.\nVladimir was born in 1943 in the village of Oktyabrsky (Novosibirsk region). His father died at the front in the same year, even before the birth of his son. Mom worked as a laborer on a state farm. Vladimir's elder brother, Venediy (born in 1941), lives in Ukraine.\nVladimir's school years were spent in the Far East. He was actively engaged in skiing, was fond of bandy and was a member of the national team of the Krasnozersky district. Fishing was an occupation for the soul, which Vladimir loves to this day.\nIn 1961, Vladimir entered the Tomsk Artillery School. He graduated in 1964, and with the rank of lieutenant was sent to serve in the village of Razdolnoye. Here he met his future wife Lyubov. They married in 1967. Lyubov is a seamstress by profession. Due to her husband's frequent moves, she had to work in various specialties. She always supported her husband, participated with him in all social events. In her free time she was engaged in dancing.\nSubsequently, Vladimir's service took place in the village of Shkotovo (Primorsky Krai), in the city of Leipzig (Germany), in the village of Priamursky (Jewish Autonomous Region). After 27 years of military service, Vladimir retired. After that, he worked in the Frunzensky District Executive Committee of Vladivostok.\nIn 1994, Vladimir's wife began to study the Bible. When her husband joined her in this, they were both convinced that this book was the Word of God. What they learned together from the Bible strengthened their faith in God and Jesus Christ. In 1995, both became Jehovah's Witnesses.\nNow the couple live in the village of Razdolnoye. They moved here to help their fellow believers, as well as to take care of Lyubov's sister, who is 11 years older than her. The couple's daughter, Elena, lives on the other side of the country. Vladimir and Lyubov cope with all household chores, including the garden, on their own. Lyubov also loves to grow flowers at home. Vladimir is already retired. He loves to spend time with friends, often fishing with his wife.\nIn January 2020, Vladimir Filippov's house was searched for the third time. During the first search, Lyubov was subjected to rough treatment by FSB officers, and Vladimir was slapped in the face by the security forces. The criminal prosecution undermined the health of the elderly couple. Lyubov's numerous chronic diseases worsened.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/filippov/photo_hu_2f5826ecea888889.JPG","jpg2x":"/prisoners/filippov/photo.JPG","webp":"/prisoners/filippov/photo_hu_dafa8b1b06224597.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/filippov/photo_hu_2ff1940d5ce177a7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/filippov.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Vladimir Filippov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Petr Filiznov, a law-abiding Russian citizen, spent 93 days in a pre-trial detention center. He was detained after searches in Yaroslavl in April 2021. The believer was accused of organizing worship activities and promoting \"forbidden doctrines\", which in fact are not prohibited.\nPetr was born in October 1965. He was the only child in the family. As a child, he led an active lifestyle, was engaged in sports sections. He liked botany. After school, Petr entered the Yaroslavl Automotive Technical School, and upon graduation he was drafted into the army. After military service, he got a job at a factory as a foreman, and later as a turner.\nIn 1988, Petr met his future wife, and the same year they got married. Svetlana worked at the Yaroslavl synthetic rubber plant, was fond of dancing, drawing, playing the guitar and writing poetry. After the birth of her children, she left her job to devote more time to her son Alexey and daughter Yuliya, who from an early age were brought up in accordance with biblical norms. Children are already adults, they have their own families.\nFor some time, Petr was an individual entrepreneur: he provided plumbing services, and was engaged in the installation of doors. Then he got a job in a management company and began to work in the field of maintaining cleanliness and order in the adjacent territory of apartment buildings. So he had more free time, and he was able to devote to his wife: together they do household chores, work in the country, make preparations for the winter. When Svetlana is caring for a sick mother, Petr takes full care of the household.\nWhen Petr was detained and placed in a pre-trial detention center, his wife had to cope with numerous duties on her own. She shares: \"I lacked a strong shoulder, a man who was always there and took responsibility in solving difficult family issues.\"\nIn July 2021, the court released Petr from custody, but the charges against the believer were not dropped. Relatives and friends of the believer call him a peaceful and kind person. At work, Petr is known as a conscientious worker — he received a lot of positive feedback from his superiors and tenants.\n","date":"2021-08-20","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/filiznov/photo_hu_165b16b40816a692.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/filiznov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/filiznov/photo_hu_e2a6683bcabd2fc7.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/filiznov/photo_hu_141e92e341d1afa3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/filiznov.html","regions":["yaroslavl"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Petr Filiznov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Law enforcement facilities of Vladivostok initiated criminal cases against six elderly women, including Lyubov Galaktionova. The pensioner was accused of extremism only because of her religion.\nLyubov was born in Vladivostok during the war, in the summer of 1942. She has lived in this city all her life. Lyubov was the only child in the family. She received the got of a secretary-typist and worked in this profession until her retirement.\nIn 1962, Lyubov got married and had a son. Unfortunately, after 14 years of marriage—in 1976—her husband passed away. She had to raise and raise my son alone.\n“Over the years,” Lyubov shares her memories, “I began to ask myself questions: what is the meaning of life? Why do people die?” By reading the Bible, she found answers to them and received comfort.\nDue to health problems, Lyubov is on the II disability group, but she is supported by communication with fellow believers and conversations on spiritual topics.\nThe unjustified criminal prosecution to which Lyubov was subjected undermined her health. Her son is worried about her. Although he does not share her religious views, he knows for sure that his mother is a good person and does not deserve such treatment.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/galaktionova/photo_hu_4b0e91292206bb9e.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/galaktionova/photo_hu_ba3eb221cf06e65.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/galaktionova/photo_hu_702ba1082feb0a5d.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/galaktionova/photo_hu_c73fd8ba9ab73daa.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/galaktionova.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Lyubov Galaktionova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Pensioner Lyubov Galitsyna ended up in a pre-trial detention center shortly after searches in Novocherkassk in the summer of 2022. Because of her faith in Jehovah God, she was accused of participating in the activities of an extremist organization.\nLyubov was born in May 1956 in the village of Plastunovskaya (Krasnodar Territory). Until graduating from school, she lived in the village of Shedok (Krasnodar Territory). She has a sister and a brother. Since childhood, Lyubov helped her parents take care of a large vegetable garden, which brought the main income to their large family.\nAfter graduating from school, Lyubov moved to Novocherkassk (Rostov region), where she entered the Polytechnic Institute, and then the Machine-Building College. Later she married and had two children. In 2015, her husband died.\nLyubov worked at a machine-building plant. Colleagues appreciated and loved her for her diligence, sincerity and good nature. After retirement, Lyubov continued to work at the Polytechnic Institute as a barmaid. In her spare time, she enjoys embroidery and painting by numbers.\nLyubov showed interest in the Bible because she was moved by the prophecy that in the future people would no longer get sick, grow old, and die. In 1997, she made the decision to embark on the Christian path.\nLyubov devoted a lot of time and attention to her children and grandchildren, so separation from her became a real test for the whole family. Relatives of the believer are worried about her, especially in view of the fact that Lyubov suffers from diabetes. It is difficult for them to understand why this peaceful believer is being persecuted.\n","date":"2022-09-15","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/galitsina/photo_hu_e8c148ab6da18dc2.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/galitsina/photo_hu_bdca18b45fda0993.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/galitsina/photo_hu_a7065e137d8c411b.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/galitsina/photo_hu_97990c2f0f900d73.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/galitsina.html","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["elderly","health-risk"],"title":"Lubov Galitsina","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Tatyana Galkevich, a peaceful resident of Smolensk, did not even suspect that her faith in God would become a reason for criminal prosecution. The investigation accuses her of praying and discussing the Bible with friends. As a result, the woman spent more than six months in jail for her faith.\nTatyana was born in the village of Bereznyaki, Smolensk region, in 1959. As a child, she was fond of sports and even jumped with a parachute, did handicrafts and loved to read. After school she graduated from a textile technical school and received a specialty as a knitwear production technologist. She worked as a knitter, was a shift master.\nNow Tatyana lives in Smolensk and is on a well-deserved rest. In his free time he is engaged in gardening and vegetable garden. Since 1989 she has been married, a daughter was born in marriage.\nTatiana was in awe of God even before she came to know the Bible, but she knew nothing about the Creator. The knowledge gained from studying the Scriptures helped her to better understand them and encouraged her to live according to biblical standards.\nDue to the criminal prosecution and imprisonment in the pre-trial detention center, where she spent several months, Tatyana’s chronic diseases worsened. In addition, she lost her job. Relatives who do not share her religious beliefs, as well as friends, try to support the woman morally, emotionally and physically.\n","date":"2021-02-10","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/galkevich/photo.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/galkevich/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/galkevich/photo_hu_e09c4387f11282df.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/galkevich/photo_hu_e09c4387f11282df.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/galkevich.html","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Tatyana Galkevich","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Early in the morning in May 2019, FSB officers broke into Alexandr Ganin's house, searched and took him to a temporary detention center. The believer was accused of extremism; in October 2020, the court sentenced him to 3 years of probation only because of his faith in Jehovah God.\nAlexandr was born in 1957 in the village of Ekhabi on Sakhalin Island. As a child, he loved to ride a motorcycle. After leaving school, Alexandr became a driver. Now retired, spends a lot of time in the garden, loves animals.\nFor more than twenty years, Alexandr has been firmly convinced that there is an Almighty Creator, and the Bible is his word. His wife Svetlana, with whom he has been married since 1980, having seen positive changes in her husband's character, also began to show an interest in the spiritual. According to relatives and friends of Alexandr, he was convicted for nothing.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/ganin/photo_hu_857ce010c63ce74a.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/ganin/photo_hu_64e7f80b5ce24534.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/ganin/photo_hu_1fbecfbc2745faee.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/ganin/photo_hu_5a2075ba88f0f5fb.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/ganin.html","regions":["ulyanovsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Aleksandr Ganin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In the apartment of a peaceful pensioner from Rostov-on-Don, Olga Ganusha, covert video surveillance was installed. In 2019, a criminal case was initiated against the believer. In July 2021, Judge Viktor Trofimov convicted and sentenced the believer to 2 years of suspended imprisonment.\nOlga was born in Rostov-on-Don in 1961. She has an elder sister. Since childhood, Olga was fond of dancing, embroidery, photography and needlework, and in her youth she sang in an ensemble. After the 8th grade, she entered a construction college, then worked as a foreman at a gypsum factory and a typist at a tobacco factory.\nOlga lived all her life in her native Rostov-on-Don, only occasionally going to Shakhty and Taganrog. Now he is on a well-deserved rest. In his spare time, he still likes to do needlework, listens to classical music and reads humorous stories.\nFor more than 20 years, Olga has been leading a Christian lifestyle. It was always hard for her to come to terms with death, and she never believed in an afterlife. When she first learned from the Bible that people can live forever and meet resurrected loved ones in an earthly paradise, her joy knew no bounds. She was also fascinated by the practicality of the biblical advice. To her son Alexei, who, due to circumstances, had to be raised alone, she was able to instill high moral standards based on Christian commandments.\nThe criminal prosecution had a strong impact on Olga's health. All chronic diseases affecting vital organs have worsened. \"My life was divided into before and after the search,\" she says. \"There was a fear when I suddenly heard a knock on the door, my sleep was disturbed.\" The son is very worried about his mother and her health. Although other relatives do not share Olga's religious views, they do not understand why she is being persecuted.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/ganusha/photo_hu_275c64985c28b8c5.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/ganusha/photo_hu_18f70b603b8db89.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/ganusha/photo_hu_f9e573c487b72091.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/ganusha/photo_hu_33757de9911b9c23.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/ganusha.html","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Olga Ganusha","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Former lawyer, a 63-year-old pensioner from Votkinsk Sergey Góbozev did not even suspect that he would ever face criminal prosecution for love of God and the Bible. The believer had not yet had time to recover from the severe COVID-19 disease, when he was arrested and a criminal case was opened against him.\nSergey was born in October 1957 in Vorkuta. Parents worked hard to raise three sons. Sergey’s father worked as a miner, his mother as a teacher of chemistry. The family moved more than once: from Vorkuta to Karaganda (Kazakhstan), and from there to Novomichurinsk (Ryazan region). One of the brothers is no longer alive, as well as their parents.\nIn his youth, Sergey was fond of sports: alpine skiing and athletics. After serving in the army, he moved to Neryungri (Sakha Republic), and then to Votkinsk (Udmurtia), where his parents already lived. Sergey graduated from the university, in recent years he worked as a lawyer. He is now retired.\nHaving got acquainted with the Bible, Sergey from the very first lines of this ancient book did not doubt that it was from God. Everything that he learned from it aroused trust and respect. This was exactly what he lacked for all the years he lived. Biblical prophecies, both those that came true in the past and prophecies for the future, impressed Sergey a lot. These and other Bible truths motivated him to embark on the Christian path.\nIn 2004, Sergey married Olga, who shares her husband's religious views. She teaches chemistry at an online school. Sergey, as before, is very fond of sports - he tries to work out with a barbell, kettlebells and dumbbells every day. After the illness, the believer does not give up: several times a day he does special breathing exercises and has already resumed home workouts.\nThe criminal prosecution caused Sergey a lot of problems, including health troubles. Shortly before his arrest, he spent 10 days in intensive care due to complications caused by the coronavirus. Sergey has been suffering from diabetes since 2009. Due to house arrest, the believer cannot work. The bank card on which the pension was received was seized during a search. In addition, he was banned from communicating with family and friends on the phone, as well as using the Internet and electronic devices.\n","date":"2021-03-05","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/gobozev/photo_hu_1c3e6cd1b108dc75.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/gobozev/photo_hu_b87da4ab5644e4b0.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/gobozev/photo_hu_bef774b718e80280.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/gobozev/photo_hu_e0f58049a389dae0.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/gobozev.html","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["elderly","health-risk"],"title":"Sergey Gobozev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In Soviet times, Anatoliy Gorbunov's father and grandfather were declared \"enemies of the people\" and exiled to Siberia. In 1993, they were rehabilitated, and in 2022, the court recognized Anatoliy himself as an extremist and sentenced him to 6 years in prison only because of his faith in Jehovah God.\nAnatoliy was born in August 1957 in the village of Dikanka (Ukraine). He has a younger brother. Parents worked hard to feed the family: father in a coal mine, and mother in a cultural center.\nAs a child, Anatoliy was fond of swimming, skiing and hockey, loved physics and mathematics. Graduated from the Krasnoyarsk Higher Command School of Air Defense Radio Electronics. He lived and worked in such places as Inta (Komi), the village of Chernaya (Nenets Autonomous Okrug), as well as in Estonia and Kazakhstan.\nIn 1978 Anatoliy married Galina. The marriage produced two children. From 1978 to 1983 he served in the army. After his dismissal, he moved to Krasnoyarsk with his family. Later he worked as an electrician, welder, power engineer. Now retired.\nSpouses have always been interested in the question of whether God exists from the point of view of science. Having found the answer to it, in 1996 Anatoliy and Galina decided to become Christians.\nA criminal case and a harsh sentence completely changed the life of the spouses. Relatives consider the persecution of Anatoliy unfair and illegal.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/gorbunov/photo_hu_d785a0f9644c59a4.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/gorbunov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/gorbunov/photo_hu_f19a0c84f46e2f71.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/gorbunov/photo_hu_26ce0b10c24d4221.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/gorbunov.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["elderly","health-risk","disability"],"title":"Anatoliy Gorbunov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Mikhail Gordeev became another victim of criminal prosecution for his faith in Petrozavodsk when FSB officers detained him right at his workplace on September 5, 2019. Instead of work, the believer was interrogated for 4 hours, after which he was placed under recognizance not to leave. What is known about this man?\nMikhail was born in Petrozavodsk (Karelia) in 1959, he has a brother Alexander. Mikhail's parents worked all their lives at the Onega Tractor Plant, his father was a turner, and his mother was an engineer. Mikhail grew up as an ordinary boy, loved sports, especially swimming, was fond of music and technology. After graduating from the motor transport technical school, he received the specialty of a road builder. After working for some time as a road foreman, he retrained as a driver, which he still does.\nWhen Mikhail was introduced to the Bible in the mid-1990s, he was amazed at what he learned. Positive changes in his personality over time prompted his family to take a more interest in this book. In 1999, Mikhail started a family with Elizaveta, a livestock breeder by profession. The couple is raising two daughters. Both parents and children are very fond of pets.\nThe unfair criminal prosecution for the faith affected Mikhail's entire family, adversely affecting the physical and mental health of its members, especially the eldest daughter, who is very worried about her father. At work, colleagues and management deeply sympathize with Mikhail, try in every possible way to support. Relatives and friends of the family are of great help.\nHowever, the unjust persecution did not come as a complete surprise to Michael and Elizabeth, as they are convinced that this is how Bible prophecy is fulfilled. Mikhail and his wife hope to withstand the difficulties with dignity.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/gordeev/photo_hu_f1b59317468fa682.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/gordeev/photo_hu_e71b8090f0af1645.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/gordeev/photo_hu_d0666bac0d5af15.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/gordeev/photo_hu_c43609da02bbbd80.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/gordeev.html","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Mikhail Gordeev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Igor Gusev, a resident of Krasnoyarsk, was brought in as a witness in a case against another believer, Vitaly Sukhov, in 2020. Two years later, a criminal case was also opened against Igor himself under an extremist article.\nIgor was born in 1964 in Krasnoyarsk. His father worked at the Krasnoyarsk combine plant in the foundry, his mother worked as an accountant. As a child, Igor was fond of team sports: football, hockey, volleyball. He loved physical education lessons.\nAfter working for a year at the combine plant, Igor entered the Krasnoyarsk Polytechnic Institute. After graduation, he worked for 3 years as a foreman, then as a turner on numerically controlled machines, and later, until 2015, in the construction industry. In recent years, Igor has been working in the field of maintaining cleanliness and order.\nIgor got acquainted with the Bible in the early 1990s. The study of the Holy Scriptures helped him find peace of mind and peace, and in 1994 he decided to become a Christian.\nFaced with persecution for his faith, Igor remains calm, drawing strength from the examples of courage and resilience of Jehovah's Witnesses who survived religious persecution in the Soviet Union and went through exile and camps.\n","date":"2022-04-21","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/gusev/photo_hu_c62aee2186f2b364.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/gusev/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/gusev/photo_hu_69b78f60985271c0.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/gusev/photo_hu_999f8d980c37af76.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/gusev.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Igor Gusev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Criminal prosecution for faith is another misfortune that befell the family of Anatoly Isakov, a disabled person of group II. In 2017, his 28-year-old son died, and in July 2021, the believer was searched and, despite his serious health condition, was placed in a pre-trial detention center.\nAnatoliy was born in August 1964 in Kurgan. As a child, he was engaged in judo, took part in sports competitions both in Kurgan and in other cities of the country. After school, he went to work at the Kurgan Machine-Building Plant (KMZ) and at the same time entered the correspondence department at the Kurgan Machine-Building Institute, from which he graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering. He worked at KMZ as a foreman, ventilator, and also as a roofer in the brigade.\nThroughout his youth, Anatoliy did not abandon his passion for sports: he was engaged in weightlifting, bodybuilding, and competed for his plant. He still leads a healthy lifestyle. His hobbies include music and reading. He especially enjoys playing the guitar, reading classical and educational literature.\nAnatoliy has always felt a spiritual thirst. In 1993, when he first picked up the Bible, he became interested in its teachings and began to study them deeply. He learned that, according to the Holy Scriptures, there is a Creator who has a plan for the earth and humanity, and that people are not a product of evolution. Anatoliy had a meaning in life.\nIn 1988, after the army, Anatoliy married Tatyana, whom he had known since school. After graduating from college, his wife has been working at KMZ all her life. In marriage, the couple had two children.\nTatiana is described as a good housewife, caring wife and mother. At first, she did not share her husband's religious beliefs and even began to study the Bible to prove the uselessness of his \"hobby\". However, over time, Tatiana's accumulated knowledge and life experience helped her to become convinced of the opposite, and she also became one of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nIn 2015, Anatoliy fell seriously ill and was bedridden for about a year. He got a disability and left his job, as he needs constant treatment for cancer. The sudden death of his son was a strong shock.\nRelatives are worried about the unfair criminal prosecution of Anatoly. They are especially concerned about his state of health and whether he is being provided with the necessary medical assistance in the pre-trial detention center. Prisoners are obliged to follow the requirements of the staff of the pre-trial detention center, including physical exertion that is unbearable for Anatoly: he can hardly move, he is not able to walk in the ranks at the required speed.\nDue to the arrest of Anatoly, the course of chemotherapy was interrupted, which he is forced to constantly undergo in the fight against oncology. Thus, criminal prosecution poses a real threat to Isakov's life.\n","date":"2021-08-09","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/isakov/photo_hu_9ded10c88abe7262.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/isakov/photo_hu_2f0507b5a645cb1c.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/isakov/photo_hu_908a874e2387fdcb.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/isakov/photo_hu_ee45bc31c0ded041.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/isakov.html","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["elderly","disability"],"title":"Anatoliy Isakov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"A pensioner from the village of Kholmskaya, Alexandr Ivshin, faced criminal prosecution in April 2020: a criminal case was opened against him for believing in Jehovah God. After the search and interrogation of law enforcement officers, Alexandr and his wife suffered a hypertensive crisis.\nAlexandr was born in August 1957 in Katav-Ivanovsk (Chelyabinsk region). Later he moved to the Kuban, to the village of Kholmskaya, where he still lives.\nAlexandr has two older brothers and a younger sister. As a child, he loved to organize hiking and sporting events. After school he graduated from the Chelyabinsk Polytechnic Institute. Later he graduated from the Voronezh Forestry Institute.\nAlexandr worked as a turner, assembler of radio equipment, foreman of a forging and production workshop. Having moved to the Krasnodar Territory, he got a job as a lumberjack. Before retirement he worked as chief engineer, industrial safety engineer. Now he is on a well-deserved rest. Likes to travel with his family through the territory of the former USSR, is engaged in floriculture.\nAlexandr met his future wife Galina in 1974, and four years later the couple got married. Galina worked as a kindergarten teacher and is now retired. The spouses help in raising 8 grandchildren.\nIn the 90s, a serious illness made Alexandr think about the meaning of life. Together with his brother, they read three of the four Gospels in one night. In 1995, Alexandr met those who, with the help of the Bible, helped him get answers to deep life questions. This is how Alexandr became a Christian. Peaceful views prompted him to refuse to participate in military training and take up arms.\nAfter searches and interrogations in quarantine due to COVID-19, the family faced difficulties in resolving medical and domestic issues. “I feel humiliated,” the believer shared. - All the time waiting for something bad. The court seized Alexandr's car, considering that it was necessary to ensure the execution of a possible sentence.\nRelatives and friends are worried about the married couple. They were shocked that Alexandr was sentenced to 7.5 years in prison, despite his age and state of health. While awaiting an appeal against the verdict, the believer visited five pre-trial detention centers in a month and a half and fell seriously ill. On April 15, 2021, an appeal in Krasnodar upheld the verdict.\n","date":"2020-05-07","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/ivshin/photo_hu_901e3c3011e146ab.JPG","jpg2x":"/prisoners/ivshin/photo_hu_694eed71b36991b9.JPG","webp":"/prisoners/ivshin/photo_hu_43a3f9f7c51d7644.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/ivshin/photo_hu_6c3cb3eb227e2f42.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/ivshin.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["elderly","health-risk"],"title":"Aleksandr Ivshin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On December 26, 2019, law enforcement officers conducted a series of searches in the homes of believers in Zelenogorsk, Krasnoyarsk Territory, after which at least 8 people went for interrogation. Aleksandr Kabanov spent the day in the temporary detention facility. What do we know about him?\nAlexander was born in August 1960 in the city of Kansk. The parents are no longer alive. He has a brother and sister. As a child, he liked to ski in winter and fishing in summer. After graduating from school, he got a job in a boiler room and worked there for 12 years. Now he works as an operator of complex cleaning of the territory.\nAfter the death of Alexander's mother, questions began to torment: what happens to a person when he dies? Is he in hell? Why does God allow suffering? He found answers to these important questions in life, as well as comfort and hope, in the Bible. He decided to become a Christian and live according to what is written in this wise book.\nLater he moved to the city of Zaozerny, then to the closed administrative-territorial unit Zelenogorsk. Single. There are adult children who already have their own families.\nAlthough Aleksandr's family does not share his beliefs, they believe that his criminal prosecution because of his faith is an unfortunate legal error that needs to be corrected as soon as possible.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kabanov/photo_hu_ed27be6be8c62dc4.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kabanov/photo_hu_86d825fd447e810.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kabanov/photo_hu_ce9f221d947ea793.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kabanov/photo_hu_8951026331540507.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kabanov.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Aleksandr Kabanov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On November 10, 2018, in Khabarovsk, 30 riot policemen broke into a café where a friendly party was taking place. After breaking down the doors, they staged hours of mass interrogation of those present, including minors, with the seizure of personal property and fingerprinting. Criminal cases were opened against several party participants in connection with their religion. Among them was Maya Karpushkina. What do we know about her?\nMaya was born in 1949 in the village of Anuchino, Primorsky Krai. Her parents are no longer alive, but there is a sister who is 2 years younger. Maya grew up active and sociable, loved dancing and was engaged in an ensemble. She graduated from the Spassk Pedagogical School and received a specialty as a primary school teacher. After studying in the direction, she went to Khabarovsk and stayed to live in this city. Almost all her life, Maya worked in her specialty. Recently, after retiring, she got a job as a salesman in a bread kiosk. She has a vegetable garden where she not only grows vegetables, but also enjoys planting flowers. He also helps with the upbringing of grandchildren and great-grandson. She has known her husband since school, he was her classmate. The family has three children: a son and two daughters. Now they have grown up and live separately with their families. Maya is the only one in the family who takes the Bible and its commandments seriously. \"I really liked that the people who talked to me on spiritual topics knew the Holy Scriptures well, and most importantly, they themselves adhered to the biblical teachings in their lives,\" Maya recalls. Having lived a decent life, she could never have imagined that she would be written down as an \"extremist\" simply because of her faith in God.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/karpushkina/photo_hu_133269e0b329591f.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/karpushkina/photo_hu_f020cc77e7c2aec4.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/karpushkina/photo_hu_f91af3b22b6b60b9.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/karpushkina/photo_hu_42623b62f4cc4f0d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/karpushkina.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Maya Karpushkina","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Anatoliy Khvostov, a resident of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, became aсcused in a criminal case at the age of 73. The persecution of an elderly man and six of his fellow believers began in November 2021. Before that, the believer's house was searched as part of the case against Anton Ostapenko.\nAnatoliy was born in April 1948 in the city of Makeyevka, Donetsk region, Ukrainian SSR. He has a younger brother. As a child, Anatoliy was fond of sports, immediately after school he went to work.\nIn addition to Makeyevka, Anatoliy lived for some time in Taganrog (Rostov Region) and Novosibirsk, later moved to the city of Sharypovo (Krasnoyarsk Territory), where he participated in the construction of the Berezovskaya regional power station. Recently he worked as a locksmith.\nIn the mid-1990s, Anatoliy began to study the Bible. Meditating on the prophecies contained in this book touched his heart and moved him to the Christian path in 1997.\nAnatoliy is divorced, a daughter and a son were born in marriage, who is no longer alive.\nThe criminal prosecution hit the already poor health of an elderly person. Yet the believer does not lose hope for the wonderful future described in the Bible, and maintains a positive attitude. In this he is helped by the support of relatives and friends.\n","date":"2022-03-07","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/khvostov/photo_hu_7d205cea2cb2d137.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/khvostov/photo_hu_de5d56b06c910369.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/khvostov/photo_hu_36d6eeeb1853d31d.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/khvostov/photo_hu_56665772e1a717b6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/khvostov.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Anatoliy Khvostov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In October 2021, peaceful pensioner Igor Kletkin was charged with extremism for reading the Bible and praying with his fellow believers. After the searches, he was detained for two days and then released under recognizance agreement.\nIgor was born in May 1961 in Nikolaevsk-on-Amur (Khabarovsk Territory). In the family, he was the only child. After leaving school, he received the profession of a driver. For many years he worked by profession, working in public and private enterprises. He was also a security guard, a martial arts trainer, and later a comprehensive service worker at the Children's Art Center. Igor is now retired.\nSince childhood, Igor loved music, learned to play the guitar. He still retains his hobby today. He enjoys hiking, cycling. Igor is often in nature, admiring the beautiful views of the Amur River.\nIgor was always interested in spiritual questions about the meaning of life and what happens after death. He looked for answers from various preachers. Igor says: “When my mother was paralyzed, I was in despair, raised my head to the sky and asked God — why? When I learned from Jehovah's Witnesses that there would be eternal life on earth in wonderful conditions, I really liked this thought, I began to learn more about it from the Bible.\" In December 1999, he embarked on the Christian path. The knowledge gained prompted him to abandon the violence-related martial arts. But Igor still continues to maintain his physical shape.\nIgor is married and has a daughter. The family is worried about the accusations against the head of the family, considering them groundless, since the beliefs of the believer are incompatible with the ideas of extremism.\n","date":"2021-11-25","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kletkin/photo_hu_576217b4fee82fa8.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kletkin/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kletkin/photo_hu_1e94498b6a3dff7c.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kletkin/photo_hu_a0fa1f1ac59e49a6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kletkin.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Igor Kletkin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Persecution of believers continues in the Primorsky Territory. Young and elderly residents of the region are targeted by law enforcement officers. Among them are 64-year-old Galina Kubeleva and her son Sergey. They are included in the list of extremists of Rosfinmonitoring only for their participation in peaceful services and talking about the Bible.\nGalina was born in February 1956 in the village of Verkhniye Mully, Perm Territory, in the family of a carpenter. She has a younger sister. The parents are no longer alive.\nAt the age of 11, Galina and her parents moved to the village of Kurskoye in the Primorsky Territory. She graduated from college with a degree in salesman, then studied as a commodity specialist at the Far Eastern Institute of Soviet Trade. After getting married, she moved to the city of Lesozavodsk. The family had two children - Sergey and Julia. After a while, the couple divorced.\nGalina worked as a store manager, commercial director, chief accountant, specialist of the 1st category in the Office of the Federal Treasury. She is now retired. Galina loves to work in the garden, grow vegetables and berries.\nIn the late 90s, Galina got acquainted with the Bible and became convinced of the existence of God. Her faith was strengthened by fulfilling Bible prophecies and God's answers to her prayers. Later, her children also became Jehovah's Witnesses.\nThe persecution for her faith unsettled Galina, disturbed her calmness and her usual way of life. The stress was added to the worries about the son and his family.\n","date":"2021-05-20","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kobeleva/photo_hu_cacf6227965a7824.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kobeleva/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kobeleva/photo_hu_f3dfcebf70b4e1ca.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kobeleva/photo_hu_5d252ea378f62961.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kobeleva.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["families","elderly"],"title":"Galina Kobeleva","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Lyubov Kocherova, who grew up without a father and lost her son, faced persecution for her faith in Jehovah God and misunderstanding from her relatives. March 2022 was a turning point in her life—then her house was searched, and she became a defendant in a criminal case only because of her faith.\nLyubov was born in May 1958 in the city of Aktyubinsk (Kazakhstan). She has an elder brother and a younger sister, her parents are deceased. When Lyubov was 8 years old, her mother, due to a difficult situation in the family, moved to the village of Knyaz-Volkonskoye (Khabarovsk Territory).\nAs a child, Lyubov was fond of athletics and knitting. After school, she graduated from college and worked as a salesman, telegraph operator and military radiotelegraph operator. At various times, she lived in Krasnodar, Kamchatka, in the village of Khor, Khabarovsk Territory.\nLyubov met her future husband in 1998. She has a daughter. Lyubov's brother and his wife first became interested in Bible teachings. From them, the woman learned that the Bible says a lot about love, which she lacked all her life. When she began to read the Bible, she realized that she could no longer work in the military unit and quit. Lyubov embarked on the Christian path in 2002. Her granddaughter followed suit.\nWhen the criminal prosecution for faith began, Lyubov's husband could not understand her Christian position, and her sister encouraged her to abandon her faith \"so as not to end up in prison.\" The brother supports Lyubov and respects her beliefs.\n","date":"2022-09-06","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kocherova/photo_hu_ba0310a30894c841.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kocherova/photo_hu_f0cd39520b377eae.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kocherova/photo_hu_650131637eecdcec.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kocherova/photo_hu_5721c39ae9bdc1b6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kocherova.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Lyubov Kocherova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Nailya Kogai is one of the elderly women from Vladivostok who were accused of extremism only because of their religion. During the trial, she buried her husband. The believer said, \"It's like losing one leg. He was very worried about me. My persecution took a toll on his heart. He died of cardiac arrest. My husband was very worried about me and supported me.\"\nNailya was born in 1951 in Tashkent (Uzbekistan). The parents are no longer alive. Nailya has an elder brother. The younger one died in 1992. As a child, Nailya was fond of athletics.\nAfter school, Nailya graduated from the Tashkent Institute of Railway Engineers, where she received the specialty \"civil engineer\". She worked as a design engineer in design organizations, as well as deputy director of the institute. She is currently retired.\nIn 1975, Nailya married a work colleague, Robert Kogay. The couple raised two children. In 2003 they moved to Vladivostok. Robert worked as a team leader in a design institute, but since 1989 he has been on disability and needs constant care.\nThe logic of the Bible and the understanding that God is loving and caring convinced Nailya that the Bible is trustworthy. Therefore, in the second half of the 1990s, she decided to take the Christian path.\nNailya experienced severe stress due to criminal prosecution. The incident affected her physical health and financial situation. All accounts, including savings left after the sale of an apartment in Tashkent, which Nailya used to pay for rented housing, were blocked. Against this background, chronic diseases worsened.\nSon Vadim worries about his mother. During interrogation, he said in bewilderment: \"My mother is a reasonable and competent person and knows what she is doing. She's not an extremist!\"\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kogay/photo_hu_4c29a5bd99a77b0.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kogay/photo_hu_37c566c4999ad8fd.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kogay/photo_hu_6fe717246b07ef7e.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kogay/photo_hu_7a629803d54ab35b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kogay.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Nailya Kogay","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Vladimir Kolesnikov, a retired military man, faced criminal prosecution for his faith in 2022. Two years earlier, he had experienced the death of his spouse.\nVladimir was born in March 1946 in Lviv (Ukraine). He has a younger brother and sister. As a child, he was fond of sports and participated in running competitions.\nFrom 1956 to 1968, Vladimir received an education: first he studied at the Orenburg and Kazan Suvorov schools. And then he received a higher education, graduating from the Yeysk Aviation School. After that, he served in Transbaikalia, and in 1976 he retired with the rank of captain. After that, Vladimir worked at the northern mine. He is now retired. His situation is complicated by the fact that due to the illness he has suffered, he is limited in his actions.\nIn 1979, he married Zinaida, who raised her daughter alone. In their life together, they had a son and a second daughter. Zinaida worked in trade and cleaning. Due to the deterioration of her health, the couple moved to the village of Vyselki, Krasnodar Territory, where Vladimir lives to this day. In his free time, he takes care of the garden and walks.\nEven in his youth, Vladimir, convinced of the existence of God, began to think about spiritual issues. In 1993, his wife learned that Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses were planning a major meeting for worship and wanted to attend. Later, the couple began to study the Bible together and in 1995 embarked on the Christian path.\n","date":"2022-07-27","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kolesnikov/photo_hu_6e9ef8efd44fd667.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kolesnikov/photo_hu_d602b47323453c4b.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kolesnikov/photo_hu_afa5d90a27af2fb6.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kolesnikov/photo_hu_6890df610ac6ad21.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kolesnikov.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Vladimir Kolesnikov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In October 2022, Yuriy Kolotinskiy, a labor veteran with a group-three disability, learned that he had been accused of extremism because of his belief in Jehovah God.\nYuriy was born in January 1955 in the village of Teya, Tiraspol Region, Moldovan SSR. His parents and his older brother and sister are no longer alive. As a child, Yuriy loved sports, was in the second category in soccer, and was also involved in weightlifting and table tennis. He graduated from a mining vocational school and became an electrician.\nIn September 1977, Yuriy married Natalya, and soon the young family moved to the region of Yakutia in the Far North of Russia. Natalya worked as a salesperson. Yuriy worked in the nonferrous mining industry and later in a coal mine. For about 22 years, Yuriy worked with heavy trucks. Now he is retired, and due to an occupational disease, he is on disability.\nYuriy became the first in his family to learn about the Bible; this happened in 1994. He recalls: “I had questions like, What will happen to humanity? What will happen to our earth? If there is a God, then why does he allow so much suffering? Will it ever end? These questions have been fully answered. I told my wife what I learned, and she immediately showed interest in it.” The couple was impressed by the accurate fulfillment of Bible prophecy and how wise and helpful the Bible is. A year later, the Kolotinskiys became Christians.\nThe couple raised two sons and a daughter and instilled Christian values in them as well. The family decided to move from the countryside of the Altai Territory to the city of Barnaul. The couple spend their free time with their grandchildren and enjoy mushroom picking and fishing. Yuriy is a photographer; he professionally shoots beautiful landscapes and makes paintings from his pictures. Natalya grows vegetables and flowers in her garden.\nRelatives, acquaintances and neighbors of the Kolotinskiys were surprised to learn about the criminal prosecution of Yuriy. They do not understand how a peaceful and law-abiding person can be considered an extremist.\n","date":"2023-01-13","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kolotinskiy/photo_hu_ea4770ac585d9464.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kolotinskiy/photo_hu_99433245028bd3b7.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kolotinskiy/photo_hu_48492f9ad1834971.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kolotinskiy/photo_hu_8b1dbf5cf8da4749.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kolotinskiy.html","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Yuriy Kolotinskiy","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On December 12, 2019, in Nevinnomyssk (Stavropol Territory), a year after the mass searches, the Investigative Committee opened a criminal case against 8 civilians, including 57-year-old Nadezhda Konkova.\nNadezhda was born in 1962 in the village of Ukhtuy, Ziminsky District, Irkutsk Region. She grew up in a large family - her parents raised six children. There were many losses in Nadezhda's life, only her older sister survived. As a child, Nadezhda liked to work on the land - planting plants, harvesting.\nAfter school, Nadezhda graduated from the Irkutsk Technological College, receiving the specialty of an accountant, which she worked all her life. In her free time, Nadezhda likes to go to the mountains, take care of her pet.\nNadezhda's love for the Bible was instilled in her father, who himself learned about this book as a teenager. She was also encouraged by the example of her uncle, who was a deeply religious man. The biblical message prompted Nadezhda to embark on the path of Christianity at the age of 15.\nSoviet society perceived this step as a challenge to the system. For refusing to attend military training classes, Nadezhda was publicly expelled from school. Teachers, school and city authorities, and later her superiors at work urged Nadezhda to renounce her faith. Security officers repeatedly threatened the woman with dismissal.\nOver time, Nadezhda met Oleg, who shared her values. Peaceful convictions did not allow him to serve in the army. At that time, the USSR did not provide for alternative civilian service, Oleg was imprisoned for 3 years. After Oleg's release, they got married.\nIn 1984, the young family moved to the city of Tyrnyauz (Kabardino-Balkaria), and later settled in Nevinnomyssk to be closer to their relatives. In 2018, after 38 years of marriage with Oleg, Nadezhda was widowed.\nThe search was a severe shock for Nadezhda and undermined her health. Due to heart problems, she was hospitalized. A year later, Nadezhda was still undergoing treatment. The story of repression for Nadezhda repeats itself: as in Soviet times, she is again forced to renounce her faith. Relatives and friends are very worried about Nadezhda, try to support her and are perplexed about the persecution of this peace-loving woman.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/konkova/photo_hu_c77f48ae6b835b6.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/konkova/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/konkova/photo_hu_3d61d5e31603f1d5.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/konkova/photo_hu_5d2e22f5071ddc27.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/konkova.html","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Nadezhda Konkova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Vladimir Korobeynikov is a pensioner who takes care of his wife Olga, who practically does not get out of bed due to illness, and daughter Nina is a disabled person of group I. In 2018, this peaceful resident of Kirov was accused of extremism only because of his faith in Jehovah God.\nVladimir was born in 1952 on Dikson Island in the northern part of the Krasnoyarsk Territory. His father was a polar explorer and oceanographer. Vladimir has two sisters. As a child, he was fond of aircraft and ship modeling.\nVladimir worked as a turner, locksmith and EDM. Currently retired, in his spare time he likes to go fishing or make something.\nIn the early 1990s, Vladimir and his wife Olga began to study the Bible. Vladimir was particularly impressed by biblical prophecies, which accurately predicted both past events and contemporary reality. In addition, applying wise counsel from Scripture helped them build relationships in a family that was close to breaking up. Since then, it has been a close-knit family, they have an adult daughter and a son.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/korobeinikov/photo_hu_a4117f09e37bc5b1.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/korobeinikov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/korobeinikov/photo_hu_e5c667a1b4a5b2fc.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/korobeinikov/photo_hu_b623ab587d0c5721.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/korobeinikov.html","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Vladimir Korobeynikov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Nadezhda Korochko is a peaceful pensioner from Mykolaivsk-on-Amur. In the fall of 2021, security forces searched her home. Because of the talk about God, the believer was suspected of extremist activity.\nNadezhda was born in August 1943 in the town of Shakhty (Rostov Region). Her father worked as a machinist, and her mother ran a household. The family had 9 children: 3 girls and 6 boys. Due to financial difficulties, the family was forced to move to Okhotsk (Khabarovsk Territory). Nadezhda’s parents, six brothers, as well as one sister are no longer alive.\nAs a child, Nadezhda was fond of sports: gymnastics, volleyball, basketball, skiing. She loved to draw and go fishing with her father.\nNadezhda graduated from the Novosibirsk Institute of Water Transport Engineers with a specialization in hydraulic engineering of waterways and ports. She worked as the chief accountant of the Mobile Mechanized Column in Nikolaevsk-on-Amur. In 1990, she was invited to Khabarovsk in the construction department. In 1994, Nadezhda had a heart attack, after which she returned to Nikolaevsk-on-Amur. There, until 2021, she worked as an accountant for private entrepreneurs.\nNadezhda still enjoys fishing, even in winter. She is fond of knitting and, despite her age, still goes in for sports to keep fit.\nNadezhda was a believer. She recalls: “I rode a tram and faced violence there. When I left, I turned to God: 'Why do you allow all this to happen?'” Soon after this incident, Nadezhda began to get to know the Bible better and found answers to this and other questions in it. She was so impressed by the high moral standards and laws set out in this book that she firmly decided to live by them. This was in 1996.\nNadezhda was married twice. With her second husband, they raised four children — Nadezhda's daughter from her first marriage, two children of her husband and a common daughter. The head of the family worked as a neurologist, taught at a medical school. In 1988 he was gone.\nDue to the criminal prosecution, Nadezhda's health deteriorated. She noted: \"Before the criminal prosecution, I had a hypertensive crisis, and the searches and interrogations worsened my health.\" Thanks to the help of her children and friends, her condition returned to normal to some extent. Children do not share Nadezhda's religious views, but they support her in every possible way.\n","date":"2021-12-02","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/korobochko/photo_hu_521f09178e1585d2.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/korobochko/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/korobochko/photo_hu_bf1a03920cca082d.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/korobochko/photo_hu_2ab4647f8a5a8aaf.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/korobochko.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Nadezhda Korobochko","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In the early October morning of 2021, special forces soldiers broke into the apartment of 61-year-old Sergey Kosteyev, breaking a window. After that security forces put him behind bars for his faith in Jehovah God. Stress contributed to the exacerbation of Sergey's hypertension, and he was admitted to a hospital cell for 20 days.\nSergey was born in May 1960 in the city of Korkino (Chelyabinsk region). His father died when Sergey was a teenager. Then, together with his mother, he moved to Irkutsk. He has a younger sister.\nSergey graduated from a vocational school as an electrician, but later changed his profession and has been working as a driver for about 30 years. His hobbies include fishing and photography.\nIn the early 1990s, Sergey's mother and sister met Jehovah's Witnesses and eventually embarked on the Christian path. The changes in the lives of family and friends sparked an interest in the Bible in Sergei as well. In 1996, he became one of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nSince 1994 Sergey has been divorced. He has two grown children and already four grandchildren. Although the children do not share his religious convictions, the criminal prosecution of his father caused a great shock to them, the elderly mother and other relatives. They all know Sergey as a peaceful and kind person who has not committed any crimes, and they consider the criminal prosecution to be complete absurdity.\n","date":"2021-11-17","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kosteyev/photo_hu_1d611d75bfc679f7.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kosteyev/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kosteyev/photo_hu_7a9a298916f8293d.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kosteyev/photo_hu_8e82bd96bce9db58.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kosteyev.html","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["elderly","health-risk"],"title":"Sergey Kosteyev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On December 3, 2019, in Lipetsk, three civilians were imprisoned because of their religious views. One of them is Alexander Kostrov. What do we know about this man?\nAlexander was born in 1961 in the city of Sortavala (Karelia). She has an older sister. In 1963, due to the harsh climate of Karelia, the family moved to Lipetsk. As a child, Alexander was fond of swimming and wrestling.\nAfter school, he completed a pilot training course, graduated from the metallurgical college, courses for gas electric welders and electricians. He worked as a specialist in installation, repair and maintenance of electrical equipment and electrical circuits. Then he retired. In his spare time he likes to fish.\nAlready in adulthood, Alexander began to seriously study the ancient book - the Bible. The knowledge gained convinced him of the need to firmly adhere to the Christian path of life.\nIn 1997 he married Larisa. The family has two children: son Sergey and daughter Anna. Spouses love to spend time together in nature.\nThe criminal prosecution of Aleksandr had a detrimental effect on the emotional and material state of the family. The relatives of the spouses sincerely empathize with them.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kostrov/photo_hu_b95505521786eb57.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kostrov/photo_hu_154298364269671.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kostrov/photo_hu_de0a6e58d6b7e97c.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kostrov/photo_hu_50f44db606aae7f4.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kostrov.html","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Aleksandr Kostrov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Sergey Kosyanenko is a peaceful believer from the town of Znamensk. He is an international master of sport and a record holder and multiple winner of all-Russian and international tournaments in weight lifting. In the fall of 2021, security forces raided his home and conducted a search. Sergey was charged with organizing the activities of an extremist organization and sent to a pre-trial detention center. The court sentenced him to seven years in prison because of his love for the Bible.\nSergey was born in June 1961 in the urban-type settlement of Elani, Volgograd Region. He is the oldest of three children. Since early childhood, Sergey has loved sports; he played football and hockey and was also fond of collecting stamps. At the age of 13, he entered the Kosovo Art College, where he became a master of artistic woodworking.\nSergey has a rich history of professional activity. He worked as a graphic designer, served as an ensign in a marine brigade in the Baltic Fleet, and worked as a teacher in a secondary school and gymnasium, as well as in a youth sports school.\nSergey has been kettlebell lifting for many years. He set two Russian records in the weight category up to 65 kg and developed a training method that prepared many winners, including women.\nUntil his criminal prosecution, Sergey lived in the town of Znamensk, Astrakhan Region, and worked as a sports instructor, promoted sports among young people, and organized soccer tournaments. In his free time, he composed poetry and music, played the guitar, wrote and published prose on literary websites, played soccer, volleyball, and chess, and participated in weightlifting competitions among veterans; he also enjoyed solving Japanese crosswords and going fishing.\nIn the early 2000s, while serving in the military, Sergey began to study the Bible in depth. He was impressed by its internal harmony, its historical accuracy, and its fulfilled prophecies. He decided to leave the military two years before retirement. In May 2002, Sergey became a Christian.\nThe changes in his personality deeply impressed his wife, Olga, to whom Sergey has been married since 1983, and in 2003 she also became a Christian. Olga is fond of sewing and cooking. Together, the couple raised a son and a daughter who share their outlook on life. Sergey and Olga love spending time with their children and grandchildren—watching movies together, playing board games, and relaxing in nature.\nSergey's relatives are outraged by his unfair persecution and harsh sentence. They are worried about his future.\n","date":"2021-12-16","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kosyanenko/photo_hu_53dfd817e1fafd66.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kosyanenko/photo_hu_9c0f9a40035b576f.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kosyanenko/photo_hu_3b8759fc5fda5441.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kosyanenko/photo_hu_62c27047bb1b3a65.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kosyanenko.html","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Sergey Kosyanenko","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In September 2021, Petr Krupnov and his wife Maya became defendants in a criminal case. After 3 months, the court sentenced them to 2 years suspended. After serving the main sentence and not waiting for the end of the additional restrictions, Petr died in November 2024 as a result of a rapidly progressing oncological disease.\nPetr Krupnov was born in July 1963 in the village of Akhmatovka, Penza region. He was an only child. In 1981, the family moved to Nikolsk. Mother worked in a glass factory, now she is retired. The father is no longer alive.\nAfter school, Petr received a secondary specialized education as a diamond grinder for the processing of glass products. In his youth, he loved to spend time with friends, ride a moped and a motorcycle. For some time, he worked at a factory as a semi-automatic machine adjuster, then as a steam boiler repairman and a plumber.\nPetr was fond of auto and radio engineering, loved music and trips to nature. He has an adult daughter.\nIn 2002, the man decided to live according to biblical principles. He was touched by what he learned from the Holy Scriptures about the Creator and the future that he had prepared for people. In 2008, Petr married Maya, who supported him in everything.\nAccording to family and friends, Petr did not lose heart until the last minute of his life and was a support for others.\n","date":"2022-02-08","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/krupnov/photo_hu_a83ca789db333564.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/krupnov/photo_hu_a69dc2dfc7da9fc4.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/krupnov/photo_hu_28686d7e57feaaf2.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/krupnov/photo_hu_f1fe26d20b753d0f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/krupnov.html","regions":["penza"],"tags":["families","elderly","died"],"title":"Petr Krupnov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On March 5, 2020, Yuriy Krutyakov, a peaceful believer from the city of Chekhov, was sent to a pre-trial detention center. Because of a conversation with a man who portrayed an interest in the Bible, he spent more than a year behind bars. There, Yuri's eyesight deteriorated sharply. In May 2021, the court found the believer guilty of extremism and sentenced him to 6 years of suspended imprisonment with a probation period of 5 years. His wife Zinaida, who was a defendant in the same criminal case, was sentenced to 2 years and 3 months of probation with a probation period of 2 years.\nYuri was born in Nizhny Novgorod in 1952 in a working-class family. He studied at the evening department of the Gorky Civil Engineering Institute (Faculty of Industrial and Civil Construction). He worked at the design institute as a draftsman of the design department, in several construction and installation departments in various positions - from the foreman to the head of the production and technical department. Recently, he worked as a finisher of premises.\nSince childhood, Yuri had an inquisitive mind, loved to learn something new and deepen his knowledge in various fields. For a long time I was looking for the meaning of life, but nowhere did I find sufficiently convincing and logical answers to my questions.\nAcquaintance with biblical truth occurred in 1996. \"I finally saw the perspective that God opens through his Word, the Bible,\" says Yuri. Two years later, he made a firm decision to become a follower of Christ.\nYuri led an active lifestyle, often moved to different cities, and in 2010 settled in Chekhov. In 2012, he married Zinaida, who shares his religious beliefs. The wife loves to cook, listens to classical and folk music. Since October 3, 2019, Zinaida has been under house arrest as a defendant in the same criminal case.\nDue to criminal prosecution and stress, Yuriy's health deteriorated. There are not enough funds to support the family. Family and friends are deeply saddened by the unfair persecution of the couple.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/krutyakov/photo.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/krutyakov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/krutyakov/photo_hu_df242dcf529572cd.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/krutyakov/photo_hu_df242dcf529572cd.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/krutyakov.html","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["elderly","families"],"title":"Yuriy Krutyakov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In October 2019, Zinaida Krutyakova, following her husband, became a defendant in a criminal case on extremism because of a conversation with a man who pretended to be interested in the Bible. More than a year later, the court found the believers guilty, and sentenced Zinaida to 2 years and 3 months of suspended imprisonment with a probationary period of 2 years. The court sentenced her husband Yuriy to 6 years of suspended imprisonment with a probationary period of 5 years.\nZinaida was born in 1958 in the village of Nizhnedevitsk, Voronezh Region. She has an elder sister. Together they graduated from the Voronezh Civil Engineering Institute with a degree in technologist for the production of ceramics and refractories.\nZinaida moved to Chekhov with her first husband, where she worked for more than thirty years at the city-forming enterprise. She was in charge of the factory laboratory. He is now retired.\nZinaida single-handedly raised her daughter Irina, trying to instill in her high standards of morality. She worked hard to give her daughter a good education. In 2012 she got married for the second time. She loves classical and folk music, walks in the woods, and enjoys preparing delicious meals for loved ones.\nZinaida was always concerned about why there was so much injustice in the world, and the biblical idea that God would bring order to the earth immediately resonated in her heart. Because of her Christian beliefs, a criminal case was initiated against her. It is difficult for Zinaida's family and friends to understand why peace-loving people like her are being persecuted.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/krutyakova/photo_hu_c911d6f4f1e6c628.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/krutyakova/photo_hu_dec9cbf3a75e625e.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/krutyakova/photo_hu_916627d55afefe2f.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/krutyakova/photo_hu_cf3af2ae086160e4.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/krutyakova.html","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["elderly","families"],"title":"Zinaida Krutyakova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/person_placeholder_female.jpg","jpg2x":"/person_placeholder_female.jpg","webp":"/person_placeholder_female_hu_c25ee5bdff083aef.webp","webp2x":"/person_placeholder_female_hu_c25ee5bdff083aef.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kugukova.html","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Valentina Kugukova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On October 10, 2019, groups of armed special forces broke down doors, broke through a balcony and searched the apartments of dozens of Sochi residents. Thus, the security forces from the Rostov and Volgograd regions acted against those who believe in God differently from others. As a result of the raid, Nikolay Kuzichkin was detained and sent to a pre-trial detention center. He spent more than six months behind bars, which critically affected his already poor health.\nNikolay was born in 1951 in the Kostroma region. As a child, he loved to play hockey. After school, he graduated from a music school and began working as a piano tuner. In addition to his main job, he is fond of breeding bees.\nNikolay lived in St. Petersburg and Sochi. His wife's name is Olga, they raised three sons together.\nSince the early 1990s, Nikolay has become seriously interested in the Bible and has developed a deep respect for this book. He was impressed by the Bible prophecies, the fulfillment of which he could witness with his own eyes.\nRelatives and friends of Nicholas still cannot believe what happened. The wife does not share his beliefs, but does not understand how a peaceful person can be persecuted. Despite the absence of victims and real evidence of guilt, on December 18, 2020, the court sentenced Nikolai to imprisonment for 1 year and 1 month. Since the believer had already served this term in a pre-trial detention center, he was released on the day of the sentence.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kuzichkin/photo_hu_edadc367c43f3c35.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kuzichkin/photo_hu_f8b3223e4933dc9e.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kuzichkin/photo_hu_a121e6f570f1c508.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kuzichkin/photo_hu_6e4e81d8de71012c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kuzichkin.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Nikolay Kuzichkin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In the summer of 2019, the homes of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Kaluga were searched, and two peaceful believers ended up in a pre-trial detention center.\nDmitriy Kuzin was born in Kaluga. He has a younger brother. Their father worked as the director of the Museum of Cosmonautics, and their mother oversaw the school library. Dmitriy grew up as a versatile child: he went to a music school, played the accordion, was fond of skiing and sports dancing, played football and hockey.\nAfter school, Dmitriy graduated from the Kaluga branch of the Bauman Moscow State Technical University with a degree in turbine engineering. He worked by profession for many years at various enterprises, and before the criminal prosecution, together with his wife, he was engaged in cleaning the premises of the Kaluga Museum of Cosmonautics.\nDmitriy learned Bible teachings from his first wife, who was the first to become interested in this book. According to him, this is what saved their marriage. In 2000, Dmitriy was widowed. Later, he met Svetlana, whom he married in 2013. She is a primary school teacher by education, and worked as a tutor for some time.\nThe couple appreciate the support of friends who came to their aid during the persecution. Dmitriy\u0026#39;s mother, a disabled person of group II, is completely dependent on his support — the father passed away in 2024. The elderly woman does not share his religious beliefs, but she worries about her son.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kuzin/photo_hu_b0440340a632874e.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kuzin/photo_hu_333989e933aa1e52.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kuzin/photo_hu_d30252c047dd4ed.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kuzin/photo_hu_f9167384495575d2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kuzin.html","regions":["kaluga"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Dmitriy Kuzin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"A criminal case was opened against Sergey Kuznetsov after his nephew, Yegor Baranov. The peaceful Christian was included in the list of extremists of Rosfinmonitoring, and in December 2022, the court sentenced him to 2.5 years suspended sentence just because of his faith.\nSergey was born in 1991 in the small village of Alonka (Khabarovsk Territory). He has two older sisters. Sergey's mother worked as a cook in a village kindergarten, and his father worked as a railway fitter. Sergey was a versatile child: he attended a local history club, a knitting and crocheting club, went skiing, practiced the Chinese martial art of kung fu, and also went to volleyball and basketball clubs.\nAfter school, Sergey trained as an electric locomotive driver assistant at the Khabarovsk College. A year later, he returned to his native village of Alonka, and the next year he continued his studies at the Transbaikal College, located in Chernyshevsk (Chita Region). Having received a qualification, Sergey, together with his relatives, moved to the city of Vyazemsky, where he still lives.\nWhile training in Khabarovsk, Sergey began to study the Bible. He was impressed by the accuracy of the prophecies from the Holy Scriptures, which are being fulfilled in our time. He became convinced of the existence of the Creator, and in 2014 he firmly decided to become a Christian.\nIn 2016, Sergey started his alternative civilian service. His convictions which do not allow him to take up arms motivated him to do so. For almost two years he worked in a psychiatric hospital.\nSergey worked as a cook, waiter, sales assistant, carpenter's assistant and janitor. Also in his life there is a place for his favorite activities—playing the ukulele and electric guitar. In addition, he is fond of photography and keeps in shape with workouts on the pull-up bar and parallel bars.\nSergey lost his job because of the criminal prosecution. His relatives do not understand how in our time peaceful Christians can be prosecuted, accusing them of extremism.\n","date":"2021-04-23","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kuznetsovs/photo_hu_f3c42b1e31ba226b.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kuznetsovs/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kuznetsovs/photo_hu_bcbd78628faacfd0.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kuznetsovs/photo_hu_b352e19bd9cb7a35.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kuznetsovs.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["elderly","disability","health-risk"],"title":"Sergey Kuznetsov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In April 2021, law enforcement officers of the Tula region raided Jehovah's Witnesses. Several believers, including 2 women, were thrown into jail. Gurami Labadze, one of the defendants in the criminal case, was placed under house arrest. On the day of the search and interrogation, Gurami's blood pressure and blood sugar rose, and the operatives even had to call an ambulance.\nGurami was born in December 1962 in the Georgian village of Nigvzara. The large family had 2 sons and 2 daughters, but brother Gurami died in infancy. As a child, Gurami was very fond of reading, so some librarians, knowing this, left interesting books for him. He regrets that among those books he never came across the Bible, because even then he was interested in the origin of life.\nGurami studied first at a vocational school in Tbilisi, then at the Tbilisi Technical School of Railway Transport, and then graduated from the Tula Polytechnic Institute. After graduation he was sent to serve in the army in the construction battalion.\nUpon his return, Gurami worked as a foreman at a plant in Tula, a car repair mechanic, and a senior mechanic. Later he went into business, then became a carpenter, and from 2015 until his arrest he worked as a taxi driver.\nIn the mid-90s, Gurami took up seriously reading and studying the Bible. Thanks to this ancient book, he found answers to questions that have worried him for many years. Reflecting on God's standards and applying them in life helped Gurami to quit smoking and using drugs. He was also impressed by the behavior of believers and their attitude towards each other. All this prompted him to devote his life to serving God.\nIn 1995, he married Galina, whom he met at work. A son was born in the marriage. Together with family and friends, Gurami loves to spend time in nature: picking mushrooms in the forest and having picnics.\nCriminal prosecution has robbed Gurami of his job. He is prohibited from associating with anyone, including his own family. He shares: “It is very difficult without communication with your wife, son, relatives and friends. As if a part of my body had been torn off. \"\n","date":"2021-05-17","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/labadze/photo_hu_bca7651281629f35.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/labadze/photo_hu_e5900b8875a0bd5.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/labadze/photo_hu_b5e43e2cad462a78.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/labadze/photo_hu_b481b18b2c351231.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/labadze.html","regions":["tula"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Gurami Labadze","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"For a long time, the security forces followed the peaceful life of Aleksey Lelikov, a pianist-teacher from Krasnodar. As a result, he was accused of extremism because of his religion.\nAleksey was born in August 1960 in Krasnodar. His father was a musician-vocalist, and his mother was a film engineer. When Aleksey was 21 and his younger brother was only 12, their father died.\nAt the age of 8, Aleksey began learning to play the piano. In 1977, he graduated with honors from the music school for children. Also, from the age of 12, he began to play football at the youth sports school and for 5 years he played for the city team. Aleksey was fond of fishing since childhood and loved to read.\nAfter he finished school, Lelikov entered the piano department of the Krasnodar Musical College named after N. A. Rimskiy-Korsakov. A year later, he was drafted into the army. Upon his return, he became a member of the Communist Party, since in the party charter he was attracted by the ideas of universal brotherhood and peace on earth. Aleksey continued his studies in music and, having received the specialty of a piano teacher, entered the music and pedagogical department of the Krasnodar State Institute of Culture, from which he graduated with honors with a degree in music teaching. He was a Lenin Scholar and winner of the interuniversity competition \u0026quot;Profession—Music Teacher\u0026quot;.\nAleksey got acquainted with his future wife, Irina, in his youth—they lived in the neighborhood. In April 1979, they got married. Irina is a weaving production technician by profession. She likes to cook, bake pies, listen to music and go to the theater, go to the forest, pick mushrooms and enjoy nature as much as her health allows (Irina has a visual disability of group II, Aleksey was also assigned a disability group II in April 2022 due to impaired motor functions). The Lelikovs enjoy daily walks around the neighborhood of their rural territory partnership: they watch plants and animals, listen to birdsong and take care of pets. The Lelikovs have two adult children and a granddaughter.\nAleksey worked by profession for a long time in various educational institutions: he was an accompanist, piano teacher, head of a choir circle, teacher of music and world art culture, artist-vocalist of a chamber choir. In 1994 he became a finalist in the competition \u0026quot;Teacher of the Year\u0026quot; in Krasnodar. At the same time, he was a soloist of the folklore ensemble \u0026quot;Krinitsa\u0026quot;, which in 1994 became a laureate of the All-Russian competition \u0026quot;Young Voices of Russia\u0026quot;. Also in the early 1990s, Lelikov, together with his daughter, toured with a vocal ensemble of folk art. In recent years, Aleksey has been teaching singing, as well as playing the piano.\nUntil the age of 33, he played in the football team for the championship of the city and the region. But due to the progressive disease of the joints, this hobby had to be abandoned.\nAleksey and Irina met Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in 1993 through friends. Aleksey said: \u0026quot;My wife and I were in search of happiness, peace in the family and the meaning of life, but we did not find answers. At that time, having read a lot of books, I was very disappointed in philosophers. The opinion of some person for me was no longer authority. Therefore, it was very touching that Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses answered all the many questions only with the help of the Bible.\u0026quot; According to Lelikov, thanks to knowledge from the Holy Scriptures, relations in their family have strengthened, and \u0026quot;life has gained real meaning.\u0026quot; In 1994 Aleksey and Irina became Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\nThe Lelikovs lived in different cities of Russia: in Omsk, Yekaterinburg, Moscow, Rostov-on-Don and Volgodonsk. In 2015, they had to return to Krasnodar, where Aleksey cared for his seriously ill mother until her death.\nIn January 2022, Aleksey faced persecution for his faith. He said: \u0026quot;All the investigative measures disrupted the usual way of life of each family member. We got sleep disorder, headaches became more frequent from tension and frequent calls from the investigator demanding this or that... eavesdrop and spy on your family\u0026#39;s life 24 hours a day.\u0026quot;\nRelatives of the Lelikovs, including those who do not share their beliefs, worry about them. Aleksey said: \u0026quot;They cannot believe that I am accused of crimes, and even more so of such a serious one. They cannot understand what kind of extremism they are talking about and what relation to extremism their loved one has, with whom they have excellent relations. What is happening is perceived as complete absurdity and injustice.\n","date":"2022-07-14","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/lelikov/photo_hu_4d38831a69bd4e5a.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/lelikov/photo_hu_72f43f98e396c6e9.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/lelikov/photo_hu_2bc13bee28da6471.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/lelikov/photo_hu_74d7728edc993a2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/lelikov.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["disability","elderly"],"title":"Aleksey Lelikov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On July 31, 2019, mass searches were carried out in the homes of believers in Karelia. Three criminal cases were initiated at once, including against 57-year-old Nikolai Leshchenko. What do we know about this man?\nNikolay was born in 1962 in the Ukrainian city of Poltava. His mother worked as an accountant and his father as a driver. Nikolay has a younger sister, Valentina. As a child, he loved hockey and fishing, was fond of technology.\nIn 1981, Nikolay graduated from a technical school with a degree in road technician. He entered the Higher Military School in Riga (Latvia). In 1987 he was promoted to the rank of officer. He served near the city of Stargard-Szczecinski in Poland, where he was engaged in the maintenance and repair of aircraft. There he also became interested in the Bible, seeing how strikingly different people are who apply the advice from this book in their lives. He wanted to be like them.\nIn Riga, Nikolay met his future wife Svetlana, and in 1984 they registered their marriage. In 1992 we moved to Petrozavodsk.\nSvetlana mastered different professions: she worked in a dry cleaner, as a computer operator in a design bureau, as a nanny in a kindergarten. She is caring for an elderly woman with Alzheimer's disease.\nAfter his discharge from the army, Nikolay worked as a bus driver in a construction organization, repaired apartments, and helped his friends with car repairs. Since April 2019, he has been working as chairman of the board of the HOA in his house. He still loves fishing, traveling and hiking with tents with his wife and friends.\nStress greatly affected the health of the spouses. \"The criminal prosecution deprived me of my usual way of life,\" says Nikolay. \"The dream ran away, thinking, 'What's next?'\"\nRelatives, although they do not share the religious beliefs of Nikolai and Svetlana, worry about them and are concerned about the current situation.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/leshchenko/photo.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/leshchenko/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/leshchenko/photo_hu_292c8669d0d3bed1.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/leshchenko/photo_hu_292c8669d0d3bed1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/leshchenko.html","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Nikolay Leshchеnko","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In the early morning of May 2020, during searches of believers in Khabarovsk and Vyazemsky, FSB officers invaded the 68-year-old Yen Sen Li, suspecting him of \"organizing the activities of an extremist organization.\"\nYen Sen was born in March 1952 in Nikolaevsk-on-Amur in a large family: he was the middle of 5 children. As a child, he was fond of boxing, had the first sports category. He received a higher technical education as an electrical engineer. He worked as a chief power engineer, later as a chief electrician. He managed to live in different cities: in Nikolaevsk-on-Amur, Khabarovsk, Tashkent, Bekabad, Obluchye, Yakutsk. He lived in Lithuania for a while.\nIn his spare time, he liked to play chess and go for walks.\nIn 1991 he married Olga, with whom his son Nikolay was born.\nYen Sen became interested in the Bible when he learned what the book had to say about the future. Together with his wife, he was determined to bring life in harmony with Christian values.\nThe criminal prosecution had a tragic impact on the health of the elderly: when detained, Yen Sen was treated inhumanely, as a result of which his wife Olga lost consciousness and was hospitalized. Doctors diagnosed her with a myocardial infarction. Because of this situation, Yen Sen experienced severe stress, he developed insomnia. He had to work overtime due to the fact that it was necessary to be present often at exhausting interrogations.\nIn January 2022, Yen Sen Lee died in hospital from COVID-19, never having had time to restore his good name in court.\n","date":"2020-06-25","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/li/photo_hu_bf4ba0af7882f88c.JPG","jpg2x":"/prisoners/li/photo_hu_d719ea8bff84b967.JPG","webp":"/prisoners/li/photo_hu_13dc1d53a60bac89.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/li/photo_hu_65ab051208efa876.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/li.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["died","elderly"],"title":"Yen Sen Li","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Aleksandr Litvinyuk, a pensioner from Crimea, raised a son and worked for many years at state-owned companies and factories. In 2021, law enforcement officers accused him of extremism merely for believing in Jehovah God. In the winter of 2022, the court sentenced the believer to six years in a penal colony.\nAleksandr was born in November 1960 in the village of Amangeldy (Kazakhstan), where his parents moved soon after their wedding. Aleksandr has an older brother and a younger sister.\nAs a child, Aleksandr was fond of boxing, playing checkers and wood carving—his work was once even exhibited in the regional event center. After school, he graduated from a vocational school, where he learned to be a chemical production mechanic. He worked at the Khimprom plant in the city of Sumy, Ukraine. Then he moved to Crimea, where he continued to work in his profession at various companies. Before retiring, he worked for eight years as a welder in the city of Armyansk at the Titan plant.\nIn the autumn of 1979, Aleksandr married Nadezhda. They have an adult son named Sergey. Nadezhda loves to grow indoor flowers, and Aleksandr is learning the art of decorative plaster and enjoys making wooden furniture.\nIn 1993, in Kyiv, the couple began their Christian life together. Alexander has been interested in spiritual things since childhood. When he was six years old, he heard adults conversing about the \"end of the world\", which made a strong impression on him. Over the years, Aleksandr had more and more questions, for example: if God is good, then why is there so much evil and suffering in the world? Such questions remained unanswered until Aleksandr and Nadezhda began to study the Bible.\nThe search of their home and the criminal prosecution seriously affected the health of this married couple. The invasion of their home by law enforcement officers in August 2021 was a very difficult experience for them. It left them feeling humiliated and defenseless. Nadezhda's chronic illnesses worsened. Aleksandr and Nadezhda's son worries about his parents and supports them in every possible way.\n","date":"2021-09-21","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/litvinyuk/photo_hu_ae518c439d720b23.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/litvinyuk/photo_hu_d5648fe64ec66a4c.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/litvinyuk/photo_hu_3b0f8647874198d7.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/litvinyuk/photo_hu_2ea4b86aa4769515.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/litvinyuk.html","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["elderly","health-risk"],"title":"Aleksandr Litvinyuk","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On February 15, 2019, one of the most massive actions of intimidation of believers at that time took place in Surgut (Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug). Security forces broke into the homes of local residents throughout the city, some were tortured, and criminal cases were initiated against 19 people. One of them is Sergey Loginov. He reported that he was tortured in the building of the Investigative Committee of Surgut, after which he was sent to a pre-trial detention center. What is known about him?\nSergey was born in 1961 in Bashkiria. He was left without both parents early, for many years he cared for his aunt until her death. Since childhood, he has been accustomed to cultivating the land. Later he received the specialty of an energy engineer. He has lived in Surgut for the last 30 years, most of whom have been studying the Bible. Single.\nSince 2010, Sergey has been working at TyumenEnergo JSC, where he has the most positive characteristics. He received awards from the Governor of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug and the Ministry of Fuel and Energy of Russia.\n\"He has established himself as a competent, proactive and competent employee,\" says Sergey's description from his place of work. - He made a huge contribution to the development of the energy sector of the Northern region. With his direct participation, more than 60 substations were put into operation. He proved to be a talented mentor of young people. He has prepared more than one generation of power engineers for work. He has not lost his working enthusiasm and now, with redoubled energy, passes on theoretical and practical knowledge to the younger generation of specialists engaged in high-frequency relay protection, passing on to them his rich experience and professional knowledge in the field of design features of equipment for distribution networks and substations, in conducting emergency and fire drills. For many years it has been working without accidents and does not allow injuries. His work was repeatedly noted by orders for fruitful work. Excellent at qualification exams. In the team, he enjoys well-deserved respect for his conscientiousness, responsiveness and cordial attitude towards colleagues.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/loginov/photo_hu_e5a4b44616d8d5c9.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/loginov/photo_hu_e5a4b44616d8d5c9.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/loginov/photo_hu_bbb4218c441c251.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/loginov/photo_hu_bbb4218c441c251.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/loginov.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Sergey Logins","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On May 14, 2018, a criminal case was opened in Orenburg under Article 282.2 (2) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation against Sergey Logunov. For reading the Bible with friends, he is charged with \"participation in the activities of an extremist organization.\" What is really known about this supposedly dangerous criminal?\nSergey was born in 1962 in Orenburg and has lived in this city all his life. As a child, his mother worked hard to support the family. After school, Sergey received the specialty of a milling machine, but after serving in the army he acquired the profession of a photographer. I worked on it for several years, but in the mid-1990s it became difficult to find orders. Sergey began to take on any job, and in recent years he has been working as a gardener in an oncological hospital. However, he continues to take pictures for himself and friends with pleasure, and plays the guitar in his free time.\nIn the early 1990s, Sergey immersed himself in reading the New Testament, and he was impressed by the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. In 1994 he married Larisa. It so happened that her brother is now also being persecuted for his faith. The parents of Sergey and Larisa, although they do not share their religious views, are very worried about their persecuted loved ones.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/logunov/photo_hu_a9d71a1077b4d3e5.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/logunov/photo_hu_a9d71a1077b4d3e5.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/logunov/photo_hu_f2520556d97884e5.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/logunov/photo_hu_f2520556d97884e5.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/logunov.html","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Sergey Logunov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On February 6, 2020, FSB investigator D. Yankin opened 6 criminal cases at once under an \"extremist\" article against peaceful and law-abiding residents of Birobidzhan. Among them is Irina Lokhvitskaya. She was accused of participating in the activities of a banned organization. Six months later, the case went to court. In July 2021, Irina was found guilty and given a 2.5-year suspended sentence for her faith in Jehovah.\nIrina was born in 1962 in the village of Izvestkovoe, Jewish Autonomous Region. She has an older brother and a younger sister. When Irina was 6 years old, her father died. Mom was a kind and religious person. At home, Irina often found handwritten prayers, and this raised many questions. Irina wondered why she should pray and who God was.\nShe read a lot, looking for answers to her questions in books. She dreamed of becoming an actress, as she played in school plays, or an investigator, because she read detectives. She had many hobbies: she played basketball and volleyball, attended a dance, theater studio and a knitting club. In the school description it is written: has a sense of humor.\nAfter school, she entered the Birobidzhan Pedagogical School. Then she worked in the village of Belgorod as a kindergarten teacher, for several years as the head, and part-time as the artistic director of the club. She led a dance circle, held rural holidays. There she married and gave birth to a son, Arthur.\nIrina always remembered her mother's stories about how much her father loved her. For many years, she was not left with a sense of injustice due to the fact that good people die so early. In 1991, in Khabarovsk, I met those who knew the Bible well. Finally, she found answers to all the questions that she had been asking herself since childhood. \"Biblical truth struck me in the heart,\" Irina recalls. \"When I heard that there is hope for the resurrection for the dead, I realized that there is justice! It's great that all good dads will be resurrected, including mine. I'll hug him...\" Since then, Irina has never ceased to share with others the Bible teachings that give such wonderful hope. After 2 years, she was baptized.\nSeven months later, a tragedy occurred - her husband died. Irina was left alone with a seven-year-old child. There was no work in the village, they lived on survivor's benefits. During these years, in order not to dwell on the mountain, she helped many to understand the Bible, to see the wisdom of God's laws. When my son was 11 years old, he consciously chose the Christian path of life for himself. A few years later, the family moved to Birobidzhan.\nIrina retired in 2016. Prior to that, she worked as an administrator at a hotel. He has certificates and cash awards for good work and work with people. Irina is still full of strength, energy, desire to share the biblical reliable with others. He likes to organize themed evenings for friends, writes poetry, and holds weddings for those closest to him. Every year they raft down the river with family and friends. A new hobby is making flowers out of corrugated paper and creating compositions from them. With great pleasure he gives them to friends.\nThe persecution for her faith seriously affected Irina's physical and emotional well-being. Adding to her concerns was the fact that her son Arthur, as well as his wife, Anna, received the same suspended sentences of 2.5 years each. The support of numerous friends from different cities and family cohesion helps to survive this stress. Irina's sister, who is interested in Bible teachings, is completely perplexed by what is happening.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/lokhvitskayai/photo_hu_58f59f301b1fcedf.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/lokhvitskayai/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/lokhvitskayai/photo_hu_7954cc5f34a09677.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/lokhvitskayai/photo_hu_b51b349d71b2aa0a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/lokhvitskayai.html","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["families","elderly"],"title":"Irina Lokhvitskaya","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In the summer of 2021, Aleksandr Lubin, a disabled person of group II, was searched, and then he was sent to a pre-trial detention center, endangering the life of an elderly man. Due to the harsh conditions of detention, the condition of the believer became critical. After 20 days, at the request of the ECHR, he was released from custody. Shortly after his conviction, on November 11, 2024, at the age of 68, he passed away.\nAleksandr was born in 1956 in the village of Ogonyok (Kurgan region). In his youth, he was fond of sports: Greco-Roman wrestling and skiing. He also loved fishing.\nAfter school, Aleksandr graduated from the Kurgan Engineering Institute. For 25 years, he worked as an occupational safety engineer at the Siberian-Ural Energy Company of Shadrinsk.\nAleksandr married Tatyana in August 2001. For almost 25 years she worked as a stamping operator at the Shadrinsk Automobile Unit Plant. In the 1990s, she had to work three jobs to clothe and feed two children. Tatiana loves to knit, sing and dance.\nLife difficulties, poor health, as well as Tatyana\u0026#39;s physical condition prompted Aleksandr to start reading the Bible for his wife, as she could not do it on her own—the woman had suffered several strokes. Biblical truths interested him in their logic. The knowledge gained from this book helped both spouses to free themselves from despair caused by adversity and change their outlook on life. In 2003, they decided to become Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\nLubin had a serious vascular disease, hypertension, as well as an autoimmune disease that affected various organs. He needed humidified oxygen for 16 hours daily. It was difficult for the believer to walk, and in the event of a fall, he could not get up without assistance. Due to criminal prosecution, Aleksandr lost the opportunity to receive planned medical treatment, which he underwent several times a year: in 2020 alone, he was hospitalized 8 times.\nAleksandr\u0026#39;s arrest also affected the poor health of his wife Tatyana: during the search, she suffered a fourth stroke. A woman\u0026#39;s blood pressure often rises, heart and speech problems begin, and her legs begin to fail.\nRelatives, neighbors and former colleagues believe they were outraged by the abuse of the elderly man. Many people knew Aleksandr as a peace-loving, kind person, always ready to help others.\n","date":"2021-08-13","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/lubin/photo_hu_5db485af07acf9e9.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/lubin/photo_hu_7f1c8eba6cb97c98.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/lubin/photo_hu_a2d8af1c8f3abe0e.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/lubin/photo_hu_1db178e28da2cd58.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/lubin.html","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["disability","elderly","health-risk","died","echr"],"title":"Aleksandr Lubin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Early in the morning of April 11, 2020, despite the self-isolation regime introduced in Russia in connection with the coronavirus pandemic, the security forces searched the apartment of Anatoly Lyamo. A peaceful believer became one of four accused under the \"extremist\" article.\nAnatoliy was born in the urban-type settlement of Pogar (Bryansk region) in 1963. At the age of 3.5, he was adopted by a family from neighboring Klimov. Anatoly's parents were disabled from childhood. His mother worked as a seamstress, his father as a shoemaker. My father died early.\nSince childhood, Anatoliy loved to draw. After school, he entered an art school in Bobruisk (Belarus), where he received a specialty as a facing in artistic mosaic and tile works.\nAnatoliy did his military service in Pereslavl Zalessky, worked for some time in the metro construction of the city of Kiev (Ukraine), and later participated in various construction projects.\nIn Teikovo, Anatoly continued his extra-urgent military service. Here he met his future wife Galina. In 1993 they got married. Galina is a mathematics teacher by profession, but she has worked in a pharmacy for most of her life.\nThe couple have two adult children and two grandchildren. They love to spend time in the country with the whole family.\nAnatoliy has always been interested in what is written in the Bible and in 1994 he seriously took up its study. He was impressed by the consistency of the Bible's teachings. His family noticed significant changes in Anatoly's character - he became calm and law-abiding. The positive changes that Galina saw in her husband prompted her to give the Bible a chance too.\nFor Anatoly's relatives, the searches and criminal prosecution came as a complete surprise. They wonder how reading a book that motivated their father, husband and son to become better people could be accused of extremism.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/lyamo/photo_hu_a8435ff8c825cbd8.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/lyamo/photo_hu_6901216558b61078.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/lyamo/photo_hu_2b2b5aaa7def7417.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/lyamo/photo_hu_b53eaa401c501dc6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/lyamo.html","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Anatoliy Lyamo","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"An exemplary family man, talented mechanic, peaceful Christian Vladimir Maladyka found himself behind bars after the raid on believers by security forces in October 2020. Then he spent six months in jail. Later, in October 2022, the court sentenced Vladimir to 6 years in prison.\nVladimir was born in July 1963 in the city of Yenakievo (Donetsk region) in the family of a miner. After graduating from school, he learned to be a cook. Later, he studied at the School of Naval Aviation Technicians in Kaliningrad, where he received a specialty \"Technical Operation of Aircraft and Engines\". He served as a technician in the village of Kacha (Sevastopol, Crimea).\nVladimir has always been fond of cars, especially body welding. Once, he assembled a full-fledged car from the old GAZ-21 body and registered it with the traffic police.\nIn 1986, Vladimir married Natalya, with whom they had been together for more than 30 years. In the early 1990s, the family faced difficulties. During this period, his brother and his wife came to him and offered to find out what was written in the Bible. After a long in-depth study of the Holy Scriptures, the family decided to become Christians and live by biblical standards.\nPeople around know Vladimir as a hospitable and sympathetic person, always ready to help. However, the authorities considered him a criminal only because of his convictions.\n","date":"2020-10-20","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/maladyka/photo_hu_5342c8a39b9a65b8.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/maladyka/photo_hu_53af92e47fbd0cc6.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/maladyka/photo_hu_81320309e45da36a.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/maladyka/photo_hu_400332d52afe6af3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/maladyka.html","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Vladimir Maladyka","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On April 26, 2019, arrests of citizens for religious views resumed in Smolensk, the total number of detainees reached 5. One of them was Viktor Malkov.\nViktor was born in 1959 in Smolensk. As a child, he was actively involved in football, played in the team of the plant. He mastered several working specialties: locksmith, carpenter, roofer. Before his arrest, he worked as a driver. He loved to work in the country and pick mushrooms. In 1992, Victor married Vera, whom he met at work.\nBefore getting acquainted with the Bible, Victor knew the ups and downs. He had been in prison for seven years for a fight, and his marriage was on the verge of divorce. But faith in God helped him become a new man. Victor became a peaceful and law-abiding citizen, and his marriage could be called exemplary. When they came to arrest Victor, he said: \"I served seven years for a fight, became a believer, and now you want to imprison me for preaching the good news for almost the same period?\"\nOn April 26, 2020, Viktor Malkov died suddenly. The stresses of the criminal prosecution worsened his already poor health.\nVictor's relatives knew him as a sympathetic person. All his life, Victor helped his brother, a visually impaired person of the first group. For many years he also supported his mother, who needs help due to age and poor health.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/malkov/photo_hu_cd4f8295eac1c8f0.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/malkov/photo_hu_a942adba8cf20b0b.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/malkov/photo_hu_a51be4a66133af11.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/malkov/photo_hu_b57318392301e063.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/malkov.html","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["died","elderly"],"title":"Viktor Malkov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In May 2019, a criminal case was opened in Arkhangelsk against Kaleriya Mamykina. The investigating authorities conducted surveillance on her for more than a year and established the \u0026quot;corpus delicti\u0026quot;—conversations about religion with friends. After 7 months, the charges against her were dropped. In June 2021, without waiting for her good name to be restored, Kaleriya died of covid.\nKaleriya Fyodorovna was born in 1941 in the village of Devyatiny, Vologda Region, in a family of rural workers. Her mother worked on a collective farm, her father was a blacksmith. The family had 8 children, of which Kareliya was the only daughter.\nAfter graduating from school, Kaleriya entered the Trade and Economic College of Petrozavodsk, after which she worked as a chief accountant. For some time she lived in Petrozavodsk and Belomorsk (Karelia). After retirement, she loved caring for plants and flowers, raising chickens and sheep. She tried to lead an active lifestyle, walked and walked a lot, read books.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/mamykina/photo_hu_b7392f3f9e1666b4.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/mamykina/photo_hu_f83abb49a09ea356.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/mamykina/photo_hu_949d3665338f6f97.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/mamykina/photo_hu_a8af005a36cfab71.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/mamykina.html","regions":["arkhangelsk"],"tags":["died","elderly"],"title":"Kaleriya Mamykina","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"After a series of searches in Irkutsk in October 2021, 63-year-old Nikolay Martynov was detained for his faith. For 20 years he practiced a religion that the authorities recognized as peaceful and legal, but later declared \"extremist.\"\nNikolay was born in 1958 into a large family: he has six brothers and sisters. The family lived in the village of Bandarka (Irkutsk region). As a child, Nikolay often went fishing with his father. After school, he studied at a vocational school as a combine operator and driver, which he worked for all his life.\nIn 1982, Nikolay married Irina. She is a cook by profession and worked in a kindergarten. Now Irina is retired and loves to bake homemade bread. In 1997, she met believers and began reading the Bible. New knowledge prompted Irina to leave the position in which she was forced to act dishonestly. Soon his husband also showed interest in the Bible: the fulfilling Bible prophecies convinced Nikolay that this book can be trusted. The couple later became Christians together.\nNikolay and Irina have two adult children, whom they raised in accordance with the principles from the Holy Scriptures. The son is an individual entrepreneur. In his leisure time, he enjoys snowboarding. The daughter works as a laboratory assistant at the university. The family enjoys spending time in nature. Nikolay still loves fishing, and also pleases loved ones by playing the accordion.\nThe life of a friendly family, whose members are used to doing everything together, has changed a lot after Nikolay's detention. His health deteriorated, a chronic illness worsened, which made it difficult for him to speak. Relatives who do not share Nikolay's convictions are concerned about his unfair persecution.\n","date":"2021-11-17","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/martynov/photo_hu_f1662649d5cde616.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/martynov/photo_hu_3854e21a8d2a0e8e.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/martynov/photo_hu_47ff5778139926c4.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/martynov/photo_hu_6d437a0c27f6af99.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/martynov.html","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Nikolay Martynov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In June 2021, the house of Nina Martynova and her husband Andrey was searched. The reason was the Christian beliefs of the spouses. The peaceful believer, like her husband, was accused of extremism.\nNina was born in August 1958 in the village of Pervomaisky, located near the city of Alatyr (Chuvashia). She grew up in a large family—she has two elder brothers and three sisters. In her school years, Nina was involved in athletics and participated in competitions.\nAfter graduating from a pedagogical school, Nina worked as a kindergarten teacher. She is now retired. In the summer he works in the garden, in the winter he knits and strengthens his physical health.\nLiving in Kamchatka, Nina met Andrey. In 1991, they moved together to the Moscow region, where they lived for 6 years. In 1992 they registered their marriage. Together, the couple raised two daughters, one of whom has been a disabled person of group I since childhood.\nIn the early 1990s, Nina and Andrey began to study the Bible with interest. Nina was especially encouraged by the thought that God does not punish children for the fault of their parents, as she had been told before. She was also struck by the accuracy of the fulfillment of Bible prophecy. In 1992, the couple decided to become Christians, and in 1998 they moved to Nina's homeland—to the village of Pervomaisky.\nThe criminal prosecution affected the health of the believer. She experiences anxiety, sleep problems. Nina's husband, Andrey, is also a defendant in the criminal case. Relatives and neighbors of the Martynovs are outraged by the actions of the security forces and consider it unfair to persecute these peaceful people only for their faith in God.\n","date":"2022-06-23","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/martynova/photo_hu_79b1b0fd2e49c688.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/martynova/photo_hu_8d68aecb7d6a6589.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/martynova/photo_hu_51697eded668789f.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/martynova/photo_hu_47d59ccd3e78cd84.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/martynova.html","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["elderly","families"],"title":"Nina Martynova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Knowledge from the Bible helped Andrey Martynov find the meaning of life and strengthen his marriage. However, in the fall of 2021, because of his love for this book and the desire to share the knowledge he gained, the believer was accused of organizing the activities of an extremist organization.\nAndrey was born in August 1964 in Barnaul (Altai Territory). He has a younger brother. When Andrey was 2 years old, the family moved to Kashira, Moscow region. Parents are already retired. As a child, Andrey attended various sections: he played football, boxing, went to parachute and car clubs.\nWhen Andrey graduated from high school, the family moved to Kamchatka. Andrei went to work immediately after school and worked as a carpenter before being drafted into the army. After demobilization, he worked as a compressor driver, while studying at a driving school. Then he became a driver.\nAndrey met his wife Nina while still living in Kamchatka. In 1991, they moved to the Moscow region, where they lived for 6 years, and in 1992 they registered their marriage. Together, the couple raised two daughters, one of them is disabled.\nIn the early 1990s, the Martynovs began to seriously study the Bible. Its simplicity and consistency impressed Andrey. The knowledge gained helped him find meaning in life. Nina was especially moved by the idea that the suffering of children is not a punishment for the guilt of the parents. In 1992, Andrey and Nina embarked on the Christian path together.\nLiving near Moscow, Andrey renovated apartments and worked for some time in the Moscow metro. In 1997, the Martynovs moved to the village of Pervomaiskiy (Chuvashia), where they have been living ever since. Over the past 25 years, the believer has worked as a driver and fireman in the boiler room of a village club. He also had to do the work of a cattleman — a cow, gobies, pigs, geese and chickens were kept in the household. Currently Andrey is taking care of the vegetable garden and the old village house, which requires maintenance and repair.\nFaced with repression for his faith, Andrey tries to maintain a positive attitude. He shares: “From the moment of the search and interrogation, you are always in tension. Little pleasant, but if this is perceived as part of the Christian path in this world, then you understand that this is another opportunity to glorify our God Jehovah, and this sets us up for a positive. \"\n","date":"2021-12-23","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/martynovan/photo_hu_d807229e3eaab76e.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/martynovan/photo_hu_3f8fd79f1f0bc15.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/martynovan/photo_hu_43a230a2b5af2d58.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/martynovan/photo_hu_e2d878084a22d8e7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/martynovan.html","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["elderly","families"],"title":"Andrey Martynov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Search, detention, criminal case for faith—all this happened to Anatoliy Marunov in October 2021. A peaceful believer from Moscow, an exemplary family man, married for almost half a century and having two grown-up sons, suddenly found himself accused of organizing the activities of an extremist organization.\nAnatoliy was born in November 1953 in the city of Izmail (Ukraine) and was the only child in the officer\u0026#39;s family. During his school years he was engaged in ship modeling, and also studied at a music school, accordion class. For some time Anatoliy lived in Tallinn.\nAfter the army, in 1973, Anatoliy moved from Tallinn to Moscow and entered the philological faculty of Moscow State University. After studying there for 3 years, he was forced to leave school to take care of his family. For almost 40 years, Anatoliy worked in the publishing house and printing house of the Krasnaya Zvezda newspaper, which for a long time was the central printed organ of the USSR and Russian Federation Ministry of Defense. Anatoliy\u0026#39;s responsibilities included prepress—typesetting and layout of text, processing of illustrations. He is now retired. In his spare time, he likes to do car maintenance himself.\nWhile studying at Moscow State University, Anatoly met Alfiya, who in 1975 became his wife. Three years before the birth of her children, she worked in the housing department of the Moscow executive committee, and in the last more than 10 years as a tutor in Russian language and literature. Alfiya is also fond of theater and music. The couple raised two sons. One of them graduated from the Academy of Choral Art, and the second from the Moscow Polygraphic College.\nAlfiya has always been interested in religion, and by starting to study the Bible, she found answers to important questions for her. In 1994, she embarked on the Christian path. Anatoliy joined her 5 years later—in 1999. He was impressed by the consistency and consistency of the Bible, as well as the accuracy of the prophecies being fulfilled.\nThe criminal prosecution completely changed the life of the Marunovs couple. Relatives are perplexed about the charges brought against Anatoliy. As far as they can, they support the Marunovs emotionally and financially.\n","date":"2021-11-10","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/marunov/photo_hu_7b52393746bb11f3.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/marunov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/marunov/photo_hu_d8d77e4a97b5319c.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/marunov/photo_hu_28f7137b600af98a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/marunov.html","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["elderly","health-risk"],"title":"Anatoliy Marunov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On a March evening in 2022, law enforcement officers unexpectedly invaded the house of a peaceful believer, Vladimir Mavrin, and his wife. He learned that he was accused of organizing the activities of an extremist organization. After the search, Vladimir was taken for interrogation and soon placed in a pre-trial detention center.\nVladimir was born in July 1962 in the village of Kamyshovka, Saratov Region, on the left bank of the Alai River. He has two sisters. As a child, Vladimir was a versatile person: he was fond of football, hockey and loved to play the accordion and the guitar. He cultivated cheerful attitude since early childhood.\nAfter school, Vladimir graduated from the Volsk Technological College and received the profession of mechanical technician. He worked as a technician at an Industrial rubber car parts plant. Most recently he worked in the field of construction and interior finishing works.\nIn 2004, Vladimir became a widower, and he had to raise his teenage son alone. Nine years later, Vladimir got married again. His wife, Irina, worked as an accountant and is now retired. The couple loves to spend time together and travel. Vladimir is keen on fishing, and Irina plants flowers at home.\nIn 1994, Vladimir became a Jehovah's Witness. His wife shares Vladimir's religious beliefs.\nVladimir is known as a kind and sympathetic person, ready to help in times of need. Therefore, relatives and friends consider the criminal prosecution of a believer to be unfair and illegal.\n","date":"2022-05-05","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/mavrin/photo_hu_6acee0cfb30a11be.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/mavrin/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/mavrin/photo_hu_5f5c41c48729b0b6.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/mavrin/photo_hu_c9f4372de8df070e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/mavrin.html","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Vladimir Mavrin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In the early April morning, security forces raided the house of civilians in the village of Kholmskaya, 60-year-old Vasiliy Meleshko and his wife. Vasiliy was informed that he was accused of extremism for talking about the Bible. In August 2021, in just two sessions, the court considered Meleshko's case and sentenced him to 3 years in prison.\nVasiliy was born in 1961 in the village of Mikhailovskiy (Krasnodar Territory). His father worked on a livestock farm, his mother — in the production of tobacco. In his youth, Vasiliy was fond of radio business. After school he graduated from courses in radio engineering, driver and crane operator. He lived in the villages of Ilskiy and Akhtyrskiy, Krasnodar Territory.\nVasiliy married Zoya in 1981. After about 8 years, the couple began to study the Bible. Zoya became a Christian in 1991. A year later, Vasiliy joined her. What impressed him most was the biblical teaching on the resurrection of the dead.\nThe spouses have grown-up children — a son and a daughter — who already have their own families. They, like their parents, love Bible truths and live by Christian standards. Family hobbies are fishing and walking in the woods.\nSearches in the house of Vasiliy and Zoya and a sudden sentence shook the health of the spouses. Due to constant anxiety and stress, their sleep was disrupted and chronic diseases worsened.\n","date":"2021-08-12","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/meleshko/photo_hu_8f7da4cf410d3172.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/meleshko/photo_hu_a00c658e41550750.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/meleshko/photo_hu_81065d7ded35193b.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/meleshko/photo_hu_12bd8988d662c82f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/meleshko.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["elderly","health-risk"],"title":"Vasiliy Meleshko","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Yelena Menchikova had many hardships in her life: she grew up in an orphanage, worked on the construction of a nuclear power plant, which damaged her health, and in November 2020 she was charged with an “extremist” article. The FSB interprets Yelena’s meetings with friends and peaceful talks about the Bible as \"inciting religious hatred\" and \"recruiting conversations.\"\nYelena was born in 1964 in the city of Zaporozhye (Ukraine). As a child, she loved drawing and playing volleyball, swimming, cycling and gymnastics. Yelena studied at the boarding school, then got a job in a project organization as a surveyor. In 1984 she moved to the Ukrainian city of Energodar to work there on the construction of a nuclear power plant. A year later, Yelena graduated from the Kharkov Civil Engineering Institute with a degree in architecture. After graduation, she was assigned to Karachay-Cherkessia to work as a design engineer at a cement plant. In 1993, Yelena received the II group of disability. Since 2003 she has been working as an architect.\nOnce Yelena was an atheist, but the Bible, which was once shown to students by a teacher of scientific communism, aroused her burning interest. In 1993, Yelena’s dream came true - she was able to find this book. At first, Yelena found it difficult to understand it, but later, through thoughtful research, Bible truths became clearer to her. This ancient book answered many of Yelena’s questions: what is the meaning of life? What happens after death? Why is there so much suffering and pain in the world? Yelena also made many new friends among fellow believers.\nIn her free time, Yelena, as far as her health allows, goes in for sports: swimming, walking in nature. Just like in childhood, she continues to draw. But Yelena’s favorite hobby is reading the Bible and meditating on what she read.\nCriminal prosecution has become a heavy burden for the believer, since any stress is contraindicated for her as a disabled person. But, despite the trials, she tries to maintain a positive attitude. An adult daughter and friends are very worried about Yelena, sincerely not understanding why peaceful people in Russia are considered extremists.\n","date":"2021-02-08","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/menchikova/photo.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/menchikova/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/menchikova/photo_hu_7c4077e972930285.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/menchikova/photo_hu_7c4077e972930285.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/menchikova.html","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Yelena Menchikova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Zinaida Minenko, a visually impaired with a disability of group I, became a widow in January 2020. In November 2021, she faced a new challenge — religious repression for her faith in Jehovah God.\nZinaida was born in January 1940 in the city of Kiselevsk (Kemerovo region). Her father was a miner, and her mother served railway tracks and turnouts. The family had 4 children — 2 boys and 2 girls. When Zinaida was 1.5 years old, her mother died of typhoid fever, and at the age of 17, the girl lost her father.\nAs a child, Zinaida liked to sing and go in for athletics. She graduated from the Krasnoyarsk technical school with a degree in state insurance. From the age of 15 she worked at a bakery. Most of her career, Zinaida was a tower crane operator and for 6 years she participated in the construction of a hydroelectric power plant — she was awarded the \"Builder of the Bratsk Hydroelectric Power Plant\" badge. Her total work experience is 40 years.\nIn 1980, Zinaida married a military man, they had a son. After his dismissal from service, her husband worked as a driver.\nIn addition to her hometown, Zinaida lived in Belovo, Bratsk, Khabarovsk, Usolye-Sibirskoye, in the village of Aleksandrovskoye (Stavropol Territory). After Zinaida had a kidney surgery, the family moved to Stavropol Territory. Since the 2000s, the Minenkos have been living in Zheleznovodsk.\nIn 1998, Zinaida's sister began to study the Bible. She shared her knowledge with her younger sister. Although from childhood Zinaida believed in God and tried to live by his laws, she did not know his name. “I read in the Bible that Jehovah is the true God, that all his prophecies are being fulfilled before my eyes. Everything that I read in the Bible was in harmony with my heart, ” recalls Zinaida. She embarked on the Christian path in 2004, and a year later her husband joined her. Zinaida loves listening to an audio recording of the Bible and walking in the fresh air.\nDue to the criminal prosecution, Zinaida is anxious, she has unstable blood pressure, headaches and insomnia. The believer shares: “Every day I check my mail — I am worried about the next interrogation. My relatives are worried about my health. \"\n","date":"2022-01-13","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/minenko/photo_hu_e16a19c0452ae12e.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/minenko/photo_hu_49ba3a533246fa3c.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/minenko/photo_hu_f6261874fa2507e9.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/minenko/photo_hu_10459a4300675802.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/minenko.html","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Zinaida Minenko","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Alexandr Miroshnichenko found answers to questions that had worried him since childhood thanks to the study of the Bible. However, in 2019, because of his love for this book and faith in Jehovah God, he was persecuted: his house was searched, and two years later, a criminal case was opened against this peace-loving man.\nAlexandr was born in December 1964 in the city of Abakan (Khakassia). He has a younger brother. As a child, Alexandr was fond of music: he played the piano and guitar.\nAfter school, Alexandr graduated from the railway technical school, then served in the army. After that, he worked on the railway as an assistant driver in the city of Krasnoyarsk.\nWith his future wife, Nataliya, Alexandr met at school. In 1986 they got married. After some time, the Miroshnichenkos moved to Sharypovo, where Alexandr worked as a repairman at the construction of Berezovskaya state district power plant.\nNataliya graduated from the Music and Pedagogical College, after which she worked as a music director in a kindergarten. In recent years, she has been working in the service industry. Alexandr works as a tourism manager.\nAlexandr and Nataliya raised two daughters. In their spare time, the couple enjoy traveling, skiing and spending time with their granddaughter.\nAs a child, Alexandr thought about the meaning of life. Years later, he was given a Bible. Alexandr repeatedly tried to read this book, but it was difficult for him to understand it. Subsequently, Nataliya began to study the Holy Scriptures deeply. Her husband joined her in this activity and found answers to his questions. In 2003, he consciously embarked on the Christian path.\nSearches and interrogations had a negative impact on the life and health of the entire family. The support of friends and relatives helps them cope with what is happening.\n","date":"2022-02-28","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/miroshnichenko/photo_hu_8bdfd762f08c1bf7.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/miroshnichenko/photo_hu_d099bd6099ef0a30.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/miroshnichenko/photo_hu_31b74fc3056582d3.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/miroshnichenko/photo_hu_9de7a2a1acd6789.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/miroshnichenko.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Aleksandr Miroshnichenko","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Applying Bible teachings helped Tatiana Morlang from Gryazi to improve relations with her family and reunite with her husband several years after the divorce. However, in November 2020, a criminal case was opened against her under an \"extremist\" article only because of her faith in Jehovah God.\nTatyana was born in May 1957 in a family of ordinary workers. Mom was a quiet, wise woman, she believed in God. Father, on the contrary, was a staunch atheist. After school, Tatyana left her father's house and went to her aunt in Vladivostok, where she studied and got married. There she had a son and a daughter.\nAfter 20 years, the whole family returned to their parents' home. Then the son became actively interested in the Bible. Tatyana and her husband did not approve of this activity, demanding even to throw out the Bible. At the same time, they noticed positive changes in their son: he became more obedient, more balanced, abandoned bad habits, changed his social circle, began to dress beautifully and neatly. The grandmother defended her grandson, advising Tatyana not to scold him, but to figure out what he believed in. Later, an elderly woman joined her grandson in a study of the Scriptures.\nTime passed, and Tatiana was left completely alone: the son left and later married, her father and mother died, the daughter got married, and Tatiana herself divorced her husband on her own initiative. After a while, she came across religious literature that her son had left. What she read there deeply affected her, and for the next 6 years she carefully researched the Holy Scriptures. Especially in her heart the knowledge about the role of wife and mother resonated. This helped her reconcile with her husband and marry him again in 2016. The husband supports Tatiana in everything, and they are very happy together. Subsequently, the daughter also became interested in the Bible.\nUnfortunately, on November 16, 2020, at 6 a.m., the peace of the Morlangs was disturbed: seven security officials, two of whom were with machine guns, broke into their house. After the search, Tatyana spent 2 days in a temporary detention center. However, the incident did not embitter the believer. She and all her relatives hope for a fair resolution of the situation.\n","date":"2020-12-24","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/morlang/photo.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/morlang/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/morlang/photo_hu_4d06a69dcfba5bb6.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/morlang/photo_hu_4d06a69dcfba5bb6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/morlang.html","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Tatyana Morlang","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Yuriy Moskalev is an family man who was subjected to criminal prosecution only because of his faith in Jehovah God. In March 2021, he was accused of extremism and placed under house arrest. Because of this, he lost his job.\nYuriy was born in July 1964 in the small village of Yeginsu (Kazakhstan). The parents worked on the farm. His father died when Yuriy was 6 years old, and his elder brother was 18. Yuri's mother and brother are also no longer alive.\nAs a child, Yuriy had heart problems, so he began to play hockey, and also participated in regional athletics competitions. He showed himself in chess, won prizes in tournaments.\nAfter graduating from school, Yuriy served in the army in the internal troops and moved to Sochi to relatives. He worked for the police for three years. In the future, he mastered such professions as a builder, electric and gas welder, tractor driver.\nYuriy's wife, Nadezhda, was born in the city of Gulkevichi (Krasnodar Territory). She met Yuriy in Sochi. The Moskalevs got married in January 1987 and have not parted since. Nadezhda is a cook by profession. The couple has a daughter. The family loves to relax in nature, go to the mountains and travel.\nThe couple were religious people, and having become better acquainted with biblical teachings, they gradually got rid of bad habits. God's promises about future events on earth made an indelible impression on both. As a result, they embarked on the Christian path—in 2005, Yuriy, and a year later, Nadezhda.\nThe unjustified criminal prosecution of Yuriy divided his life into before and after, limiting his movement and the ability to take care of his family. His family and friends are worried about him.\n","date":"2022-01-24","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/moskalev/photo_hu_48b58060d8f3b5ed.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/moskalev/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/moskalev/photo_hu_a19dea24588bf99a.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/moskalev/photo_hu_4a2bdd6454c0bb6b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/moskalev.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Yuriy Moskalev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On February 28, 2019, in Ulyanovsk, criminal cases were initiated against several civilians in connection with their faith. One of them, Sergey Mysin, was arrested and placed in a pre-trial detention center. He is accused of organizing extremist activities. At the same time, his wife Nataliya was placed under house arrest.\nSergey was born in 1965 in Kulebaki (Nizhny Novgorod region). As a child, he moved with his parents and younger sister to Ulyanovsk, where they live to this day.\nSergey is an engineer by education. As a child, he was actively involved in sports - bandy and weightlifting. He has always been drawn to the spiritual, and for the last twenty years he has been studying the Bible in depth with his wife Natalia, with whom he married in 1991. They have two adult children. The whole family loves to spend time together, travels a lot.\nRelatives and friends of Sergey and Natalia are worried about the absurd accusation of extremism, which fell like snow on the head of this married couple. Everyone is trying to help as much as they can.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/mysin/photo_hu_4b1bdc5910f23e3.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/mysin/photo_hu_4b1bdc5910f23e3.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/mysin/photo_hu_a8a404820872489c.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/mysin/photo_hu_a8a404820872489c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/mysin.html","regions":["ulyanovsk"],"tags":["elderly","families"],"title":"Sergey Mysin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In March 2021, a criminal case was initiated against Lydiya Nekrasova, a peaceful pensioner from Syktyvkar, under an extremist article only because she is a Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witness.\nLydiya was born in January 1953 into a family of believing parents. Her elder brother was then 18. The girl was taught to be hardworking. From the 5th grade, together with the workers, she mowed the grass at the state farm, raked hay, and helped with everything that was asked.\nSince childhood, Lydiya loved to ski and play outdoor games, especially volleyball. After graduation, she worked for some time as a primary school teacher, and later as a nurse, until her retirement. Lydiya has three adult sons. Her husband passed away in February 2024.\nLydiya began to study the Bible in the early 1990s after being shown in this book the qualities of God: \u0026quot;merciful, compassionate, patient, reliable, and devoted to love.\u0026quot; In the Bible, she found convincing answers to her questions. She said: \u0026quot;I learned to consider my husband\u0026#39;s feelings and treat him with respect. As a result, we were able to resolve conflict situations without raising our voices or scandals. Our family relationship only grew stronger. And when talking to children, I apply the advice: \u0026quot;Everyone needs to be willing to listen, not to be in a hurry to speak, and not to be angry.\u0026quot; As a result, they understand that I love them and feel secure and happy.\u0026quot;\nThe criminal prosecution had a serious impact on the health of an elderly woman. Relatives are worried about Lydiya.\n","date":"2021-04-21","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/nekrasova/photo_hu_5b67cdd979540f6f.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/nekrasova/photo_hu_105152d36449bfa9.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/nekrasova/photo_hu_569c61ad7933b988.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/nekrasova/photo_hu_76831fc3e2c04637.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/nekrasova.html","regions":["komi"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Lidiya Nekrasova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In January 2020, law enforcement officers detained 15 of Jehovah's Witnesses in the city of Kazan. One of them, Tatyana Obizhestvit, spent 24 hours in a temporary detention center and was later placed under house arrest. In February 2023, the court gave her a two-year suspended sentence merely because of her faith.\nTatyana was born in January 1962 in the city of Kazan. As a child, she was fond of cutting and sewing clothes. She graduated from culinary school. She worked as a cook in a kindergarten and in a factory as a seamstress; before the criminal prosecution, she worked as a nurse in a hospital for more than 20 years. She retired but continued to work to support herself financially.\nTatyana's search for the source of happiness led her to study the Bible on her own, and she eventually decided to become a Christian.\nTatyana and her husband Aleksandr raised two daughters. The family enjoyed cooking together. Aleksandr died in 2010.\nTatyana studied a foreign language, devoted a lot of time to communicating with her granddaughter, and loved to travel. Criminal prosecution radically changed her life. Due to house arrest, she had to quit her job. The stress has caused her illnesses to worsen. Cheerfulness and optimism help her cope with what is happening.\nRelatives and colleagues do not understand how Tatyana, who is such a peaceful and kind person, can be considered an extremist simply for praying and reading the Bible.\n","date":"2020-05-04","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/obizhestvit/photo_hu_c05ba0ae1f6c9f21.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/obizhestvit/photo_hu_350b6c0ebbb1e1de.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/obizhestvit/photo_hu_90afe3660af26594.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/obizhestvit/photo_hu_140d09b2383446a4.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/obizhestvit.html","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Tatyana Obizhestvit","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Programmer and physics teacher Andrey Okhapkin was personally convinced of the historical and mathematical accuracy of biblical prophecies. However, in the fall of 2021, because of his love for the Bible, he was prosecuted — the believer was searched, after which he was detained and placed in a pre-trial detention center.\nAndrey was born in May 1962 in the city of Zavolzhsk (Ivanovo region). He has an elder sister, his parents are already dead. Since childhood, Andrey was fond of football, loved to read, solved mathematical problems.\nAndrey graduated from the Faculty of Mathematics and Mechanics of St. Petersburg State University. During his studies, he met Irina, and in 1987 they got married.\nIn the same year, the couple moved to Severodvinsk (Arkhangelsk region), where their daughter was born. Andrey returned to his homeland — to Zavolzhsk — with his family in 1998 to take care of his elderly father, which he did until his death. The Okhapkins lived in Kostroma for some time, and then settled in Kineshma (Ivanovo region).\nIn 1994, Irina became acquainted with Bible teachings. She was convinced that the advice from the Bible helps to build a happy family life and properly raise her daughter. Later Andrey also began to read the Bible. He noted: \"I made sure that there is a Creator, and life has meaning.\" He was also convinced of the truth of the Holy Scriptures by precisely fulfilled Bible prophecies. The daughter of the Okhapkins, like her parents, later also embarked on the Christian path.\nAndrey worked as a programmer for 24 years and then taught physics in college. He enjoys studying the stars, watching football, solving Sudoku. Together with his wife, they love to be in nature, are engaged in Scandinavian walking. Irina is fond of patchwork sewing and making soft toys.\nThe criminal prosecution destroyed the Okhapkins' habitual way of life. After his arrest, Andrey lost his job, the family lost their main source of income. Irina is concerned about the state of health of her husband, from whom she was separated: on the eve of his arrest, he suffered COVID-19 in a serious form and did not have time to recover. He also suffers from serious chronic diseases.\nAndrey's relatives consider his persecution and arrest a violation of human rights to freedom of religion.\n","date":"2021-12-27","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/okhapkin/photo_hu_d1287dd7b00c9c1e.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/okhapkin/photo_hu_d3163735651eca49.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/okhapkin/photo_hu_f1cef5c11885d6c6.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/okhapkin/photo_hu_259c35afdceb867d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/okhapkin.html","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Andrey Okhapkin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Having moved to Novosibirsk in 1983, Tatyana Oleynik had no idea that many years later she would face criminal prosecution in this city because of her faith. In the fall of 2021, the security forces came to her with a search. For the woman, this was a shock: “I do not feel safe: the constant feeling that someone is eavesdropping or peeping. I am always on the alert, because at any moment they can break into me again. ”\nTatyana was born in February 1952 in the village of Khrushchevo, Tula Region. She has a younger sister. Their mother died when Tatiana was five years old.\nTatyana's independent life began when she left home at the age of fifteen. The girl graduated from a school at a meat processing plant, and later received a profession that became her life's work—Tatyana worked as a crane operator for 41 years. Now she is retired.\nTatyana is an active person. In her youth, she danced in an ensemble of Moldovan folk dances. Now he likes to get out in the Altai in the summer, go hiking in the mountains.\nTatyana loves to read since childhood. She recalls: \"This hobby was a salvation from a difficult situation in the family.\" When Tatyana was already in adulthood, the Bible attracted her attention. She recalls the day she was given the book: “That same evening, after putting the children to bed, I sat down to read, opened it right in the middle, and I came across the books of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. I spent the whole night rereading them and realized how wrong I was living”. Thanks to the Bible, much has changed for the better in Tatyana's life. In 2001, she embarked on the Christian path.\nTatyana moved several times—as a child she lived in Volgograd, then in Yekaterinburg and in the Crimea. In 1983, she moved with her children to Novosibirsk, where she had the opportunity to get a decent education. Tatyana raised a son and a daughter.\nAfter the searches, Tatyana was left without electronic devices, as law enforcement officers confiscated them. The believer had to look for a part-time job. Her bank card was blocked, and for some time she had difficulty receiving her pension.\nAlthough the children do not share Tatyana's religious views, they wonder why this peaceful woman is considered a criminal.\n","date":"2022-01-31","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/oleynik/photo_hu_5e03c21dc75cfb4.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/oleynik/photo_hu_57e1311803efe0ab.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/oleynik/photo_hu_d781d354632f12f2.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/oleynik/photo_hu_f872cbe7891aa55a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/oleynik.html","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Tatyana Oleynik","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Pensioner Zareta Ortanova faces criminal prosecution because of her faith. The search and interrogations undermined the health of the believer.\nZareta was born in April 1960 in the village of Khamidiye in the Terek district of the Republic of Kabardino-Balkaria. Her father died when she was 28 years old. At first, the mother was against her daughter's religious views, but later relented and began to treat them with respect, just like Zareta's older brother and sister.\nDuring her school years, Zareta played in the volleyball team. Since childhood, she loves to read. Zareta graduated from the Nalchik vocational school with a degree in cook-waiter and has the 4th category. She also took courses as a telecom operator, after which she worked at the Main Post Office in her specialty. Later, Zareta worked as a painter at a factory and as a cleaner of the offices of the Maisky RUS (district communications center), where she met her husband.\nIn 1983, Zareta got married. Her husband has been working as a cable solder at Maysky RUS for over 40 years. He loves fishing and building houses. In a happy marriage, the couple raised three children - two sons and a daughter, who now lives with her family in another city. The children respect their mother's religious views.\nZareta was touched by what the Bible says about the resurrection of the dead, about the meaning of life and about paradise conditions on earth in the future. In August 1996, she was baptized as one of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nThe criminal prosecution and search had a negative impact on Zareta's health: she suffers from insomnia, she lost her appetite, and she even had to take specialized drugs.\nZareta's relatives are genuinely perplexed why they are persecuting honest and decent people. They add, \"What did they do?\"\n","date":"2021-06-14","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/ortanova/photo_hu_11bec0422484d77b.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/ortanova/photo_hu_70b4f87524b4c0a3.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/ortanova/photo_hu_ba9a9193a07b7359.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/ortanova/photo_hu_b71e8145eb92cf4.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/ortanova.html","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Zareta Ortanova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Peaceful pensioner Vladimir Osintsev faced criminal prosecution — an elderly man was accused of extremism only because of his faith in Jehovah God.\nVladimir was born in April 1950 in the city of Bogdanovich (Sverdlovsk region). He grew up with his sister, who is 2 years older than him. In his youth, he was fond of sports and music, interest in music has not faded until now. Vladimir graduated from a construction technical school, after which he worked in the field of construction.\nFrom the Bible, Vladimir learned that God has a personal name and a plan for the Earth. In 2003, together with his eldest son, he chose the Christian path and was baptized. Although the youngest son does not share his father's religious views, he supports him in everything. Vladimir's wife passed away in 2012.\nPersecution for his faith had a negative impact on Vladimir's health. Relatives worry about the believer, support him as best they can.\n","date":"2022-02-22","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/osintsev/photo_hu_a77dce920fd7f438.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/osintsev/photo_hu_38d57ff5d06e70e1.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/osintsev/photo_hu_35111bd7683da8c5.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/osintsev/photo_hu_100ae62f782e7a40.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/osintsev.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Vladimir Osintsev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In May 2022, labor veteran Lyubov Ovchinnikova, who worked as a kindergarten teacher for many years, faced religious persecution. A criminal case was opened against an elderly widow for talking about the Bible.\nLyubov was born in 1958 in the village of Shchelkonogovsky (Sverdlovsk region) in a large family. When she was 6, they moved to live in the village of Knyaze-Volkonskoye (Khabarovsk Territory). Her parents and three brothers are no longer alive, only two elder sisters remain. From a young age, Lyubov was fond of sewing.\nHaving received a secondary specialized education, Lyubov worked as a kindergarten teacher for about 30 years until her retirement. In retirement, she worked part-time as a cleaner. In her free time, she enjoys knitting, sewing, making various fabric crafts and cooking.\nLyubov got married in 1978 and moved with her husband to live in the village of Miassky (Chelyabinsk region). Later, due to the lack of their own home, the family came back to Knyaze-Volkonskoye. The couple had two sons and a daughter. When Lyubov was 38, she became a widow, and 5 years later, at the age of 21, her eldest son died of a serious illness.\nIn 1997, Lyubov, carefully studying the Bible, decided to devote her life to serving God. She found solace in the Bible\u0026#39;s promises of the resurrection of the dead to life on earth. At that time, she did not even think that 25 years later she would be prosecuted for her faith.\nBecause of the trial, Lyubov is forced to live in Khabarovsk. The woman began to have health problems. Her relatives worry about her and support her as best they can.\n","date":"2023-07-10","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/ovchinnikova/photo_hu_2fb57f8a80e05b63.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/ovchinnikova/photo_hu_5f16b0cf5a3987f1.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/ovchinnikova/photo_hu_5d032a963d06cbc5.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/ovchinnikova/photo_hu_f4dc82098bab0251.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/ovchinnikova.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Lyubov Ovchinnikova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In November 2018, authorities conducted a series of searches at the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in Spassk-Dalny. Olga Panyuta was detained. After several years of investigation and trial, the court found the woman guilty of extremism and sentenced her to 4.5 years in prison just because of her faith.\nOlga was born in 1959 in Nizhny Novgorod, later lived in several cities, after which she moved to Spassk-Dalniy. Olga graduated from a technical school, worked as a kindergarten teacher and social worker, now retired.\nIn 1982, Olga married Vladimir. He worked for the railroad for many years. The couple have two adult daughters and a son.\nWhen Olga began to study the Bible in depth, she liked the teachings about God and his Son, Jesus Christ. She could not even imagine that one day, because of her faith, she would be behind bars.\nRelatives and friends worry about the believer, understanding the absurdity of the sentence. “My husband saw how much stress I suffered because of the arrest, the rude words of the investigator, the humiliation during the imprisonment. And he realized that everything that we, Jehovah's Witnesses, are accused of is a lie,” Olga said, speaking with the last word before the court.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/paniuta/photo_hu_f08d91cd98589224.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/paniuta/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/paniuta/photo_hu_1782013e52c2ba0a.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/paniuta/photo_hu_ad4d55a1bcb17bab.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/paniuta.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["elderly","health-risk"],"title":"Olga Panyuta","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In December 2019, in Nevinnomyssk, the Investigative Committee opened criminal cases under two extremist articles against 9 elderly believers. One of the victims of persecution was Georgiy Parfentyev, an amateur gardener. All charges were later dropped from him. In July 2023, the elderly man passed away.\nGeorgiy was born in 1946 in the village of Stepanchikovo, Yaroslavl region. His mother was a milkmaid, and the man did not remember his father. His childhood was active: he went skiing with friends and every day overcame 5 kilometres, going to school through marshland.\nAfter school, Georgiy entered the railway school, where he studied as a locksmith for the repair of wagons and brakes. He worked as a grinder at a factory—first in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, then in Yaroslavl, where he moved to take care of his disabled mother, and from 1992 until retirement—in Nevinnomyssk. In retirement, an elderly man was doing what he loved—growing plants on his land and harvesting for the whole family.\nIn 1970, Georgiy met his future wife. Tatyana is a kindergarten teacher by profession. Together the spouses led an active lifestyle: skiing, skating and dreaming of a brighter future. The couple raised and educated their three children—their daughter graduated from a music school, their eldest son graduated from a construction institute, and the youngest received a degree in mechanical engineering.\nIn the early 1990s, the couple became interested in the Bible. “The Bible has answers to all questions that help me be happy,” Georgiy said.\nThe criminal prosecution greatly overshadowed the life of Georgy and his wife, and also hit their health, leading to an exacerbation of long-standing illnesses. The children considered the accusations of extremism to be unfair and meaningless.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/parfentyev/photo_hu_d70296381f3eb24c.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/parfentyev/photo_hu_c9fa9779cc175d49.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/parfentyev/photo_hu_b9786e2db26ad0be.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/parfentyev/photo_hu_3f98687580c6c075.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/parfentyev.html","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["died","elderly","families"],"title":"Georgiy Parfentyev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In December 2019, the Investigative Committee opened 9 criminal cases in Nevinnomyssk. This time, mostly people of venerable age fell into the category of \"extremists\". Pensioners were summoned for interrogations, during which some of them had high blood pressure, and searches took place for many hours in their homes. Among the defendants is a respectable married couple of the Parfentievs, each of whom is already over 70. What is known about Tatyana Parfentieva?\nTatiana was born in Yaroslavl in March 1947. The family is the only child, the mother raised her daughter alone. After graduating from school, Tatyana studied at a technical school of preschool education, worked as a kindergarten teacher, and later worked at home as a knitter.\nIn 1970 she married Georgy. Together we moved from Yaroslavl to the south, to Nevinnomyssk. The spouses are happy to engage in agriculture. Tatiana tries not to leave sports activities and continues to roller skate, visits the pool. The couple have three adult children.\nGeorge was the first in the family to become interested in Bible teachings. At this time, he moved to Nevinnomyssk, and Tatyana remained in Yaroslavl for some time. In his letters, he shared valuable insights from the Bible with his wife. Later, Tatiana joined her husband, and for more than 20 years she has remained faithful to her dedication to God. She is looking forward to the time when, according to the promise of the Creator, the resurrection of the dead will take place. \"When I found out about this,\" says Tatiana, \"I immediately thought of my mother-in-law. After all, she will also be resurrected! I wanted so much to ask her for forgiveness...\"\nDue to criminal prosecution, Tatyana's chronic diseases have seriously worsened, and most of her modest income is spent on treatment. A 7-hour search had a particularly negative impact on physical and emotional health, during which the spouses lost 10 thousand rubles - the pension they had just received. The children of Tatiana and Georgy are very worried about their elderly parents.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/parfentyeva/photo.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/parfentyeva/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/parfentyeva/photo_hu_81c7e54f9cafb50c.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/parfentyeva/photo_hu_81c7e54f9cafb50c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/parfentyeva.html","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["elderly","families"],"title":"Tatyana Parfentyeva","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Zoya Pavlova, a civilian resident of the city of Alatyr, was accused of extremism only because she professes the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nZoya was born in 1965 in the village of Ibresi, Chuvash ASSR. When she was 2 years old, and her older sister was 7 years old, the girls were left orphans - their parents died.\nZoya graduated from the courses of a secretary-typist, and also mastered cooking. At the age of 19, she went to Kamchatka and got a job at a fish cannery. Zoya lived for some time in Cheboksary and Kanash. In 1989, she moved to Alatyr (Chuvashia), closer to her sister. Here she worked at the Alatyr Mechanical Plant, and then in the housing and communal services sector. Zoya has an adult daughter and a granddaughter, they live in Tatarstan.\nIn 2016, Zoe became interested in the Bible and its teachings. From this book she began to learn about God. She was particularly moved by the description of the Creator's love and compassion for people. As she continued her Bible study, Zoe also learned about Bible prophecies being fulfilled in our time. All this prompted her to embark on the Christian path in 2018.\nThe unfair criminal prosecution brought emotional distress to the peaceful believer. She will have to defend her right to freedom of religion in court.\n","date":"2022-06-23","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/pavlova/photo_hu_50fd4fac0148570e.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/pavlova/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/pavlova/photo_hu_7db4f83da6c75bb6.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/pavlova/photo_hu_be523215831ebe77.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/pavlova.html","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Zoya Pavlova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In February 2021, another believer from Magadan, Galina Pechko, was accused of extremism. The criminal case against the pensioner turned out to be a source of stress for her and her family.\nGalina was born in March 1954 in the village of Orlovsky on the shores of the Sea of Okhotsk (Khabarovsk Territory), whose inhabitants were later relocated to the neighboring village of Novaya Inya. Galina is the eldest of four children. Parents taught them kindness and hard work, the family often spent time together in nature. As a child, Galina was engaged in rhythmic gymnastics, sang and danced. At the age of 16, Galina went to Khabarovsk and graduated from a trade school there. In 1971 she married and gave birth to two sons. Later, the family moved to Chukotka in the city of Bilibino. She retired in 2004, and the children had started their own families by then. Now Galina already has two grandchildren. In 2006, she remarried, and the couple moved to Magadan.\nFrom childhood, Galina wanted to learn more about God, but in the atheistic Soviet Union she did not succeed. Later, when more churches began to appear in the country, she began to visit various temples. However, she did not manage to get answers to questions about the Creator. In 2009, the woman began studying the Bible with Jehovah's Witnesses. According to her, this not only satisfied her needs for spiritual information, but also helped to save the marriage, which was on the verge of collapse.\nGalina loves to spend time with her husband Victor, who also changed a lot after he learned biblical principles and began to apply them in life. The couple go fishing, go to the forest for barbecue.\n","date":"2021-04-05","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/pechko/photo_hu_db37a0452d9e29d4.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/pechko/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/pechko/photo_hu_4a9edf1f2d23cf07.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/pechko/photo_hu_a6c2b4c0703d9034.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/pechko.html","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Galina Pechko","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"The mother of two sons, caring for her elderly mother, Irina Perefileva, for many years combined caring for the family with the work of a janitor. In 2021, she was under investigation for her peaceful religious beliefs - she was suspected of participating in the activities of an extremist organization.\nIrina was born in March 1965 in the city of Verkhnyaya Pyshma, Sverdlovsk Region. Her father worked as a miner, and her mother worked in the trade. Irina has an elder brother. When she was 9 years old, the family moved to the village of Mednogorsky (Karachay-Cherkessia).\nAfter graduating from a technical school with a degree in road construction, Irina worked by profession in the city of Valuiki, Belgorod Region. Later, she had to change her occupation to take care of her disabled son. For more than 20 years she has been working as a janitor. In her free time, she is engaged in sewing.\nIn the early 2000s, experiencing personal difficulties and inner emptiness, Irina began to look for answers to important life questions. In 2003, she made the decision to follow Bible principles, finding comfort and support in the Scriptures.\n\u0026quot;By accepting the views for which I am being judged, I got rid of foul language, irascibility and touchiness,\u0026quot; Irina said in court. \u0026quot;Instead, I began to develop patience and self-control.\u0026quot;\nIn 2023, the court found Irina guilty and sentenced her to 5.5 years of probation. According to her, against the background of stress due to criminal prosecution, her health deteriorated.\n","date":"2022-09-05","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/perefileva/photo_hu_779626a9d0ce38ad.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/perefileva/photo_hu_33516ae91e005f9e.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/perefileva/photo_hu_b621e60d283d561.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/perefileva/photo_hu_fb6a8a42f055953f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/perefileva.html","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Irina Perefileva","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In November 2020, at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, 67-year-old Natalia Perekatiy had to spend 2 days in a temporary detention center after a raid by security forces in the town of Gryazi. The search and criminal prosecution came as a complete surprise to the believer. For three decades, she was a Christian and peacefully shared her religious views with others. But now she has to defend her right to freedom of religion.\nNatalya was born in 1953. Since childhood, she reflected on the beauty of nature, loved to draw. Having matured, the girl began to think about the meaning of life. But at that time she could not find answers to her questions, since the school instilled atheistic views. Living in Abkhazia, Natalya, together with her husband, raised three children, taught commodity science. In 1993, the woman was widowed.\nNatalya was always worried about injustice. Having got acquainted with the Bible, she received answers to her questions. Understanding the causes of people's suffering and applying wise advice from the Holy Scriptures helped the believer to relate more calmly to what is happening in the world.\nDespite the persecution, Natalya tries not to lose heart. She finds joy in her favorite hobbies — calm music and outdoor recreation. The believer notes that she has no grudge against people who suspect her of extremism.\n","date":"2020-12-25","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/perekatiy/photo_hu_1fbc0e3ece8300d2.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/perekatiy/photo_hu_db4b556c11e19dd5.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/perekatiy/photo_hu_b123c471d223d6dd.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/perekatiy/photo_hu_6080f4633049ebfa.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/perekatiy.html","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Natalya Perekatiy","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Valery Petrenko was born in the city of Berezniki, Perm Territory, in 1962. Since childhood he is fond of radio electronics, loves to fish, play the guitar and harmonica, as well as travel. After school, he entered the branch of the Perm Polytechnic Institute in Berezniki, received the specialty of an automation engineer. He worked as a locksmith and foreman in instrumentation and automation. He is now retired.\nValery met his future wife Galina before studying at the institute, in 1985 they got married. Galina worked as a computer operator, and later as a software engineer. The couple love to go fishing and pick mushrooms and berries. They have two sons who live separately but maintain a good relationship with their parents.\nSince childhood, Valery wondered: what awaits after death? What is the \"end of the world\"? Starting to read the Bible, he found answers to all his questions, learned about Jesus Christ, his Father and what kind of future he had prepared for people. At that time, it was difficult for him to imagine that he would be overtaken by criminal prosecution for his faith.\nThe Petrenko family still feels the consequences of searches and interrogations. Valeriy's bank cards are blocked, so he cannot get an additional job, and Galina suffers from heart problems and needs constant medication.\nValeriy's family and friends know him as a peaceful and non-confrontational person, which completely contradicts the label of an extremist that has been hung on him. Valery decided not to devote his relatives to the details of the criminal prosecution. But, as one of his relatives once put it when he learned about the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses: \"I wish I had more such extremist relatives.\"\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/petrenko/photo_hu_5033e34789c8bf44.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/petrenko/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/petrenko/photo_hu_a8b23eb606f8ce0b.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/petrenko/photo_hu_5f5dafff25c12d6f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/petrenko.html","regions":["perm"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Valeriy Petrenko","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Vladimir Piskarev is one of three civilians in Oryol who ended up behind bars because of their faith in Jehovah God in December 2020. The pre-trial detention center in which believers were placed, once known as the Oryol Central, is one of the oldest institutions in the Russian penal system. At one time, political prisoners of the Stalinist regime were placed there, so a monument to the victims of political repression was erected there. About 3 years later, Vladimir was sentenced to 6 years in a penal colony for his beliefs.\nVladimir was born in 1956 in the city of Karpinsk (Sverdlovsk region). He has a younger brother. Their mother and father are no longer alive. As a child, the boy was fond of music, played the button accordion. He was also a radio amateur, collected stamps, skied and skates, was engaged in wood carving and painting.\nAfter school, Vladimir graduated from a technical school, where he received the profession of an electromechanic. He worked as an electrician, signalman, power engineer, engineer. He is now retired.\nIn 1976, Vladimir married Tatyana, who was also prosecuted for faith about a year after Vladimir was taken into custody. The couple raised two children—a son and a daughter. When the children lived with them, they loved to go to the forest with the whole family to pick mushrooms, as well as visit the theater. In 1990, the family moved from Stary Oskol (Belgorod region) to the Caucasus, closer to their parents. They lived there for 10 years, and later settled in Oryol.\nVladimir loves justice and honesty. He wanted to find decent people living according to the commandments of Jesus Christ. Having met Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in the early 1990s, he eventually made a decision to become a Christian too, which he did in 1995.\nThe criminal prosecution was a serious shock. Behind bars Vladimir had an acute attack of gallbladder disease, due to which he was hospitalized. There he also repeatedly suffered hypertensive crises and stroke. Piskarev said: \u0026quot;Why did this happen? Because in the pre-trial detention center they simply did not give me medicines, although they were there. The medications were given by my beloved wife, because I had to take them literally every day. Even when they started giving it out, they gave me literally one or two pills a week.\u0026quot; The believer was released in April 2025, having served his sentence in full.\n","date":"2021-01-12","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/piskarev/photo.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/piskarev/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/piskarev/photo_hu_c1bea75b7f477a68.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/piskarev/photo_hu_c1bea75b7f477a68.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/piskarev.html","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["elderly","health-risk","families"],"title":"Vladimir Piskarev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Tatyana Piskareva was prosecuted for her faith about a year after her husband, Vladimir, was jailed on charges of extremism.\nTatyana was born in 1956 in the village of Belenikhino (Belgorod Region). She has a younger sister. The parents are no longer alive. As a child, Tatyana loved skiing, listening to music, dancing, singing and writing poetry.\nAfter school, Tatyana completed accounting courses and worked in her specialty, she also worked in the technical control department of the repair shop.\nTatyana was introduced to the Bible and its teachings by a neighbor. The woman was impressed that the truths of this book were simple and clear. The warm attitude of other believers towards her strengthened Tatyana's faith and prompted her to embark on the Christian path in 1995.\nTatyana met her future husband Vladimir while visiting a friend. They got married in 1976. The couple raised two children: a son and a daughter. The whole family loved to go fishing.\nTatyana is a sociable person. She enjoys spending time with friends, as well as visiting beautiful places, playing billiards and table tennis.\nThe Piskarevs moved around a lot. They managed to visit many cities and regions of Russia—from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk to Rostov-on-Don. For some time they lived in Armenia. Later they settled in Orel.\nDue to the persecution, Tatyana's health deteriorated, now she needs to take medication regularly. Relatives worry about Tatiana and Vladimir and support them.\n","date":"2022-02-15","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/piskareva/photo_hu_2e451e5d4973100a.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/piskareva/photo_hu_227396b3bc9929a3.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/piskareva/photo_hu_54406b65a0d9fb78.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/piskareva/photo_hu_d7db5c4b59e0b95e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/piskareva.html","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["elderly","families"],"title":"Tatyana Piskareva","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"A peaceful citizen of Solikamsk Vladimir Poltoradnev worked in the field of cleanliness. In July 2020, law enforcers searched his home, and the believer was placed in an isolation ward for 4 days. Now the man will have to defend his right to freedom of religion in court.\nVladimir was born in 1962 in the village of Krasnoschekovo, Orenburg region, in a family of ordinary toilers. He has three elder sisters. As a child he was engaged in various active sports: athletics, basketball, skiing. In 1982, after military service with his parents, he moved to Orsk, later to Kuvandyk, and then settled in Solikamsk (Perm region).\nVladimir graduated from the Russian Correspondence Institute of Textile and Light Industry in Moscow, where he became a mechanical engineer for sewing equipment. He was an individual entrepreneur for 18 years.\nIn 1999, Vladimir got acquainted with the Bible. This ancient book made an indelible impression on him. He was especially surprised by the fact that biblical prophecies are fulfilled in our time. Vladimir was so glad that he found answers to serious questions about life that in 2001 he decided to take the Christian path. Inspired by the example of the father, his two daughters joined him in a study of the Holy Scriptures.\nVladimir leads an active lifestyle: he likes running, swimming, skiing and skating. Due to house arrest, he was deprived for some time of the opportunity to support himself and go out into the fresh air, which made him feel worse. Relatives of the believer think that criminal prosecution is unfair and illegal.\n","date":"2020-11-12","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/poltoradnev/photo_hu_4e32e716def146e2.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/poltoradnev/photo_hu_98df28cfcc20b5a9.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/poltoradnev/photo_hu_14059898f1bc80fe.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/poltoradnev/photo_hu_6ccf80592d9a0354.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/poltoradnev.html","regions":["perm"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Vladimir Poltoradnev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On January 28, 2020, Gennady Polyakevich was imprisoned in Pechora (Komi Republic) as a result of mass searches in the homes of civilians.\nGennadiy was born in 1959 in the village of Irayol, Komi Republic, in a family of ordinary villagers. His father, Joseph, worked as a driver, and his mother, Augustine, worked as a cleaner at school. Gennady was the eldest of two brothers in the family. Childhood was not easy, the family was not rich, often toys for children were replaced by planks, bricks and a rich imagination.\nAfter graduating from school and serving in the army, Gennady worked for a short time as a bricklayer at a construction site, and then graduated from the technical school of communications and got a job in his specialty in Pechora. Later he studied in absentia at the Leningrad Institute named after Bonch-Bruevich. Gennadiy worked at the communications enterprise for more than 30 years, received the title of veteran of labor and master of communications.\nAccording to the stories of Gennady, at an early age, looking at the stars, he thought about their creator. His parents were the first to get acquainted with the Bible, and later Gennady also decided to learn more about what was written in this book. New knowledge prompted him to embark on the path of a Christian, which he did in 1994.\nAround this time, Gennady met Elvira, who shared his newfound values. He married her in 1996 and adopted her young child. In 2003, the couple had a daughter, Elina. Elvira has been working in one of the pharmacies in Pechora for many years and, like her husband, has a good reputation among her colleagues.\nAccording to Gennadiy's relatives, he always devoted a lot of time to helping friends and acquaintances. Criminal prosecution in one day destroyed the calm happy life of the family. Sleepless nights and fear followed at every knock on the door. At the same time, family members are determined to respond to events in a Christian way and continue to rely on God.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/polyakevich/photo_hu_dc1b6c8eec26d6b7.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/polyakevich/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/polyakevich/photo_hu_93d02aa0d5e5a66b.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/polyakevich/photo_hu_38818123f205fb8c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/polyakevich.html","regions":["komi"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Gennadiy Polyakevich","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In May 2019, Lyudmila Ponomarenko, a pensioner from Rostov-on-Don, was searched. Later, the believer was accused of participating in extremist activities. In May 20201, the court found her guilty and sentenced her to 2 years of probation.\nLyudmila was born in 1950 in the village of Ola (Magadan Region), but has been living in Rostov-on-Don since the age of 9. His mother was a believer and worked as an accountant in a garment factory. She was able to instill faith in her two daughters.\nAs a child, Lyudmila was engaged in rhythmic gymnastics, read a lot and often visited the library. She graduated from high school and construction college. After receiving a diploma of secondary technical education, she got a job as an economist in the construction department, and later worked at the plant as an electrician.\nFor more than 20 years, Lyudmila has been leading a Christian lifestyle. For many years she had a desire to know the Bible and understand what was written in it. She was greatly impressed by the personal name of the Creator, which she saw in the Bible. She was also struck by the fact that from this book you can learn about God's plans. Knowing God's laws and applying them in life helped to preserve the marriage, improve family relationships, and raise two daughters.\nNow Lyudmila is retired, she has two grandchildren. She is engaged in household chores, caring for her husband, who is seriously ill. She devotes her free time to reading and crocheting toys.\nThe difficult circumstances in which Lyudmila found herself affected the whole family. Although her relatives do not share her religious beliefs, they sincerely do not understand why their wife, mother, and grandmother were convicted. The daughters are concerned about the health of their parents, since after the search, interrogations, investigation and trial, both of them were seriously shaken.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/ponomarenko/photo_hu_74bf18e5d7e6bafe.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/ponomarenko/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/ponomarenko/photo_hu_af6f815e86fd1ab6.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/ponomarenko/photo_hu_aa8aca1864ba0d96.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/ponomarenko.html","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Lyudmila Ponomarenko","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Yuriy Ponomarenko, an electrician from the Primorsky Territory, faced criminal prosecution for believing in God. He underwent several searches, the believer was placed under recognizance agreement and included in the list of extremists of Rosfinmonitoring.\nYuriy was born in September 1958 in the city of Ussuriysk (Primorsky Territory), since 1970 he has been living in the Pozharsky District of the Primorsky Territory.\nAs a child, Yuriy attended a local history circle, led a school vocal and instrumental ensemble. After school he worked as a car electrician, then after the army he received a special education and became a driver. In recent years, Yuriy has been working as an auto electrician at the Primorskaya hydroelectric power plant. In his free time he likes to pick mushrooms and work in the country.\nWith his wife Lyubov, Yuriy has been married for over 35 years. The couple love to meet with friends, go to the forest together.\nYuriy always watched the creations and came to the conclusion that everything could not appear by itself. His wife started reading the Bible. In this book, Yuriy found answers to his questions and in 1995, together with Love, embarked on the Christian path.\nYuriy says: “After the searches, the feeling that you are constantly under surveillance does not leave. Due to constant stress, health has deteriorated, chronic diseases have worsened, because of the blocking of bank cards, there have been difficulties with receiving a salary. \"\nRelatives, colleagues and acquaintances of Yuriy do not understand why this hard-working elderly man is being persecuted.\n","date":"2021-10-20","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/ponomarenkoyu/photo_hu_4c40967519417855.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/ponomarenkoyu/photo_hu_bc93c15da6923fcc.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/ponomarenkoyu/photo_hu_7635408a19fc3142.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/ponomarenkoyu/photo_hu_e626e51a6e54702.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/ponomarenkoyu.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Yuriy Ponomarenko","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Oleg Postnikov was born in 1965 in the city of Vyazemskiy (Khabarovsk Territory). He spent his childhood and youth in Khabarovsk. During his school years, he was engaged in sports and design, as well as collecting stamps and badges. After school, he received the specialty of an assistant locomotive driver. For some time he was fond of sailing.\nSince childhood, he read many books of different genres: from detective stories to astronomy textbooks. Reading encouraged me to think about the past, the future, and ask questions: why do people fail to achieve peace? Why do people destroy the earth? Are we alone in the vast universe and what is the meaning of life?\nBy the age of 18, Oleg was addicted to alcohol and drugs, got into a hooligan group, was soon arrested and ended up in prison. After a while, Oleg met people studying the Bible. They surprised him with their desire to live according to high moral standards, provided evidence of the existence of the Creator, and soon Oleg changed his outlook on life, quit smoking and stopped swearing. After his release in 1986, he continued to lead a meaningful life and develop friendship with God.\nIn 1989, Oleg married Agnessa, the couple moved to Birobidzhan. They raised two children. Oleg has several specialties, the last 15 years he worked as a plumber. He is fond of astronomy and biology, reads a lot about discoveries and research in these areas. The spouses love to spend time in nature, go hiking.\nThe prolonged criminal prosecution has had a negative impact on the physical and emotional state of the family. In court, Postnikov said: \u0026quot;Now, when there is so much talk in the country about the need to strengthen family ties, about traditional family values . . . I just can\u0026#39;t believe it: does the state really need to destroy my family in order to punish me for my faith?\u0026quot;\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/postnikov/photo_hu_b7e982fcef55de74.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/postnikov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/postnikov/photo_hu_a592fd10fa7a350f.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/postnikov/photo_hu_59915bb019342a61.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/postnikov.html","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["families","elderly"],"title":"Oleg Postnikov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Oleg Postnikov was born in 1965 in the city of Vyazemsky (Khabarovsk Territory). He spent his childhood and youth in Khabarovsk. During his school years, he was engaged in sports and design, as well as collecting stamps and badges. After school, he received the specialty of an assistant locomotive driver. For some time he was fond of sailing.\nSince childhood, he read many books of different genres: from detective stories to astronomy textbooks. Reading encouraged me to think about the past, the future, and ask questions: why do people fail to achieve peace? Why do people destroy the earth? Are we alone in the vast universe and what is the meaning of life?\nBy the age of 18, Oleg was addicted to alcohol and drugs, got into a hooligan group, was soon arrested and ended up in prison. After a while, Oleg met people studying the Bible. They surprised him with their desire to live according to high moral standards, provided evidence of the existence of the Creator, and soon Oleg changed his outlook on life, quit smoking and stopped swearing. After his release in 1986, he continued to lead a meaningful life and develop friendship with God.\nIn 1989, Oleg married Agnes, the couple moved to Birobidzhan. They raised two children. Oleg has several specialties, the last 15 years he worked as a plumber. He is fond of astronomy and biology, reads a lot about discoveries and research in these areas. The spouses love to spend time in nature, go hiking.\nThe criminal prosecution had a negative impact on the physical and emotional state of the family: there was a fear of wiretapping and surveillance, sleep was lost, and Agnesa's chronic diseases worsened.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/postnikov2/photo_hu_b7e982fcef55de74.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/postnikov2/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/postnikov2/photo_hu_a592fd10fa7a350f.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/postnikov2/photo_hu_59915bb019342a61.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/postnikov2.html","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["families","elderly"],"title":"Oleg Postnikov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In the early 1980s, the large family in which Agnessa Postnikova grew up was persecuted by the authorities for practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. They came to them with a search, their mother was summoned for talks in the KGB, the father and one of Agnessa's brothers were fined, and the other was imprisoned for a year and a half for refusing to cooperate with the special services. Today, the believer is again facing persecution: a criminal case for extremism has been opened against her and her husband.\nAgnes was born in 1963 in Kazakhstan. She is the fifth of seven children in the family: she has 4 older brothers and 2 younger sisters. Parents worked hard to provide the children with everything they needed. They believed in God and instilled this faith in their children, but it was not easy - the school brought them up in the spirit of atheism.\nAs a child, Agnessa attended dance and theater classes. She loved skiing and skating. In summer they fished on the river, went hiking. After school, she graduated from courses in cutting and sewing, worked in a tailor shop.\nWhen Agnessa was in high school, the whole family became acquainted with Jehovah's Witnesses. Their logical reasoning during discussions on religious topics convinced Agnes and her brothers of the existence of a Creator. It was then that she first heard the name of God - Jehovah. She was especially touched by the Creator's promise to resurrect the dead (Agnessa never saw her grandparents, and she really missed them). As a result, all family members became Christians.\nFrom Kazakhstan, Agnessa moved to the Far East, to Khabarovsk. After a while, all the other family members moved to her. In 1989 she married Oleg. Immediately after the wedding, the couple moved to Birobidzhan. They raised two children. The family loves to spend time in the country, take care of flowers, go hiking.\nThe persecution fundamentally changed the life of the married couple and badly affected the poor health of Agnessa, who had previously undergone three surgeries. The spouses now live in constant stress, waiting for the next search.\n","date":"2021-03-16","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/postnikova/photo_hu_3f3b4de19ad5d6e1.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/postnikova/photo_hu_9ec6a3c9f56dffd5.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/postnikova/photo_hu_c38f5e8296abdd5f.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/postnikova/photo_hu_91e34a765525b497.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/postnikova.html","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["families","elderly"],"title":"Agnessa Postnikova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"December 2020 was a particularly difficult period in the life of Nikolay Prokhorov: he lost his mother, and 10 days later his house was searched. In his youth, Nikolay dreamed of a just world and believed in the ideals of communism, in which he soon became disillusioned, but later found a firm hope for the future thanks to the Bible. Paradoxically, it was precisely because of his love for the Holy Scriptures that the believer found himself under investigation.\nNikolaiy was born in March 1964 in the village of Morshan in the Kirsanovsky District of the Tambov Region into a simple working-class family. In 1985 he graduated from the Nizhny Novgorod Higher Anti-Aircraft Missile Command School of Air Defense and entered the army. He served in the Moscow region and in the Far North. In 1993 he quit his job and moved to Sevastopol, where he took up business.\nIn 2000, Nikolay met his future wife Yelena, who worked in an atelier. In 2005, they moved to Kirsanov to care for Nikolay's mother, and in 2008 they got married after learning about Bible norms regarding marriage. “I began to study the Bible because of the behavior of Jehovah's Witnesses, which was very different from what I had experienced before. I realized that I had found the truth, ”says Nikolay. Since 2008 he has been a committed Christian.\nThe couple raised two children: son Vasiliy and daughter Alyona, who already live separately. The daughter works in a web design studio, the son is in college. Nikolay is fond of swimming and making herbal preparations, Yelena loves to cook. Also, the spouses travel with pleasure and watch biathlon competitions.\nBecause of the criminal case, Nikolay lost his job, and the family was left without the main income. The man worked for 16 years at the Kirsanov Electric Networks enterprise, from where he was dismissed the next day after the search. Colleagues wonder why a peaceful, responsible employee is accused of organizing extremist activities only because of his convictions. Nikolay's relatives are also outraged by the unfair accusations against him.\n","date":"2021-01-14","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/prokhorov/photo_hu_d154ae405af8f5d7.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/prokhorov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/prokhorov/photo_hu_7a21f34b64371c06.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/prokhorov/photo_hu_ee5d39967b3f7f52.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/prokhorov.html","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["elderly","disability"],"title":"Nikolay Prokhorov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Nina Purge is one of the elderly residents of Vladivostok accused of extremism because of her love for the Bible.\nNina was born in July 1940 in the village of Pesochek (Pskov region). She has a younger brother. Their childhood took place in wartime and was difficult. When the village was occupied by German soldiers in 1942, Nina miraculously escaped death.\nNina received the profession of livestock specialist and worked in it, and later she was engaged in cleaning in preschool educational institutions. After graduating from the Tallinn Naval School, Nina's husband was assigned to Vladivostok and since then they have been living in this city. The couple raised two children.\nNina became interested in Bible teachings in the late 1990s. Bible advice helped her change her life for the better.\nThe criminal prosecution had a serious impact on the health of an elderly woman.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/purge/photo_hu_99e95f031d958342.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/purge/photo_hu_6330b3989ba9189.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/purge/photo_hu_d59e025752085667.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/purge/photo_hu_7baeab70e30d0361.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/purge.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Nina Purge","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Valeriy Rabota ended up in a pre-trial detention center after searches were carried out at the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Khabarovsk Territory in the spring of 2022. During the months spent in detention, the believer's chronic illnesses worsened, and he later suffered a stroke while under house arrest.\nValeriy was born in October 1961 in the city of Tatarbunary (Ukraine). He has a younger half-sister thru his mother. His parents did subsistence farming and beekeeping. The stepfather passed away in 2008, and the mother passed away from Covid in the summer of 2021.\nValeriy grew up as an active child: he played soccer on the youth team, did track and field, and later kettlebell lifting and sports shooting, and took part in combined events.\nAfter school, Valeriy entered the Odessa Cultural and Educational College, but did not finish his studies because he was drafted into the army in his third year. Then he graduated from the school for ensign with a degree in engineer in anti-explosives and served in this rank for ten years.\nValeriy moved several times. He lived in the cities like Odessa and Moscow and served in Germany and a city of Khabarovsk. After leaving the army, he worked as an individual entrepreneur, a taxi driver, and more recently as a freight deliverer.\nValeriy's hobby is fishing. Since he lives by the river, he enjoys motorboating with family and friends. In addition, he likes to work in the garden, do repair work, and also play the button accordion and synthesizer.\nSince childhood, Valeriy had questions about the meaning of life. After learning that God has a personal name, he studied the Bible more deeply. In 1995, he became a Christian. His religious views were shared by his stepfather and mother, who introduced him to the Holy Scriptures.\nValeriy has three adult children from his first marriage. He met his wife Elvira in 2018 and they got married the same year. Elvira is an expert in the repair and tailoring of outerwear and the restoration of fur coats. She enjoys fishing, loves to spend time in nature and to go camping. Elvira, like Valeriy, was interested in spiritual things since childhood. In 1994 she began to study the Bible, and in 1996 she became a Christian.\nValeriy's relatives know him as a sympathetic, respectable person and do not understand how faith in God could become a reason for criminal prosecution.\n","date":"2022-03-31","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/rabota/photo_hu_ec1c541ade7f4c28.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/rabota/photo_hu_41431c7872b8a075.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/rabota/photo_hu_df1bbcdb780b8b80.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/rabota/photo_hu_7daee2721705a943.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/rabota.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Valeriy Rabota","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Peaceful pensioner from Barnaul Mikhail Reshetnikov — a professional driver with 50 years of experience — can go to jail because of his religion. In May 2021, the believer was accused of extremism. In 2024, the court gave him a suspended sentence of 2 years and 3 months.\nMikhail was born in June 1949 in the village of Maksiner, Kirov region. He is the eldest of seven children. His father worked in the timber industry, so the family often moved from place to place across the vast expanses of Siberia.\nSince childhood, Mikhail is fond of radio business and loves fishing. After school he learned to be a 1st class driver. For 50 years he drove trucks, cars and buses. Mikhail was distinguished by an engineering mindset and a thirst for knowledge. He mastered radio engineering, cinematography and radio mechanics, worked as a cinematographer, and later as a television technician. In 2010 he received the rights to operate small boats. Now, being retired, Mikhail is still fond of fishing and cars.\nIn the late 1990s, Mikhail met Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. He was touched by the fact that they helped him sort out questions that remained unanswered for a long time. In 2000 he became a Christian.\nMikhail got married for the first time in 1971, and after the wedding the family settled in Barnaul. The couple raised two children. Mikhail\u0026#39;s wife died of cancer. Although they had different views on spiritual matters, they respected each other\u0026#39;s religious choices.\nIn January 2021, Mikhail married for the second time. Together with Antonina, they enthusiastically study the Bible, enjoy communicating with friends, and go fishing in their free time.\nThe criminal prosecution did not discourage Mikhail, he accepted everything that was happening calmly. Relatives, including adult children, who respect Mikhail\u0026#39;s religious beliefs, worry about him and help in word and deed. The support of those close to him helps Mikhail to endure all difficulties.\n\u0026quot;Love for Jehovah and the examples of my dear brothers and sisters, who, being in prison, sanctify the name of God with their steadfastness and behavior, help me not to give up further,\u0026quot; Mikhail said in his final statement.\n","date":"2021-09-06","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/reshetnikovm/photo_hu_7e037d62ced543c2.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/reshetnikovm/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/reshetnikovm/photo_hu_24ec984dd4cb41fd.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/reshetnikovm/photo_hu_55146cbf83ab09e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/reshetnikovm.html","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Mikhail Reshetnikov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On March 20, 2019, searches and interrogations of citizens in connection with their Christian beliefs resumed in Magadan. Viktor Revyakin became a new defendant in the criminal case against believers in Magadan, who by this time had already become 13. The investigation believes that he participated in worship services. What do we know about Victor? Viktor was born in 1957 in Novosibirsk. His parents are no longer alive, as well as his relatives in general. Early accustomed to an independent life. In his youth, he attended sports sections, was especially fond of athletics. He graduated from the Kiev State Institute of Physical Culture. The first place of work is the regional sports committee of Magadan. He devoted most of his life to teaching: he worked as an athletics coach and head teacher at a children's youth sports school. Today he teaches physical education at the Magadan Polytechnic College. Viktor has been living in Magadan since 1966, he came to the city immediately after the institute. It was here that his acquaintance with the Bible took place. Before that, he had never read it or even held it in his hands. His knowledge of the Scriptures convinced him that the Bible was the source of truth. In 2011, in Novosibirsk (where his father lived), Viktor met his future wife Natalia, and two years later they got married. For both, this is a remarriage. The children are already adults and live separately with their families. The couple love to walk in nature in their free time, as well as sit together at home and taste the local fish. For most of her life, Natalia worked as a leading specialist in the client service of the Novosibirsk Pension Fund. It is difficult for acquaintances of Viktor and Natalia to understand what a threat this law-abiding family can pose to society. ","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/revyakin/photo_hu_23702e5d15dca4e4.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/revyakin/photo_hu_720310783a662335.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/revyakin/photo_hu_872f9085a757fb1d.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/revyakin/photo_hu_9cc189da23092029.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/revyakin.html","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Viktor Revyakin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In March 2019, a criminal case was initiated in Zeya against the peaceful pensioner Vasiliy Reznichenko. The labor veteran was put on trial only because of his faith in Jehovah God. In June 2021, the court found the believer guilty of participating in extremist activities and sentenced him to 2 years of probation. A month later, the appellate court upheld the verdict.\nVasiliy was born in 1942 in the village of Murovka, Primorskiy Territory, into a large family of collective farmers. He was the youngest of five children. After school he graduated from the Dalnerechensk school and received the profession of a tractor driver-machinist of a wide profile. In the army, he continued his studies at the evening school, and then — at the river school in Blagoveshchensk, specializing in \"navigator-mechanic\".\nHaving moved to Zeya, Vasiliy got a job as the second navigator of a motor ship in the Zeya river port. A year later he was appointed captain of the ship. In this position, he conscientiously worked until 1991, received the title of \"veteran of labor of the USSR.\" Later he worked as a caretaker in a kindergarten, now he is on a well-deserved rest. Vasiliy still leads an active lifestyle, he is engaged in Scandinavian walking.\nVasiliy met his future wife Valentina in 1966, three years later they got married. The wife worked as an accountant in the district committee of the Komsomol of Blagoveshchensk. Together we moved to Zeya, where Valentina continued to work in her specialty in the local city council. When the children appeared, she completely occupied herself with the household, raising three sons. Unfortunately, in 2016, Valentina passed away.\nIn the mid-1990s, Valentina was the first to show an interest in the Bible. Soon Vasiliy also became interested in biblical teachings. He was especially impressed by the biblical teaching on paradise on earth. “Before that, I had heard the widespread opinion that all good people go to heaven after death,” he says. “It was not clear to me why the earth was needed then. Having learned from the Holy Scriptures that the righteous will inherit the earth and will live on it forever, I accepted this truth with all my heart and began to tell others about it.\" Every year Vasiliy tries to completely read the Bible, and he has managed to do this many times.\nSeveral years of criminal prosecution affected the believer's health. In November 2019, Vasiliy was included in the Rosfinmonitoring List of Terrorists and Extremists, and 170,000 rubles were blocked in his bank account, which was a significant amount for him. The support of relatives and fellow believers helped Vasiliy survive all the difficulties.\nThe sons, although they do not share the religious beliefs of their father, are very worried about him and consider the court's decision absolutely unfounded.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/reznichenko/photo_hu_6f33dc18012e049d.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/reznichenko/photo_hu_3a1bc4f31cae2bd8.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/reznichenko/photo_hu_2d53cbe0f0824d35.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/reznichenko/photo_hu_87d771fb1b3839a2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/reznichenko.html","regions":["amur"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Vasiliy Reznichenko","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In September 2021, a court in Volgograd sentenced four civilians to real prison terms for their faith in Jehovah God. One of them is a former military pilot Valeriy Rogozin.\nValeriy was born in 1962 in Krasnokamsk (Perm region). As a child, he liked to go camping in the taiga overnight, practiced sports.\nAfter finishing school, he entered the Kacha Higher Military Aviation School of Pilots in Volgograd. Thus began a new page in Valeriy's life, which connected him with this city. He served as a military pilot. After 12 years in the army, he worked for many years as a design engineer.\nIn 1984, Valeriy married Marina, a teacher by profession. The spouses brought up two sons. In his spare time Valeriy likes to do landscape design and repair work around the house. In the 1990s, Valeriy discovered the astounding wisdom of the Bible and since then has tried to live up to its high moral standards.\nIn May 2019, a court sent four peaceful Volgograd citizens to prison, all the \"guilt\" of which was to confess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Valeriy Rogozin was among them. The 7.5 months he spent in the pre-trial detention center drastically undermined his health so that he needed long-term treatment.\n\"Valeriy's relatives, neighbors, employees and former coworkers are outraged by the unfair arrest and worry about us,\" said his wife Marina.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/rogozin/photo_hu_eace8ac1e995989.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/rogozin/photo_hu_2514b9e03428dc26.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/rogozin/photo_hu_f0c54cc67760940b.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/rogozin/photo_hu_2dc55eb0117d1a4b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/rogozin.html","regions":["volgograd"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Valeriy Rogozin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On February 15, 2019, one of the most massive and inhuman operations against believers took place in Surgut and several other cities of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug. Seven people were tortured, three were sent to a pre-trial detention center (two of them spent 56 days behind bars), and the total number of defendants in criminal cases exceeded 20. One of them is Leonid Rysikov. What do we know about him? Leonid was born in 1950 in the village of Sredniye Mangareki (Krasnoyarsk Territory). He grew up in a large family. He has three brothers and four sisters, and one brother died when he was a child. His mother was a milkmaid, his father was a grain grower and blacksmith. As a child, he was fond of athletics. Leonid graduated from the Krasnoyarsk vocational school with a degree in electrician. He worked as an electrician and mechanic. Due to the difficult economic situation, he was forced to move to work in Surgut with his sister. He has been retired since 2005. He likes to fish, walk in the woods and play chess. Leonid met his future wife Evgenia on a business trip to an oil and gas field. They got married in 1982. Evgenia is a very cheerful person, loves songs and dances. The couple raised two sons, already have granddaughters. In the early 1990s, Evgenia became acquainted with Bible teachings, determined to act and live in harmony with what she learned. A few years later, Leonid joined her. Both of them were convinced by the truthfulness and consistency of the Bible, as well as God's assurances of a wonderful future. Relatives have a negative attitude towards the criminal prosecution of Leonid. Almost every day they call, support his family and really hope that the authorities will come to their senses and finally stop the persecution for their faith. ","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/rysikov/photo_hu_ce7a5b3043e2cd70.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/rysikov/photo_hu_ea199bdc9aedff09.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/rysikov/photo_hu_7df856d566f93b88.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/rysikov/photo_hu_f9373db7ab13f074.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/rysikov.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Leonid Rysikov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Svetlana Ryzhkova, a resident of Shuya (Ivanovo region), was prosecuted for her religion. What do we know about this woman?\nSvetlana was born in the village of Aristovo, Shuisky District, Ivanovo Region, in 1953. He has a sister and two sons. Svetlana's parents have always been conscientious about work. His father worked as a carpenter in a factory, and later as a foreman on a collective farm, and his mother worked as a weaver all her life. They also instilled a love of work in their daughters. Svetlana received the profession of a nurse and has been working in this field for several decades.\nSvetlana's childhood was spent in the village, she loves nature very much. With her friends, she often disappeared on the river, picked mushrooms and berries. Svetlana has always loved gardening, and to this day she spends her free time in her garden, planting and watering.\nAfter school, Svetlana and her whole family moved to the city of Shuya, where she graduated from a medical college. For some time she lived in St. Petersburg.\nIn the mid-2000s, Svetlana became interested in the Bible, which unexpectedly and paradoxically led to criminal prosecution. She experienced a strong shock on April 19, 2018, when they came to her house with a search. To preserve the feelings of relatives and friends, she decided not to devote them to the details of the criminal case.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/ryzhkova/photo_hu_d3fd7a872a2c9494.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/ryzhkova/photo_hu_54bcfa84612204c8.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/ryzhkova/photo_hu_f4bc2522490af7b1.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/ryzhkova/photo_hu_acc7419250739071.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/ryzhkova.html","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Svetlana Ryzhkova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On December 12, 2019, the Investigative Committee opened criminal cases against 9 believers in Nevinnomyssk (Stavropol Territory). The youngest among them was Karina Sahakyan.\nKarina was born in October 1965 in the Azerbaijani city of Sumgait. She has an elder brother and sister. Of Karina's parents, only her mother shared Karina's religious beliefs. Today, she, like her father, is no longer alive.\nSince childhood, Karina loves to go to the mountains, is fond of knitting and growing roses. She worked as an announcer at the bus station, and for the last few years as a fitter at a measuring instrument factory.\nIn 1988, when the infamous Sumgait pogrom began, Karina's family had to flee to Kapan (Armenia), from where in 1993 due to military raids they left for Nevinnomyssk, where they still live.\nIn 1996, while studying the Bible with her sister, Karina learned that in the future there would be no wars and people would live in peace. This promise of God found a special response in her heart.\nToday, Karina faces criminal prosecution for her hope. As a result, she began to have health problems - tormented by headaches and insomnia.\nRelatives are very worried about Karina and live with a constant sense of anxiety, since her fellow believers in Russia are imprisoned for their religious beliefs. \"A little noise outside the door makes you shudder. No one understands why this is happening to me, \"says Karina herself.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/saakyan/photo_hu_b80d1fd1d1f7f861.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/saakyan/photo_hu_3900600744d3908.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/saakyan/photo_hu_e49f7c0edf2f73c1.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/saakyan/photo_hu_de6f416986f172ad.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/saakyan.html","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Karina Saakyan","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On January 9, 2020, a criminal case was opened against Viktor Sagin for his faith, several editions of the Bible and the New Testament were seized from him. What do we know about this man?\nViktor was born in the village of Zimovye, Sverdlovsk Region, in 1957, but grew up in the city of Nazarov, Krasnoyarsk Territory. His father, a participant in World War II, worked all his life as a mechanic for the repair of vehicles. His mother was a veteran of labor of the RSFSR. Victor grew up in a large family with a sister and six brothers. He received a secondary education. The financial situation was difficult, and from the age of 15 he began to work to help his parents.\nAt school, Victor could not come to terms with the theory of evolution. When he discovered the Bible, he marveled at how simple, logical and at the same time beautiful this book answered all his questions. Together with his parents and three brothers, he was determined to live as it is written in the Bible.\nIn 1975, heeding Christ's call not to take up arms, Victor refused to serve in the army, for which he was sentenced to 3 years in prison. \"The conditions of detention were extremely difficult,\" Viktor recalls. \"Exhausting work on timber processing, sometimes up to 20 hours a day.\" Prisoners often asked: \"What are you imprisoned for?\" The peace-loving views of this young man aroused their interest and respect.\nIn 1977, Victor married Lyubov, a girl close to him in spirit and beliefs. The family settled in Achinsk, where they still live. They have two adult daughters who already have their own families. There are grandchildren. Victor is happy to take part in their upbringing, loves gardening and communication with family and friends.\nAll his life, Victor worked as a driver. At first, he drove a city bus in Achinsk, and for the last 35 years he worked as an electrician driver in the Krasnoyarsk electric grid company. For many years of conscientious work, he received certificates and thanks from the management of the enterprise and even personally from the Minister of Energy of Russia A.V. Novak. Viktor is also a labor veteran of his company and the Krasnoyarsk Territory.\nViktor's relatives and acquaintances know that he has already had to endure imprisonment for his faith in the Soviet years. Imagine their astonishment when they learned that in modern Russia he again faces a prison term for his religious beliefs!\nVictor's daughters are very worried about their father. He has high blood pressure and diabetes mellitus of the second type, and the first time after the searches he was tormented by insomnia.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/sagin/photo.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/sagin/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/sagin/photo_hu_22496c0533428e84.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/sagin/photo_hu_22496c0533428e84.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/sagin.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Viktor Sagin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Since the end of 2020, Lyudmila Salikova, a Jehovah's Witness from Snezhinsk, has been hit by misfortunes one after another—searches at work and at home, dismissal due to persecution for her faith, and the death of her younger sister. A criminal case was opened against the veteran of labor and the nuclear industry, accusing her of organizing the activities of an extremist organization.\nLyudmila was born in May 1951 in Sysert (Sverdlovsk region). She spent her childhood nearby, in Asbest, located 20 km from her hometown, where her father, who was wounded in the war, was sent. He worked in an asbestos mining factory. The large family had 2 sons and 3 daughters, so the mother did not work and was engaged in raising children. She taught Lyudmila to sew and knit, which she did for many years. The whole family loved to go picking mushrooms and berries.\nAfter school, Lyudmila worked as a teacher of biology and drawing in the village school. At the Sverdlovsk Electrotechnical College of Communications in Yekaterinburg, she received a degree in wire communications electrical technician. In 1972, she moved to Snezhinsk (Chelyabinsk region), where she still lives. There, Lyudmila was engaged in the design of electrical documentation, later worked as an electrical engineer in the technical department, then as a leading specialist in the energy department of the city administration. From 1993 to November 2020, she worked as an energy engineer at the City Administration. Due to religious persecution, she was forced to write a letter of resignation and retire.\nWhile studying at the technical school, Lyudmila met Yuriy, and in 1971 they got married. The couple raised three sons, who now have their own families. Yuriy died in 2009.\nLyudmila likes to travel, she has visited many southern cities of Russia and the Baltic states. She was an athletic person: she participated in volleyball and cross-country skiing competitions, was engaged in tourism, climbing the peaks of the Ural Mountains. Recently she liked riding a bicycle.\nIn 1999, Lyudmila's elder sister began to read the Bible regularly, six months later Lyudmila herself joined her, and five years later, their younger sister. In the Bible, Lyudmila found answers to questions about the meaning of life and why there is a lot of injustice, violence and war in the world. In 2002, she became one of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nLyudmila's relatives, who do not share her religious convictions, consider the criminal prosecution of the believer to be unjustified repressions.\n","date":"2021-09-24","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/salikova/photo_hu_d8c196e575e30afb.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/salikova/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/salikova/photo_hu_6c600c15596d3f73.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/salikova/photo_hu_d871d2d24fcf4026.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/salikova.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Lyudmila Salikova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In the summer of 2022, Yevgenya Samoilova, a group III disabled person, was suspected of extremist activity. The reason was her religious beliefs: the woman is a Jehovah's Witness. The second defendant in the criminal case was her daughter, Olga Golovacheva.\nYevgenya was born in October 1955 in the village of Pozharishche (Vologda Region). She grew up with her sister, who is a year older than her. The girls were raised by their mother alone.\nAt the age of 3, Yevgenya was diagnosed with a serious joint disease, due to which she had to spend the next years of her life—up to 16 years old—in a specialized sanatorium. The disease did not allow Yevgenya to move much, she could only watch the games of her peers in the yard and imagine herself with them. She loved to read, studied well and with pleasure.\nAfter graduating from school, Yevgenya moved to Rybinsk, where she worked as a laboratory assistant at a flour mill until 2005.\nIn 1975, Yevgenya got married, a year later her daughter Olga was born. Family life was not easy, and after 9 years the marriage broke up.\nIn 2008, the daughter, and later Yevgenya herself, became interested in the Bible. They began to study this book and in 2014 embarked on the Christian path together.\nIn 2003, Yevgenya received the III group of disability. Now she is at home most of the time, as it is difficult for her to move.\nThe criminal prosecution has affected the life of the woman and her family: they are worried about the possible invasion of law enforcement officers and a second search. Relatives and friends worry about Yevgenya and support her in every possible way.\n","date":"2022-09-05","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/samoylova/photo_hu_7b65df3be6a21ebb.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/samoylova/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/samoylova/photo_hu_355c87d9e2cb2afc.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/samoylova/photo_hu_34e1ba656eb16e82.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/samoylova.html","regions":["yaroslavl"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Yevgenya Samoylova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Valentina Samus spent her whole life in the picturesque ancient city of Kostroma. At the age of 72, she was prosecuted for believing in God.\nValentina was born in September 1949. As a child, she was fond of drawing and learned to sew. After school, she entered medical school and studied to be a paramedic. Now the woman is retired.\nFor more than 50 years, Valentina has been married to Ivan - they got married in 1970. The couple raised a son and a daughter. They love walks in the woods, take care of the cottage together. To this day, Valentina has retained her love of drawing and reading.\nIn 2007, Valentina embarked on the Christian path. Studying the Bible, she found the answer to the question of what is the meaning of life. Also from this book, the woman learned about the hope for the resurrection of the dead. This biblical teaching sustained Valentina when she lost her daughter.\nThe sudden criminal prosecution had a negative impact on the health of the elderly woman.\n","date":"2023-02-27","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/samus/photo_hu_53458c8555d652c9.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/samus/photo_hu_9d7af4b837061276.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/samus/photo_hu_daba6ab08eb5dc5c.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/samus/photo_hu_c8b99bc278b134ca.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/samus.html","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Valentina Samus","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Anatoliy Sarychev, a retired artist, was the victim of criminal prosecution when he was accused of extremism in October 2022 for talking about the Bible.\nAnatoliy was born in November 1949 in the village of Karpovo (Altai Territory). He has a younger sister, an elder brother has passed away. As a child, Anatoliy was fond of various sports: football, hockey, table tennis. He also liked to take pictures and draw.\nAnatoly graduated from the courses of graphic designers. He worked in his specialty in the bureau of aesthetics. Now he is retired.\nAnatoliy moved to the city of Barnaul from the State Farm named after Gorkiy in 1972. Then he got married. Two children from his first marriage died, because of which Anatoliy was depressed.\nIn 1990, Anatoliy married again. His wife's name is Nadezhda. A year later, the Sarychevs had a son. In their free time, the couple likes to walk, go to the forest and garden.\nAnatoliy met Jehovah's Witnesses in 1997, and in 2002 he himself decided to take the Christian path. He said, “I had no doubt that I had found the truth. I immediately began to do everything possible for God and experienced the joy of finding a spiritual family.” The wife shares the religious views of Anatoliy.\n“I do not agree with the accusations of extremism,” Anatoliy said. “My wife and I have a positive attitude, but there are health problems, as age takes its toll.”\n","date":"2022-11-09","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/sarychev/photo_hu_cc19709b1a8f0bf8.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/sarychev/photo_hu_a036a3d91a7bcb48.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/sarychev/photo_hu_2ffe010891d9856a.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/sarychev/photo_hu_1af40daad1ff6f7a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/sarychev.html","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Anatoliy Sarychev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In November 2018, mass raids on believers took place in Novosibirsk. Peaceful pensioner Yuriy Savelyev was arrested and sent to a pre-trial detention center. He was released only in July 2023, having fully served his sentence.\nYuriy was born in 1954 in the village of Krokhalevka (Novosibirsk region). His mother died when the boy was only a month old, so his older sister played an important role in his upbringing. After school, Yuriy received the profession of a plumber, worked at a metallurgical plant. He was engaged in hardening.\nYuriy had two adult children from his first marriage. Unfortunately, one of them passed away in the fall of 2021, when the believer was behind bars. Yuriy's second wife died suddenly after two days of illness, and this greatly influenced the man. Then, realizing the fallacy of seeking solace in alcohol, he became interested in religion and found that the Bible provides logical answers to his questions. In 1996, he decided to embark on the Christian path.\nAlthough none of Yuriy's relatives share his religious views, they are all outraged by what happened to him.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/savelev/photo_hu_ac4c6ea0ba033a41.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/savelev/photo_hu_fd3c36eeaeb0fd7.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/savelev/photo_hu_a48bd9f0c850eb19.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/savelev/photo_hu_598b8a6495b74c90.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/savelev.html","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Yuriy Savelyev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"A widow from Novokuznetsk, Lubov Serebryakova, suffered two heart attacks. The pensioner\u0026#39;s health condition worsened because of criminal prosecution for talking about God in a circle of friends. In 2023, she was given a 4-year suspended sentence because of her religion. Speaking in court, the believer said: \u0026quot;The motive of all my actions is related to religious beliefs based solely on peacefully following the example of Jesus Christ.\u0026quot;\nLubov was born in December 1950 in Novokuznetsk (Kemerovo region). She grew up in a large family—she was the fourth of five children. One brother and sister are no longer alive. As a child, Lubov was engaged in speed skating, basketball and volleyball.\nAfter graduating from the All-Union Institute of Finance and Economics, Lubov began working as an economist in the material and technical supply department of the Gidrougol association. She retired in 2005. Lubov\u0026#39;s husband died in 1999. The woman has two sons and four grandchildren.\nIn 2001, Lubov began to study the Bible and 9 months later decided to become one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\nLubov told how the criminal prosecution affected her life: \u0026quot;The investigation, familiarization with the case materials and 21 court hearings could not but affect my health. In August 2022, I was in the hospital for 8 days in the emergency cardiology department.\u0026quot;\n","date":"2024-10-31","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/serebryakova/photo_hu_3f704f0cfceed216.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/serebryakova/photo_hu_e5e8e115f171d770.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/serebryakova/photo_hu_4589a17986da8713.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/serebryakova/photo_hu_282cc2cd1ec6b48a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/serebryakova.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Lubov Serebryakova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In April 2019, in Novosibirsk, FSB officers invaded the homes of 12 citizens to stop the \u0026quot;activities of an extremist organization\u0026quot;—reading the Bible and praying. Aleksandr Seredkin was accused of organizing this activity, and in November 2022, the court sentenced him to 6 years in a penal colony. After 3 years, the believer was released due to a life-threatening illness.\nAleksandr was born in 1954 in the village of Verkhniy Naimangut (Irkutsk Region) in a family of simple rural workers. His father worked as a combine operator and his mother worked as an assistant to a tractor driver. Aleksandr has a younger brother and sister. The family lost another daughter when she was only seven. Later, they moved to the city of Usolye-Sibirskoye.\nAs a child, Aleksandr was active—he played soccer, painted, read a lot and was interested in science. After graduating from the vocational technical college, he continued the family tradition and became a combine tractor operator. Later he worked as a driver.\nThe name of Aleksandr\u0026#39;s wife is Svetlana. When the Seredkins retired, they decided to move to Novosibirsk. They raised two sons who became worthy members of society.\nSince childhood, Aleksandr was interested in questions like: where did people come from? what is the purpose of life? what is the future of humankind? He found convincing answers in the Bible, and for nearly 30 years along with his wife, has been living according to the commandments of this book.\nRelatives and friends of Aleksandr are shocked by his criminal prosecution for his faith in God.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/seredkin/photo_hu_a8647796aa2827dc.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/seredkin/photo_hu_43a835539b28df99.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/seredkin/photo_hu_bb894c1bf3d7a780.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/seredkin/photo_hu_e77169a3fed4a168.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/seredkin.html","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["elderly","health-risk"],"title":"Aleksandr Seredkin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In March 2019, a criminal case was opened in Kirov against peaceful believers, searches were carried out. One of the accused was Aleksandr Shamov. The investigation lasted more than a year, then the case went to court. In July 2021, despite the absence of victims in the case, Shamov was found guilty of organizing extremist activity as well as financing it and sentenced to a large fine of 420,000 rubles just because of his faith in Jehovah God.\nAleksandr was born in 1960 in the village of Komarovo (Kirov region). The family had six children, Aleksandr's parents died early. From an early age he was accustomed to working in the field: already at the age of 6 he helped in haymaking, and as he grew older, he helped combine harvesters, milked cows, and procured forage. At the same time, the children managed to find time for games, and Aleksandr voraciously read books. He had to travel to school several kilometers away - by bike in summer, by ski in winter.\nAfter leaving school, Aleksandr went to his relatives in Perm, where he graduated from a radio engineering school, after which he moved to the regional center of Kirov and got a job as a TV master. Now she is on a disability pension, recovering from a heart attack and heart surgery. It has become more difficult to play volleyball with friends, although he still tries to lead an active lifestyle.\nIn 1986, Aleksandr married Nadezhda, a clothing cutter by profession. In the 1990s, the couple became acquainted with Bible teachings that touched both of them vividly. They have an adult daughter, Anna.\nAccording to Aleksandr, the news of his criminal prosecution came as a shock to his loved ones, from which they still cannot come to their senses. Former colleagues at work cannot believe that people are persecuted for their faith in our time.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/shamov/photo_hu_4ddff004aa148b0d.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/shamov/photo_hu_32c8eb5c395c597a.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/shamov/photo_hu_94fb40651380f7b8.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/shamov/photo_hu_7d4180f8a2662fa4.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/shamov.html","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Aleksandr Shamov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Gennadiy Valerianovich Shpakovskiy was born in 1958 in the village. Krasny Yar (Volgograd region). He grew up in Sumgait (Azerbaijan), where his mother and younger brother still live.\nGennadiy was the eldest child in the family. His life was normal for a teenager in those years. He was actively involved in sports, especially volleyball. When he turned 14, he entered the Nevinomyssk Chemical and Mechanical College. Having received a working profession, he successfully worked as an apparatus operator for oxidative roasting at one of the chemical plants of the Krasnodar Territory. And in 1984 he moved to the Murmansk region. There, in Snezhnogorsk, he worked as a mechanic-repairman and electric and gas welder. From 2003 to the present, Gennadiy Valerianovich is an electric and gas welder. Until now, his hobbies include sports, primarily chess.\nGennadiy is married. They have been married to Tatiana for more than a quarter of a century. They met in the distant 1990s in Severomorsk due to their common passion for sports. Tatiana graduated from the Irkutsk College of Physical Education, then continued her education in her specialty at the Krasnodar Institute of Physical Education. She worked as a trainer, physical education teacher, was the chairman of the Severomorsk city council of the DSO trade unions. And for the soul, she was successfully engaged in drawing, so she can be safely called an amateur artist. Since January 26, 1991 (this is the date of their marriage), Tatyana and Gennadiy are always together.\n“My wife and I fell in love with the Bible at the same time,” says Gennadiy Shpakovskiy. “The most convincing thing for me was the logical explanation of all life processes. And Tanya was looking for the truth for a long time, and the teachings set forth in this book were able to provide answers to exciting and vital questions. \"\nGennadiy and Tatiana have a daughter, Maria. This is a sociable, kind and creative nature. She loves to dance, sing, paint, make gifts with her own hands. From an early age Masha absorbed the love of her parents for the Bible. \"Since childhood, I have seen the sincere love and support of fellow believers, I saw the example of my parents and I was convinced that the Bible can really help in solving any problems.\"\nIn 2011, after his younger sister died, Gennadiy moved with his family closer to the south to Pskov. In 2018, with the support of the armed Rosgvardia, a series of searches were conducted in the homes of peaceful Pskov residents, including Gennadiy's. Two years later, a believer was sentenced to a record-breaking at that time 6.5-year prison sentence for extremism . However, a higher court softened the sentence and replaced it with a suspended sentence.\n\"Such persecution was expected,\" Tatyana says, \"but it happened suddenly for us anyway... We try to support each other, and we are grateful to our brothers and sisters in faith, who encourage us\".\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/shpakovskii/photo_hu_5d75656f519f83d3.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/shpakovskii/photo_hu_7496b68c072cd5ae.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/shpakovskii/photo_hu_766874dfa2aac70a.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/shpakovskii/photo_hu_e93c9f2f9fdd6d09.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/shpakovskii.html","regions":["pskov"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Gennadiy Shpakovskiy","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Olga Shulgina became one of 5 women in the city of Maysky (Kabardino-Balkaria), against whom investigator A. Yakhtanigov opened a criminal case under an extremist article. Olga was born in 1961 in the village of Maralikha (Altai Territory). She has an older brother and a younger sister. Olga's mother worked for many years as the head of the laboratory at the poultry farm. Now she is at an advanced age and needs constant care. Her father also worked as a deputy chief accountant at a poultry farm in the city of Maysky, where the family moved when Olga was about three years old. He died in 2016. As a child, Olga loved to cook, bake and sew. After school, she graduated from a sewing school. She worked in a garment factory and in a garment cooperative. Later, she worked for many years at the May X-ray equipment plant \"Sevkavrentgen\" as a copyist, and also baked cakes and pastries to order. Olga is now retired. Cooking is still her hobby. In 1980, Olga married Alexander, two children were born in marriage - a daughter and a son. In the 2000s, Olga became interested in Bible teachings. She was struck by how accurately the prophecies recorded in the ancient book came true. This led her to the idea that all the promises of God would be fulfilled, and no one could stop it. Olga decided to become a Christian, and in 2009 she dedicated her life to serving God. Relatives do not share Olga's religious beliefs.\nCriminal prosecution is not easy for Olga: she has lost a lot of weight from stress, her health has weakened. She still has to take care of her sick mother, which in itself is a heavy burden for the believer, but she tries to maintain a positive attitude.\n","date":"2021-06-18","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/shulgina/photo_hu_f0169f7c0f6fe02b.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/shulgina/photo_hu_1f5cbeadf1a6a4d5.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/shulgina/photo_hu_636e66b947371c91.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/shulgina/photo_hu_b15463919e39f41b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/shulgina.html","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Olga Shulgina","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Lyudmila Shut, a widow and disabled person of group II, faced repression for her faith in 2019, when she was 72. First, she was interrogated in the case of a fellow believer and then accused of extremism.\nLyudmila was born in 1947 in the city of Makarov on Sakhalin. At an early age, the girl was left without a father. Growing up, she, as the eldest child in the family, helped her mother take care of her three sisters and brother. In her free time, Lyudmila liked skiing and horseback riding.\nAfter school, the girl went to work, changing several professions during her long working life: she was a turner, milkmaid, foreman of a tractor-field brigade and manager of a state farm, and managed a warehouse. Lyudmila was married, raised three children and became a grandmother.\nThe woman got acquainted with the Bible in the early 2000s. She was especially moved by Bible prophecies, which have already come true, and God\u0026#39;s promises about the future. In December 2003, she became one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\nYears later, peaceful Lyudmila had to defend her faith in court. In her final statement, she said: \u0026quot;I have suffered many misfortunes in my life. I can hardly move on crutches, so as not to be a burden to anyone. After the search in my apartment on July 19, 2018, and to this day, I am stressed. My health condition has deteriorated.\u0026quot; The youngest daughter, son and friends provided the believer with the necessary support during the criminal prosecution. Lyudmila died in the summer of 2025 because of a heart attack.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/shut/photo_hu_a21d36b53dbba3c0.JPG","jpg2x":"/prisoners/shut/photo_hu_102352de09c04058.JPG","webp":"/prisoners/shut/photo_hu_c58fa319eb0f13e5.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/shut/photo_hu_2c2a453a5ed90433.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/shut.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["elderly","disability","died"],"title":"Lyudmila Shut","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In the summer of 2021, the life of peaceful pensioner Alexandr Shutov changed dramatically — his house and his wife were searched, and the believer learned that a criminal case had been initiated against him only because of his faith in Jehovah God.\nAlexandr was born in December 1952 in the village of Pionersky, Irkutsk Region. He has a sister.\nAlexandr graduated from five classes of school, and from the age of 15 he worked on a collective farm. Later he worked as a driver and handyman.\nFrom childhood, his parents instilled in Alexandr a love for biblical truths. He himself embarked on the Christian path when he was 23 years old.\nAlexandr lived in Alma-Ata (Kazakhstan), Usolye-Sibirsky (Irkutsk Region) and Partizansk (Primorsky Territory). Later, he settled in the village of Kotikovo, Vyazemsky district, Khabarovsk Territory.\nIn 1973 Alexandr married Rosa. His wife shares his views on life. They have adult children.\nRegarding the criminal case, Alexandr says: “Persecution is an unpleasant feeling if you are not guilty of anything.” Relatives are outraged that this decent man was equated with extremists.\n","date":"2022-01-26","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/shutov/photo_hu_5f8d2669835e8787.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/shutov/photo_hu_447eef402e8a1775.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/shutov/photo_hu_d42c6e3efd91e8e6.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/shutov/photo_hu_b5d46c60273df4ea.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/shutov.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Aleksandr Shutov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In January 2022, the family of Pavel Sidorenko, a hardworking pensioner from Kuban, suffered when law enforcement officers raided his home with a search. Because of his religious beliefs, the believer had to face persecution.\nPavel was born in 1958 in Krymsk, Krasnodar Territory. His father was a worker at a sawmill, his mother worked in an atelier. The family had three sons, of whom Paul was the middle. Parents and elder brother are no longer alive.\nAs a child, Pavel was fond of athletics, loved to play football, volleyball and chess, draw and take pictures. After school, he graduated from the Krasnodar Polytechnic Institute, where he received the specialty of a technologist for the production of bread, bakery, confectionery and pasta.\nPavel worked at the bakery as a process engineer, as well as a mechanic. Later he worked as an engineer in the field of housing and communal services, also as a pumping unit operator and boiler operator of the Southern Research and Production Association for Marine Geological Exploration. He was also engaged in the renovation of premises. He is now retired.\nPavel met his future wife Marina at the institute. In 1981 they got married. Marina is a winemaking technologist by profession. She worked as a microbiologist at a winery and as a laboratory chemist in a boiler room. She loves needlework, growing flowers, especially roses, cooking healthy food and receiving guests. The couple raised a daughter who was fond of playing the violin as a child. She is a hairdresser, loves to learn foreign languages and travel. He lives with his parents.\nThe family lived in Gelendzhik, Goryachy Klyuch, and later moved to the suburbs of Krasnodar. They love to spend time together, be in nature with friends, learn songs and sing to the accompaniment of a synthesizer.\nPaul was worried about the questions: how did the universe come into being? How did life originate on Earth? Is there a God? Who was Jesus Christ? His wife was also interested in this. At first, Paul was skeptical about the Bible. However, later, when he met Jehovah's Witnesses, who showed him logical answers to his questions in the Scriptures, he changed his attitude. He was struck by the exact fulfillment of Bible prophecy and the prospect of a better life. In 1991, Pavel and Marina decided to embark on the Christian path together.\nThe criminal prosecution affected the physical and emotional state of his entire family. The stress of the search had a negative impact on her daughter's health. Despite this, Pavel tries to look at what is happening with optimism. He shares: \"Relatives and friends are a great help. The criminal prosecution has brought our family closer together and made us appreciate the time we spent together even more.\"\n","date":"2023-05-09","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/sidorenko/photo_hu_10af9cd1fce2493a.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/sidorenko/photo_hu_92ffdec38ed7e627.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/sidorenko/photo_hu_faa9f2fbbb68b4fa.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/sidorenko/photo_hu_a0e1500ff90da1fa.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/sidorenko.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Pavel Sidorenko","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Boris Simonenko devoted 23 years of his life to hard work in a mine in the north of Russia, for which the Ministry of the Coal Industry of the USSR awarded him medals. But in February 2021, the state considered the pensioner a criminal because of the \"wrong\" belief: he was searched and placed in a pre-trial detention center.\nBoris is from Ukraine, he was born in the village of Novaya Sech, Sumy region in March 1955. As a child, he helped raise his younger brother, as his parents worked hard. He also has an elder sister. After school, Boris received a secondary specialized education and worked as an electrician.\nAt the age of 23, Boris left for Vorkuta, where he worked in a mine as a foreman-miner of a clearing face. He even had to find himself under the rubble. Later he moved to Kovrov, having received an apartment under the program of resettlement of northerners.\nBack in Vorkuta, Boris met his future wife Ida, and in 1978 they got married. They have a son, Alexey, who followed in his father's footsteps and became a miner. Ida is a primary school teacher and loves sports. A few years after the wedding, she became interested in Bible teachings, and later her husband joined her. For more than 20 years Boris and Ida have been studying the Bible together and trying to lead a Christian lifestyle. The benefits of applying biblical principles at one time convinced Boris of the truth of what he had learned.\nBoris has problems with vision and hearing, he suffered a pre-stroke condition, which is why he underwent long-term treatment. Now the believer is forced to regularly take medications to maintain his health.\n","date":"2021-03-18","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/simonenko/photo_hu_4104755b62aab33e.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/simonenko/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/simonenko/photo_hu_50426909f91e12c5.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/simonenko/photo_hu_ce41fec4a9dcb67a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/simonenko.html","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Boris Simonenko","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"The knowledge gained through Bible study brought Oleg Sirotkin\u0026#39;s family together and helped him and his wife raise their daughters. However, for his peaceful religious views, he was sentenced to 6 years in a penal colony.\nOleg was born in June 1964 in Yaroslavl. He has a younger sister. As a child, Oleg was an active child, sports were an integral part of his life: he was engaged in artistic and athletic gymnastics, cycling, sambo, skiing. Oleg also loved to read; regularly attended libraries.\nAfter school, Oleg entered the Yaroslavl Technical University, where he studied as a chemist-technologist, and then, many years later, he underwent retraining and received a diploma in marketing. Oleg started his career as an engineer for commissioning and commissioning of chemical production equipment, then worked as a shift foreman and deputy shop manager. Recently, he was a sales manager for paints and varnishes at a chemical plant.\nIn 1997 Oleg moved to Tambov for work. Prior to that, he lived for some time in the city of Volzhskiy, Volgograd Region.\nOleg has an adult daughter from his first marriage. In 2000, he married Natalya, whom he met at the Tambov theater. She is a fashion designer by profession, while independently mastering the restoration of shoes. Her hobbies include fashion illustration, video editing, cooking, and dancing. Natalya also likes to help her husband with plastering and tiling. Oleg loves to make something with his own hands for the home and dreams of mastering welding.\nOleg and Natalya raised two daughters from her first marriage. Both girls are already adults and live separately. Darya promotes websites, plays the ukulele, and takes pictures. Iraida is a web designer who loves to travel, do home improvement and gardening with her husband.\nOleg began his acquaintance with the Bible in 2000. He was shocked that this book did not support the doctrine of hell. He was also impressed by the wisdom of the biblical counsel. In 2007, Oleg and Natalya together decided to become Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\nOleg says: \u0026quot;Natalya\u0026#39;s daughters became my family thanks to the fact that before going to bed I read to them about Jesus. We talked a lot, and communication led to a trusting relationship.\u0026quot; When the girls grew up, they also decided to live according to biblical principles. The whole family of the Sirotkins loved to go out of town, ski, and spend evenings with friends.\nThe persecution of Oleg had a negative impact on the health of the couple. Natalya is on disability group III after a major operation, and the criminal case against her husband has only increased stress and emotional strain. Oleg\u0026#39;s mother, who shares his views on life, as well as relatives and friends, sympathizes with the believer and provides him with support.\n","date":"2022-01-27","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/sirotkin/photo_hu_1fa70f8799661ddd.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/sirotkin/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/sirotkin/photo_hu_c85996c0bfc4f3ea.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/sirotkin/photo_hu_a3bec664be474c1e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/sirotkin.html","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Oleg Sirotkin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In his youth, Vladimir Skachidub had to experience many difficulties. At the age of 25, after the death of his parents, he became the guardian of his 15-year-old sister, and in 2003 she died of leukemia. In 2020, a criminal case was opened against him for believing in God, thanks to whom he put his life in order.\nVladimir was born in December 1961 in the village of Pavlovskaya. Even as a child, his mother wanted to instill in her son a love of music and sent him to a music school in the accordion class. Musical education was not in vain, and he independently mastered the guitar. Even at school he was fond of photography.\nAfter graduating from school, Vladimir got a job as an apprentice of a turner at the Pavlovsky automobile plant and received the specialty of a turner of the 2nd category. After serving in the army, he entered the Taganrog Radio Engineering Institute, but the riotous student life did not lead to anything good - Vladimir was expelled on the second year. He had to get a job as a turner at the Taganrog plant \"Vibropribor\". The plans were to continue studying at the correspondence department, but the death of his parents changed everything. After the tragedy, he had to return to his native village, to his sister. There he again got a job as a turner at the Pavlovsky car repair plant (now the Pavlovsky Experimental Plant LLC).\nFor the first time, Vladimir heard about the Bible from his future wife Galina, who he met with the help of his sister Natalia. The women then became acquainted with Jehovah's Witnesses and began to study the Bible more deeply. Vladimir often asked his sister about the teachings from this book. He was impressed by the way the Bible explains creation. In the past, Vladimir and Galina were fond of drinking alcoholic beverages and tobacco smoking, studying the Bible, they realized that they needed to change. In 1997, the couple legalized their relationship by getting married. Later, in the late 90s, Vladimir dedicated his life to God, and Galina joined her husband in 2016, when she was able to completely overcome bad habits.\nGalina is a sociable person, she loves to cultivate flowers. She worked as a cheese maker. Vladimir likes to read the Bible and play the guitar in his free time. Vladimir is a disabled person of the III group, and Galina has disability of II group. Persecution for the faith aggravates the health of the spouses, but they try not to lose heart: \"Without the Bible, we would not only be able to overcome everything, but we would hardly be alive at all.\"\n","date":"2021-06-10","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/skachidub/photo_hu_1b89cd81939436af.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/skachidub/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/skachidub/photo_hu_817176dfe8de4a0f.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/skachidub/photo_hu_765afeaad7573c15.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/skachidub.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["disability","elderly"],"title":"Vladimir Skachidub","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Sergey Skrynnikov is the second Jehovah's Witness in the city of Oryol to be prosecuted for his faith. Sergey told what helped him not to give up, what was his path to faith, how he feels about the repressions. When did Sergey first meet Jehovah's Witnesses? \"It happened in 1973, when I was 11 years old. We lived in a small village in eastern Ukraine. In the context of Soviet anti-religious propaganda, my mother began to study the Bible with Jehovah's Witnesses. It was from her that I first heard about God, his Son, and his good news. I have never doubted the truth of God's word, and this knowledge is deeply embedded in my heart. But the knowledge of the truth obliged to build one's life in accordance with the morality of the Gospel. I was not ready for this then, and my life went according to a bad scenario. At the age of 25, I was already abusing alcohol, lost my job, lost my family and decided to return to my mother in my native village, in Manuylovka. How did Sergey come to real faith? \"My mother had literature, and she specially left it for me in prominent places in the house. I gradually rethought my life. I realized that I heard what the Creator was saying to me, but I didn't listen to him. He began to study the Bible intensively. I suggested that my mother move somewhere far away from my drinking buddies. We sold our house and moved to Torez, where there was a community of Jehovah's Witnesses. By comparing biblical truth with my negative experiences, I realized where the truth was. In 1989, after a long search, I was baptized into the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\" How has Sergey's life changed? \"I mentioned that because of my riotous lifestyle, my marriage broke up, Nina and I divorced and ran away. After a while, Nina learned from a friend that I had become one of Jehovah's Witnesses, and she couldn't believe it. Still, she decided to write me a letter. This was the first step. Nina and I already had a daughter who went to first grade without me. During the holidays, they came to me. Nina became interested in the gospel good news. We decided to restore the marriage because Jehovah hates divorce. They re-signed, lived in Torez. So the Bible saved not only me, but also our marriage.\" How did the future life of the family develop? \"I am a physical education teacher by profession, I graduated from the Bolkhov Pedagogical School. He worked by profession, including here, in the Oryol region. Nina is also a teacher by profession. Once, her child was injured at work. Due to severe stress, Nina was paralyzed, she did not get out of bed for 1 year and 4 months. It was a difficult time. One day, Nina suddenly says, \"I want to go with you to the field ministry.\" I dissuade her, but she insists on her own. There was nothing to do, he dressed her, picked her up in his arms and carried her. So we walked about 20 meters to the neighbors, where I put her on a bench, and she started talking about the Bible with the neighbor. After 15 minutes we returned home. The next day, in the same way - 30 minutes. Then an hour. And so, over time, she began to walk. All thanks to the ministry. Now Nina is struggling with melanoma. He is observed by an oncologist and enjoys every day he lives. Does the Skrynnikovs' daughter share her parents' beliefs? Olesya also believes in God. \"When we moved to Oryol to take care of my wife's parents, Olesya and her family also moved with us. Four of her five children were born in Orel. We are helping to raise our five grandchildren. My Nina is a devoted friend, her support is very important to me. She knows from her own experience that Jehovah God is a caring and loving heavenly Father.\" How did the family react to the criminal case against Sergey? \"When it all started, we were ready. Because of Jehovah's care, we were not taken by surprise. The whole family quickly rebuilt and began to adapt to new circumstances. No one goes to extremes. True, sometimes deep down you feel like a leper. You can't talk to anyone on the phone because of possible wiretapping. You can't go on a visit because of possible surveillance. You can't even show up somewhere near your friends - they will take a picture together, then they will have problems. Thoughts of the Skrynnikovs on the eve of the verdict. \"We are all in the mood to welcome what Jehovah will allow. If he allows me to be imprisoned, then this is his will and a new appointment for me. There are millions of people in the colonies who have not heard the Word of God. As Jesus Christ said, \"The fields are white and ready for harvest.\" I am ready for anything and I believe that my beloved God Jehovah will not leave me. Every day he fills my heart with peace and joy, and it always will be.\"\nOn April 1, 2019, Gleb Noskov, judge of the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Orel, found Sergey Skrynnikov guilty under Part 2 of Article 282 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and sentenced him to a fine of 350 thousand rubles.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/skrynnikov/photo_hu_45fee76c47a7a7b1.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/skrynnikov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/skrynnikov/photo_hu_dbb8826c1507909a.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/skrynnikov/photo_hu_6134b88ea956e6a3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/skrynnikov.html","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Sergey Skrynnikov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Aleksandr Skvortsov knows firsthand what criminal prosecution for faith is. In 2011, a criminal case was initiated against him and 15 other residents of Taganrog because they did not stop reading the Bible and attending meetings for worship. After several years of legal proceedings, Aleksandr was found guilty and given a 5.5-year suspended sentence. After serving this sentence, in March 2021, he again became a victim of repression by Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Russia. In June 2023, the believer was sentenced to 7 years in a penal colony.\nAleksandr was born in 1962 in Taganrog (Rostov region). He has a younger brother. Their mother is already over 80. In his youth, Aleksandr was engaged in artistic gymnastics. He grew up to be a hardworking man. He especially likes to work with his own hands.\nAfter school, Aleksandr graduated from the Polytechnic College, where he received the profession of a welder and worked at the plant for many years. Employees at work appreciated him, considering him a reliable person and a master of his craft.\nIn 1983, Aleksandr married Larisa. They had two daughters, Yelena and Darya, whom they lovingly raised in the spirit of Christian values. Both are married, the eldest has a daughter.\nIn the 1990s, when Aleksandr, following his wife, began to study the Bible, he was interested in the picture of the future described in this book: soon there will be no injustice in the world. Thanks to the knowledge gained, Aleksandr found a real meaning in life. In 1996, Larisa became one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, and a year later her husband joined her.\nIn his youth, Aleksandr was fond of fishing and wrote poetry. In retirement, he enjoys taking care of the garden and beekeeping, which has become his favorite business. He is always happy to share honey with friends and family. The Skvortsovs love to travel and, looking at nature, think about the Creator.\nA new search, arrest, trial and harsh sentence for Aleksandr were a shock for the whole family, especially for his wife, who suffers from cancer. In March 2025, due to stress, Larisa had a relapse, and she was operated on. Aleksandr himself has a sick heart.\nNeighbors and friends speak of Aleksandr as an exceptionally peaceful person, always ready to help. They are convinced that the believer was condemned innocently.\n","date":"2021-12-29","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/skvortsov/photo_hu_5fa18ed6bb4bd95f.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/skvortsov/photo_hu_6c57e4575dfd78dd.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/skvortsov/photo_hu_76fb4ae4793420c.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/skvortsov/photo_hu_22951537a280d06a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/skvortsov.html","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Aleksandr Skvortsov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On March 20, 2019, searches and interrogations of citizens in connection with their Christian beliefs resumed in Magadan. Spouses Mikhail and Oksana Solntsev became new defendants in a criminal case against believers in Magadan, who by this time had already become 13. The investigation believes that they participated in worship services. What do we know about Michael? Mikhail was born in Novosibirsk in 1962, and a year later he moved to Magadan with his parents. Since childhood he was fond of sports (hockey, football, swimming, skiing). The family often spent weekends in nature: they went hiking, skiing in winter, fishing all year round. In 1982, Mikhail graduated from the Riga Civil Aviation Flight Technical School and worked as an air traffic controller at Magadan Airport. In 2008, he graduated from the St. Petersburg State University of Civil Aviation with a degree in air traffic control. Since that time, he has been working as a full-time dispatcher-instructor, training young professionals. He is still fond of fishing and enjoys going out into nature, but with his family. He and his wife Oksana have been together for over 30 years. Oksana was the first in the family to show interest in the Bible, and it became noticeable. \"For a long time I did not understand this passion,\" admits Mikhail. \"But my wife's behavior, which was changing for the better, and communication with fellow believers aroused interest in me as well. I also decided to study the Holy Scriptures. It brought me closer to God.\" The couple raised a daughter who lives with her family in St. Petersburg. Now Mikhail and Oksana are raising an 8-year-old son. The criminal prosecution of Mikhail and Oksana was a big blow to the whole family, ruined various plans. Oksana wanted to move to Taganrog to take care of her sick parents, but the recognizance not to leave for both spouses did not allow this. Mikhail hoped to finalize it by the end of the year in order to go on a well-deserved rest, but, being under recognizance not to leave, he could not go to Khabarovsk to get an attestation conclusion. He is unable to continue to work and provide for his family. A law-abiding family does not have the opportunity to lead a normal life. ","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/solntsev/photo_hu_3fe75473994b19d5.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/solntsev/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/solntsev/photo_hu_378c39e9b32364ca.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/solntsev/photo_hu_f17e225a6c7e757d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/solntsev.html","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["elderly","families"],"title":"Mikhail Solntsev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"The wife and children of Gennadiy Solomentsev did not expect that a peaceful pensioner would be prosecuted because of his religious beliefs. The believer said: “I couldn’t understand how it was possible to come to peaceful people with children in such a crowd with machine guns . . . Everything fell at the same time: our whole family had been ill with COVID-19, I was in a covid hospital. There is no strength after the illness, my hands are shaking. And you need to go again several hundred kilometers for interrogation in Sharypovo.\nGennadiy was born in November 1949 in the village of Bolshoi Izyrak, Novosibirsk Region, into a large family—he had two elder brothers and a sister. One of the brothers taught Gennadiy to fish and since then fishing has become his hobby. His father was the head of a mechanized detachment, and his mother was engaged in farming. Parents, brothers and sisters of Gennadiy are no longer alive.\nAfter school, Gennadiy went to Novosibirsk, where he graduated from the electrical school. Later, he took courses and got a job as a driver in the village of Maslyanino (Novosibirsk region). After moving to Sharypovo (Krasnoyarsk Territory), for some time he worked as an electrician. In 2010, Gennadiy retired.\nIn 1973, Gennadiy married Nadezhda. She has been a nurse all her life and is now retired. Having gone on a well-deserved rest, Gennadiy became interested in construction—he gradually equipped a country house, and Nadezhda was engaged in a garden.\nThe couple raised three children. The daughter works as a technologist at a sewing enterprise, the sons work in the field of cargo transportation. For health reasons, Gennadiy and Nadezhda decided to move from the Krasnoyarsk Territory closer to the children who live in Novosibirsk.\n“Even in my youth, I had a dream to read the Bible,” says Gennadiy, “but in Soviet times it was impossible to get it. In the 1990s, many different religions appeared, and I wanted to figure out which one was correct. So I wanted to read the Bible myself.” In 1995, Gennadiy began to research this book, and a year later he decided to take the Christian path. His wife, daughter and eldest son share his religious views.\nBecause of the search, the Solomentsevs experienced severe stress. “This situation outraged all the relatives,” said the believer.\n","date":"2022-02-02","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/solomentsev/photo_hu_8fba99a89e0303ea.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/solomentsev/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/solomentsev/photo_hu_d9776e7f9ca7d81d.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/solomentsev/photo_hu_17596db1404ca0d8.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/solomentsev.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Gennadiy Solomentsev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On March 30, 2020 it became known about a new criminal case in Khakassia, in which six believers become defendants. This case was separated from the one previously filed against Roman and Valentina Baranovsky. Among the new suspects is Matryona Spiriadi. What do we know about her?\nMatryona was born in November 1953 in the village of Borodino (Turukhansky District of Krasnoyarsk Territory). She was the youngest of 11 children in the family. There's only one brother left alive today.\nAs a child, Matryona was fond of gymnastics and volleyball. In 1959, the family moved south to Abakan. That's where she helped the family run the farm. After high school, she worked in a garment factory. Matryona Spiriadi is now retired and is the guardian of her disabled grandchild.\nIn her spare time Matryona likes to grow flowers and receive guests.\nAfter her mother's death, Matryona Spiriadi could not accept the loss for a long time, but soon found hope when she learned that the Bible speaks of resurrection. It prompted her to take the Christian path.\nOn April 10, 2019, law enforcement officers conducted a search of Matryona Spiriadi's house, which, she said, \"split life into before and after\". From a nervous shock an elderly woman who is suffering from hyperglycemia, blood sugar rose to critical levels. Now she has to take a lot of medication.\nMatryona Spiriadi's relatives consider her criminal prosecution unfounded and are perplexed by the fact that in Russia it is possible to become a defendant in a criminal case only because of faith in God.\n","date":"2020-06-17","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/spiriadi/photo_hu_ae4164532c437b8e.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/spiriadi/photo_hu_7d6a1ac009ec236b.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/spiriadi/photo_hu_b5d7c55d96999d4e.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/spiriadi/photo_hu_6f0364b5ad923250.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/spiriadi.html","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Matrena Spiriadi","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On April 11, 2020, the usual way of life of Vladimir Spivak's family was violated. Security forces broke into his house with a search. They were not hindered by the regime of self-isolation, nor by the considerable age of the believer, nor by the illness of his wife.\nVladimir was born on October 21, 1955 in the urban-type settlement of Litin, Vinnytsia region (Ukraine). Since childhood, he was fond of sports, especially football. After school, Vladimir received the specialty of an electrician. He devoted the rest of his life to military affairs: he served in military service, graduated from the school of warrant officers, served in the missile forces in the Chita region.\nVladimir met his future wife Nelly on vacation, and in 1979 they got married. In 1983, the couple moved to the city of Teikovo, Ivanovo region.\nIn the 90s, Nelly began to be interested in the Bible. After a while, Vladimir, reading the Bible, realized that he had found the truth. Striving for a peaceful life, he retired from the armed forces and became one of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nVladimir faced his first persecution for his faith in 2015-2017. The investigator opened 4 administrative cases and planned a criminal one, but it was not possible to convict the believer. Today, Vladimir is again accused of his religion, calling him an \"extremist.\"\nVladimir's unfair persecution takes a toll on his wife's physical and emotional health, especially given that she underwent surgery. As a result of stress, Nelly's chronic diseases worsened. Relatives and friends worry about Vladimir's family and support the spouses in every possible way.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/spivak/photo_hu_2f418149759ba236.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/spivak/photo_hu_23b4a0f048190907.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/spivak/photo_hu_867992de4fb8ec7.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/spivak/photo_hu_87c03b6bfb820c02.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/spivak.html","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Vladimir Spivak","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In July 2021, civil aviation pilot Aleksandr Starikov was searched and charged with extremism for discussing biblical thoughts via video link with friends. Already, unfair persecution prevented the believer from fully caring for his father, 95 at that moment, with progressive dementia.\nAleksandr was born in the city of Ivanovo (Ivanovo region) in April 1960. Together with his elder sister Galina, he grew up in the family of a military man and a school teacher. His mother died in 2008, and in 2009 his sister was gone.\nAleksandr was a versatile child: he played football and hockey, went in for swimming, learned to play musical instruments: accordion, piano and guitar.\nAfter school, Aleksandr graduated from the civil aviation flight school. Then he continued his studies at the Moscow State Technical University of Civil Aviation, after which he worked as a pilot on various types of aircraft.\nIn the 1990s, Aleksandr read a lot, the Bible attracted his attention. His acquaintance with Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses helped him find simple and understandable answers to vital questions in this book. In 1998 he became a Christian, and 5 years later his mother joined him.\nAleksandr was fond of studying English, but lately he had no time for a hobby. He was caring for his elderly father, who could not do without outside help—he could not see and hear well, and his brain disease was progressing. During the criminal prosecution, the elderly man passed away.\nThe believer was forced to travel to Tver 450 kilometers from home to conduct investigative actions and go to court. At one of the hearings, Aleksandr said: \u0026quot;Despite the difficulties, none of us has negative feelings, we are learning understanding and love.\u0026quot;\n","date":"2021-09-06","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/starikov/photo_hu_6590f94925c0cbc6.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/starikov/photo_hu_a5cb57a9050b2528.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/starikov/photo_hu_b6d1019bf5ee151b.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/starikov/photo_hu_37170aef8a69f552.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/starikov.html","regions":["tver"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Aleksandr Starikov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"A peaceful pensioner and labor veteran from Novokuznetsk, 64-year-old Sergey Sushilnikov, faced persecution for his faith in June 2021. His house was searched, the believer himself was accused of extremism and a written undertaking not to leave was taken from him.\nSergey was born in January 1957 in the city of Korkino, Chelyabinsk Region. As a child, he was fond of various sports. He was the champion of the city among schoolchildren in athletics, basketball, volleyball and table tennis.\nSergey graduated from the Korkinsky Mining and Construction College with honors. He worked as a mechanic in the housing and communal services, a foreman and head of the district boiler house, a grinder at the plant. After retiring, he worked as a janitor until 2019. He was repeatedly awarded certificates of honor and cash prizes for conscientious work and received the honorary title of veteran of labor.\nIn 1979, Sergey married Tatiana, whom he met while studying at a technical school. After the wedding, the couple moved to Novokuznetsk for distribution. Sergey and Tatyana raised two daughters. Now both are married and have children. The Sushilnikovs love to walk in nature, pick mushrooms, do housework and receive guests.\nIn 1995, Sergey bought a Bible and began reading it out of curiosity. Sergey's relative, one of Jehovah's Witnesses, helped him better understand this book. Thanks to thoughtful reading of the Bible, Sergey quit smoking and swearing. Inner consistency and the fulfilling prophecies in this book soon prompted him to become one of Jehovah's Witnesses. His wife, Tatiana, liked God's promises about the future. As a result, she became a Christian.\nThe criminal prosecution affected the financial situation of the Sushilnikovs - Sergey's bank accounts were blocked, and the apartment requires repair, since during the search the security forces damaged the property. In addition, the persecution affected their emotional state. Sergey says: \"We still feel anxious, we shudder at every doorbell. When we are summoned to the investigator, to the court, we experience stress - blood pressure rises, headaches begin. The daughters of Sergey and Tatiana worry about their parents, regularly calling them, asking if they have come to them with a new search.\n","date":"2021-09-17","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/sushilnikov/photo_hu_bf2bfcb275cff952.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/sushilnikov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/sushilnikov/photo_hu_9e22795c2ad8a57d.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/sushilnikov/photo_hu_9ef5012a724c26c2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/sushilnikov.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["elderly","families"],"title":"Sergey Sushilnikov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"The life of Tatyana Sushilnikova changed dramatically in 2021: a criminal case was opened against her husband, Sergey under an extremist article. A year later, Tatyana herself faced criminal prosecution for faith.\nTatyana was born in June 1959 in the city of Korkino (Chelyabinsk region). She was the youngest of three children. Her father worked as an auto mechanic, and her mother worked as a cashier. Parents and one of the brothers are no longer alive.\nDuring her school years, Tatyana attended the section of speleologists, explored the caves of the Urals. She also loved to read and skate.\nTatyana graduated from the Korkinsky Mining and Construction College. She worked as a plasterer, safety engineer, factory foreman and janitor. She is now retired.\nIn 1979, Tatyana married Sergey, whom she met while studying at a technical school. The couple moved to Novokuznetsk (Kemerovo Region). They raised two daughters who already have families of their own.\nIn the mid-1990s, the couple learned about God's promises recorded in the Bible. In 1996, after carefully researching this book, they embarked on the Christian path together.\nSergey and Tatyana love to do everything together: solve everyday problems, walk in nature, pick mushrooms and berries. They like to receive guests, make gifts and help friends.\nCriminal prosecution negatively affects the emotional state of spouses. Relatives of Sergey and Tatyana are worried about them.\n","date":"2022-08-08","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/sushilnikova/photo_hu_e84ea76ee7b97a16.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/sushilnikova/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/sushilnikova/photo_hu_627408a744fe11bb.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/sushilnikova/photo_hu_c1722c11224e61a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/sushilnikova.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["elderly","families"],"title":"Tatyana Sushilnikova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On December 5, 2019, 71-year-old Valentina Suvorova from Chelyabinsk was charged in a criminal case for her faith. A few months later, her husband Vladimir was also accused of extremist activities. The believer, despite her health problems, defended her good name in court for more than a year. However, on March 11, 2021, the court found her guilty for singing songs and prayers to Jehovah. Valentina Suvorova was sentenced to 2 years of suspended sentence with restriction of liberty for a term of 6 months with a probation period of 1 year.\nValentina was born in January 1948 in the village of Sorovskoye (Kurgan region). Parents had to work very hard to raise three daughters. Later, the family moved to the neighboring town of Shadrinsk. As a child, Valentina was fond of dancing, music and vocals, loved to skate. She graduated from music school. Her love for music led her to a music school in Kurgan, after which she received the specialty of a music teacher and choir conductor.\nSince 1972, for more than 30 years, Valentina Suvorova worked as a teacher in one of the schools in Chelyabinsk. She received the honorary title of \"Veteran of Labor\". Now he is on a well-deserved rest, he is fond of design and gardening. In 1973, Valentina married Vladimir, a talented artist of the Philharmonic. In a happy marriage, a son, Igor, was born. The couple have been living together for more than 50 years, they love to go to nature, attend concerts, theaters, chat with friends.\nAll her life, Valentina was interested in life questions that could not be answered anywhere: neither in the public library, nor in philosophical teachings, nor in various churches and temples. The thirst for knowledge was quenched only thanks to an ancient book - the Bible. It was then that she firmly decided to embark on the Christian path, in which her husband supported her.\nA few years ago, this friendly family suffered a series of tragedies: the beloved and only son Igor died of blood cancer, Valentina's mother died 2 years later, and then her sister died. The younger sister lost her husband, and she herself was paralyzed after a stroke. Before the Suvorov family had time to recover from these terrible shocks, another thing happened: they came to the house of an elderly married couple with a search.\nThe criminal prosecution had a bad effect on Valentina's health. She said the search caused her \"incurable emotional trauma, additional stress and deteriorating health.\" Sleep was disturbed, there was a constant feeling of anxiety and tachycardia. I had to register with a neurologist and a nephrologist. Valentina's relatives also suffered - the already poor health of her younger sister worsened, and the widow of her deceased son and her daughter also faced a humiliating search procedure in their own home.\nRelatives and friends of Valentina and Vladimir are outraged by what is happening. No one can believe that in modern Russia such peace-loving people can be judged only because of their religious beliefs, without taking into account their venerable age and merits to society.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/suvorova/photo_hu_f09a3b669f24800e.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/suvorova/photo_hu_9b9d6a73708fcb73.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/suvorova/photo_hu_ef7ee8753ec91472.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/suvorova/photo_hu_b6d08d08d44c5b35.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/suvorova.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["elderly","families"],"title":"Valentina Suvorova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On January 16, 2020, in Chelyabinsk, a criminal case was opened against a 74-year-old peaceful believer, former artist Vladimir Suvorov. He was accused of organizing worship services consisting of singing songs, praying and discussing the Bible.\nVladimir was born in January 1946 in Chelyabinsk. His mother raised him alone. Since childhood, he has been professionally fond of skiing. At the age of 17 he got a job at a factory as a turner. But his heart gravitated towards the theater. Overcoming constraint and enslavement, Vladimir became the leading soloist of the folk theater of the pantomime \"Masks\". Has performed in Russia and abroad.\nLater, after graduating from the University of Marxism-Leninism, Vladimir worked as deputy director at the Palace of Culture of Railway Workers. In his spare time, Vladimir likes to compose songs and perform them with a guitar.\nIn 1973, Vladimir married Valentina. The couple had a son, Igor. In 2014, a close-knit family suffered a tragedy: Igor died of a serious illness, he left a wife and a daughter. The couple did not have time to move away from one misfortune, as they suffered another. On December 5, 2019, 71-year-old Valentina was charged in a criminal case for her faith. Vladimir's health deteriorated sharply. At the request of the cardiologist, he was hospitalized.\nVladimir chose the Christian path for himself back in 1993, wanting to follow the example of Jesus described in the Bible. He was joined by his wife and son. 27 years later, he had to defend his peaceful convictions in court. On July 1, 2021, Oksana Mitina, judge of the Metallurgichesky District Court of Chelyabinsk, found the elderly believer guilty of organizing the activities of a banned organization. She sentenced Vladimir Suvorov to 6 years of suspended imprisonment.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/suvorovv/photo_hu_c9a162df7fc155b5.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/suvorovv/photo_hu_c1bbeee1d329ccfa.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/suvorovv/photo_hu_b602248ac88938e5.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/suvorovv/photo_hu_8a74993caf6b9f89.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/suvorovv.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["elderly","families"],"title":"Vladimir Suvorov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In 2018, the family of Adam Svarichevskiy was subjected to surveillance, search and interrogation because of their beliefs. The incident seriously affected the health of Adam's wife and 2 adult sons. His parents, being Jehovah's Witnesses, survived the Stalinist repressions. Now Adam was convicted and sent to a penal colony for 6 years and 3 months because of his religion.\nAdam was born in September 1963 in the Ivano-Frankivsk region (Ukraine). He has an elder sister and a younger brother, another elder sister is no longer alive. The children grew up in a deeply religious family. Their parents were exiled to Stalin's camps for many years for their beliefs.\nAs a child, Adam learned to play the accordion, bayan, and cymbals. After graduating, he became a tractor driver. He worked as a cement mason and as a slinger, but after an injury in 1987, he was considered disabled and worked as a janitor.\nAdam recalls: “When I had to decide between listening to Jehovah God and learning to fight, I chose to refuse military service because of my religious beliefs. I remember how I was pressured in college. The teacher of military lessons told me that I would be sentenced to three years in prison for refusing to serve in the army, the deputy director told me five years, and the director told me seven years. But I did not give in to fear, because I loved Jehovah God and people. I refused to serve in the army, so I was sentenced to three years in a general regime penal colony.”\nThroughout his imprisonment, Adam received letters of support from Galina, his future wife. In 1986 they got married and moved from Ukraine to the city of Khabarovsk. Galina was also raised by believing parents who were convicted during the era of Stalin because of their beliefs. As a young woman, she examined evidence of the existence of God and became a believer. Galina is now retired. She enjoys needlework, photography, playing musical instruments, and growing flowers.\nThe couple raised two sons. Mark became a radio mechanic, and Vyacheslav mastered the professions of finisher and driver. Currently, both sons work in the field of maintaining cleanliness and order on the streets of the city. They like to listen to instrumental music, work with wood, ride bicycles, and repair them. They like the practicality of Bible principles.\nGalina's chronic illnesses worsened as a result of the criminal prosecution. After the search, she experienced severe stress and spent a month in the hospital; she had to take medication for a long time. The relatives of the Svarichevskys are outraged that a peaceful person is being persecuted merely for his faith in Jehovah.\n","date":"2020-11-05","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/svarichevskiy/photo_hu_29751709c78beb.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/svarichevskiy/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/svarichevskiy/photo_hu_c6b471bbb878302c.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/svarichevskiy/photo_hu_da3c7261b2562cac.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/svarichevskiy.html","regions":["amur"],"tags":["elderly","health-risk"],"title":"Adam Svarichevskiy","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In August 2021, a peaceful believer Eduard Sviridov was searched, detained and placed in a pre-trial detention center. The reason was the conversations about the Bible, which law enforcement agencies regard as organizing the activities of an extremist organization.\nEduard was born in June 1964 in Dushanbe (Tajikistan) in a simple family: his father worked as a truck driver, and his mother worked in a weaving factory. His father died early, and Eduard became the only support for his mother. From a young age, he loves to play sports. He also independently learned the basics of working with a computer, is well versed in computing.\nAfter school, Eduard graduated from a vocational school and worked as a tractor driver. Then he served in the army in Afghanistan. In the early 1980s, he moved to Moscow.\nIn 1995, Eduard met Jehovah's Witnesses. What they were talking about interested him, since he had already read the Bible before. In February 1997, Eduard got married, and in November 1999, he and his wife embarked on the Christian path.\n","date":"2021-09-15","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/sviridov/photo_hu_d440f13ff7185729.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/sviridov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/sviridov/photo_hu_d77a24277c6b70be.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/sviridov/photo_hu_ca974ecb4cd5c63d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/sviridov.html","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Eduard Sviridov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In October 2021, Tatyana Svoboda, a widow who had lost both her husband and son, was rushed in with a search by the security forces. A criminal case was opened against the pensioner under an extremist article only because of her faith in Jehovah God.\nTatyana was born in December 1959 in Komsomolsk-on-Amur. She has lived in this city all her life. His father was a locksmith, and his mother worked as a storekeeper in a kindergarten. Tatyana has an elder brother.\nAs a child, Tatyana loved to read: she could not pass by the library. After school, she graduated from a technical school and received the profession of a merchandiser.\nTatyana worked as a storekeeper in trade for 10 years and as a warehouse manager in a construction company for 30 years. Now she is retired. She likes to travel and visit picturesque places in Russia.\nIn 2001, Tatiana decided to embark on the Christian path. After reading the Bible, she was impressed by the clarity and consistency of its teachings.\nThe criminal prosecution affected Tatyana's health. The believer says: “There were worries, because of this I could not eat and sleep.”\nTatyana's relatives are outraged by the criminal prosecution of a peaceful woman.\n","date":"2022-01-28","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/svoboda/photo_hu_96a7f0cec4683d74.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/svoboda/photo_hu_ee8a9618ec0d1d71.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/svoboda/photo_hu_f6a9e918562f8762.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/svoboda/photo_hu_51151f792f5ee5ef.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/svoboda.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Tatyana Svoboda","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On March 13, 2019, at least seven civilians were searched in Severodvinsk (Arkhangelsk region) because of their beliefs. The investigation suspects that one of them, Vladimir Teterin, participated in religious services.\nVladimir was born in 1957 in Berezniki (present-day Perm region). He has siblings, and both parents are no longer alive. In his youth he was fond of martial arts and kettlebell lifting. For some time, the family lived in Tatarstan before moving to Severodvinsk.\nVladimir received the profession of a welding engineer-technologist, in the early 2000s he took first places in the regional and all-Russian competitions of professional skills among masters of industrial training. He is now retired.\nIn the 1990s, Vladimir began to research the Bible and discovered its historical and scientific accuracy, as well as the honesty of its writers. However, the desire to live according to the biblical commandments eventually led to the initiation of a criminal case.\nVladimir\u0026#39;s wife, children and other relatives do not share his religious views but are extremely perplexed by the fact that peace-loving people are massively accused of extremism. The children were worried that their sick retired father could have been imprisoned.\nIn June 2022, the criminal case was terminated due to the lack of corpus delicti, the arrest was lifted from the money and the car.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/teterin/photo_hu_f26d5778f84aaeea.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/teterin/photo_hu_da317a10127616e5.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/teterin/photo_hu_186360e2627281da.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/teterin/photo_hu_6bee2ca72a1f96e1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/teterin.html","regions":["arkhangelsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Vladimir Teterin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":" In May 2019, a criminal case was opened in Kirov against Anatoly Tokarev. His apartment was raided and searched, and later the believer was officially charged with organizing extremist activities. After several months of court hearings, the believer was found guilty. He was sentenced to a fine of 500,000 rubles.\nAnatoliy was born in 1958 in the village of Baranovskaya, Kirov region, although his childhood was spent in the village of Russkoye. He was brought up by one mother. He liked to play chess, was fond of photography and playing the accordion. In 1979, while still a student, he married Margarita, with whom he graduated from the Faculty of Physics of Gorky State University in 1982. Then the couple worked together as engineers in Nizhny Novgorod. Later they moved to Kirov, where Anatoliy continued to work as a software engineer, and Margarita got a job as an accountant in a medical institution. Son Andrey decided to follow in his father's footsteps and also became a programmer, and daughter Ekaterina mastered the profession of an accountant. Until about 27 years of age, Anatoliy was a staunch atheist, but then his worldview began to change under the influence of facts that he learned by reading popular science publications in his free time. He stopped being aggressive towards religion and decided to study the Bible on his own. From his own experience, Anatoliy realized that the scientific mindset does not exclude Christian beliefs and values. Today Anatoliy is retired, but continues to work as a janitor in a kindergarten. In his spare time, he acquires construction skills by building a house in the garden. Margarita is fond of gardening, loves to plant roses and take care of them. Anatoly's entire family was shocked when the police raided the apartment with a search and announced the initiation of a criminal case. Relatives and friends consider the very fact of accusing Anatoliy of extremism to be contrary to common sense. ","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/tokarev/photo_hu_23e0838092db1687.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/tokarev/photo_hu_8a2db95593889727.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/tokarev/photo_hu_98e7508ccce4516.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/tokarev/photo_hu_bd3ffb2b9ef371d5.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/tokarev.html","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Anatoliy Tokarev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On October 2, 2019, a criminal case was opened in Krasnoyarsk against 61-year-old Sergey Tolstonozhenko. He is accused of extremist activity because of a conversation at a bus stop about believing in God. What is known about this supposedly dangerous criminal?\nSergey was born in 1957 in Krasnoyarsk. The father is no longer alive, the mother is retired. He has a younger brother. As a child, he was fond of reading books and sports. He attended sections of classical wrestling, sambo, was fond of alpine skiing. He dreamed of becoming a pilot, read books about them and admired their exploits, but due to poor eyesight, he never managed to realize his dream.\nAfter school, he graduated from the Krasnoyarsk Institute of Technology, where he received a degree in engineering in the field of chemical and technological processes. After serving in the army, he got a job at the Krasnoyarsk Machine-Building Plant as an apprentice turner. Over time, he received the fifth category of this profession. Health problems imposed restrictions on sports, but Sergey's love for reading did not fade.\nHe met his future wife Nina at the institute, where they studied in the same group. They got married in 1982, when both were in their fourth year. Nina is now retired. The couple have an adult son, Dmitry, who works as an engineer for the repair and maintenance of office equipment.\nSergey became interested in the teachings of the Bible when he saw how they had a beneficial effect on his wife. Later, he was impressed by the simplicity and accuracy of the answers that this book gives on important life issues. Sergey noted that thanks to the Bible, his marriage was strengthened, his health improved, and his reputation changed for the better in the eyes of people who previously knew him not from the best side.\nThe criminal prosecution knocked the family out of their usual life routine. A search of the apartment with the seizure of personal belongings turned out to be a great stress. Against this background, diseases of the stomach, lungs and other health problems worsened. Sergey, who has always liked to show hospitality, feels depressed due to the lack of communication with friends. In addition, the investigator who conducted the search threatened him with dismissal from his job.\nAll Sergey's relatives, including people with a variety of beliefs, are extremely outraged by the arbitrariness of the authorities in relation to believers. They sincerely sympathize with Sergey, try to support and encourage in difficult times.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/tolstonozhenko/photo_hu_6b86fa8e7e620dfd.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/tolstonozhenko/photo_hu_2d0c9399fb98aff6.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/tolstonozhenko/photo_hu_68e44a228818b3c4.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/tolstonozhenko/photo_hu_12cd8a995bfce17e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/tolstonozhenko.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Sergey Tolstonozhenko","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Viktor Fyodorovich Trofimov was born in 1957 in Arkhangelsk region. In search of work and family improvement, he moved to the Murmansk region. In Polyarny he worked for many years as a cemetery keeper, later he got a job at the shipyard in Snezhnogorsk, where he worked as a gas welder.\nIn 1980 Viktor married Ulyana, they have three children. In 1995 Victor met Jehovah's Witnesses, got acquainted with the content of the Bible and saw the clarity and simplicity of God's requirements to people. None of Victor's family members accepted his religious views, but their family is filled with love, mutual respect and support. For Viktor and Ulyana it was especially important when they had to survive the death of their son.\nNow Viktor Trofimov is already a grandfather who helps to bring up grandchildren. He is a life loving person far from extremism. He likes to relax in the countryside among friends. In 2018, law enforcement officers raided the apartments of believers in the city of Polyarny (Murmansk region). Viktor was detained and placed in a detention center, where he spent almost six months. In January 2020, a believer was sentenced to a fine of 350,000 rubles for his extremist activities.\nRelatives believe that neither Viktor nor Jehovah's Witnesses in general pose a threat to society. Ulyana joined the appeal of the wives of the arrested believers to the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, which spoke of a massive campaign of persecution of respectable citizens throughout the country\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/trofimov/photo_hu_29060a97869c40af.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/trofimov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/trofimov/photo_hu_f336948abd7a1c27.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/trofimov/photo_hu_6b1e8ff154998448.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/trofimov.html","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Viktor Trofimov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In March 2019, a criminal case was opened in Kirov against peaceful believers, searches were carried out. One of the accused was Yevgeniy Udintsev. The investigation lasted more than a year, then the case went to court. In July 2021, despite the absence of victims in the case, Udintsev was found guilty of organizing extremist activities and sentenced to a fine of 200,000 rubles just because of his faith in Jehovah God.\nYevgeniy was born in 1949 in Kirov, where he has lived all his life. As a child, he suffered from heart disease, but learned to cope with this disease through physical education. Yevgeniy mastered the professions of a civil engineer and a metalworking technician, although in addition to the main professions, he had to sweep the floors and do business.\nSince 1970, Yevgeniy has been married to Yelizaveta, whose sister introduced both spouses to the Bible. This happened in 1991. The knowledge gained deeply affected them, although this did not happen immediately. Under the influence of the Bible, Yevgeniy gradually got rid of bad habits, quit smoking and alcohol abuse. Today Yevgeniy, Yelizaveta and their daughter Olga are a close-knit Christian family. Yelizaveta is a disabled person of the II group, she is limited in movement. Yevgeniy lovingly takes care of his wife.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/udintsev/photo_hu_8d28d14b22a64e47.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/udintsev/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/udintsev/photo_hu_3c8949e95927f668.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/udintsev/photo_hu_2b2ec939eff07f99.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/udintsev.html","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Yevgeniy Udintsev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Ildar Urazbakhtin became another victim of criminal prosecution for his faith. After security forces conducted a series of searches in Kodinsk (Krasnoyarsk Territory) in July 2021 and placed the believer under house arrest, he lost his job. His accounts were blocked, depriving him of the opportunity to provide for his family.\nIldar was born in May 1963 in the city of Bratsk (Irkutsk region). He grew up with a twin brother, an older sister and a younger brother. His father worked as a driver, his mother as a cook. The parents are no longer alive.\nAs a child, Ildar was engaged in ship modeling, collected badges, old coins, was fond of photography and fishing. After graduating from school, he learned to be a turner of the 4th category. After serving in the army, Ildar graduated with a degree in electrical engineering. He worked as a turner, electrician-lineman, electrician and foreman of the substation service, leading engineer of the construction control department. Recently, he served as a state inspector of the Rostekhnadzor department.\nIn 1987, Ildar married Gulnora, a girl distinguished by hospitality and love of flowers. She received the profession of a pastry chef, worked as a knitter, and later worked for many years as a nurse in the gynecological department.\nWhen the couple had a daughter, they decided to move to a more environmentally friendly area. Their choice fell on Kodinsk, a city in the taiga. In addition, the construction of the Boguchanskaya hydroelectric power station was then carried out in this beautiful city, and young specialists were provided with housing.\nIn 1996, Ildar became interested in the Bible. He was touched by the sincere interest of Jehovah's Witnesses in him personally. He fell in love with the Holy Scriptures and embarked on the Christian path in 1999. Gulnora, convinced of the accuracy of the fulfillment of Bible prophecy, joined her husband in 2006.\nThe Urazbakhtins have two adult children and three granddaughters. They usually spend the summer in the country. Ildar likes to read classical literature, is fond of fishing and car repair.\nWorries about her husband in connection with the criminal prosecution for his faith provoked the progression of eye disease in Gulnora, a disabled person of group III. For two months, Ildar could not provide for his family, as he was under house arrest. All relatives are worried about Ildar and his wife and hope for a fair sentence.\n","date":"2022-07-28","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/urazbakhtin/photo_hu_b322428c4f70601a.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/urazbakhtin/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/urazbakhtin/photo_hu_90aec41e19712f11.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/urazbakhtin/photo_hu_fd0f3ea28c7088c2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/urazbakhtin.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Ildar Urazbakhtin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Raisa Usanova is one of the elderly residents of Vladivostok, who were accused of extremism only because of their religion.\nRaisa was born in 1947 in the village of Kuznetsovo (Chita Region) in a large family—she had three brothers and a sister. After school, Raisa went to study in Vladivostok and subsequently stayed there to live. There she met her future husband, together they raised two daughters.\nBy profession, Raisa is a railway transport technician. For 25 years she worked as a trolley bus driver. Now she is retired.\nIn 2000, having lost her mother, brothers and sister, Raisa began to ask questions: why do people die and is there hope for the dead? In the Bible, she found an answer that seemed logical and convincing to her. However, Raisa did not expect that the study of the Bible would lead her to the dock.\nCriminal prosecution worsened elderly woman’s chronic diseases. But despite the unfair persecution for her faith, she tries to maintain a positive attitude.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/usanova/photo_hu_21441099ccf12095.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/usanova/photo_hu_b8d377a924709d11.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/usanova/photo_hu_1641d17a881f8bf4.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/usanova/photo_hu_d6bb43ff184b62f3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/usanova.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Raisa Usanova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In April 2022, Vladimir Usenko was accused of extremism merely because of his belief in Jehovah God. He has a class-three disability, and the criminal prosecution has had a negative impact on his health.\nVladimir was born in the city of Yoshkar-Ola in September 1955. He and his younger sister grew up in a family of engineers. Their parents are no longer alive.\nAs a child, Vladimir was fond of music and soccer. He studied at the Kazan Institute of Physical Education at the Department of Football and Hockey. At the age of 19, Vladimir interrupted his studies and began to play in the soccer teams of the cities of Yoshkar-Ola and Kazan.\nAfter the end of his soccer career, Vladimir returned to his hometown, where he got a job as a grinder at a factory and then as a boiler house operator at a thermal power plant. He is now retired and is still interested in music and soccer, but as a spectator.\nIn 1986 Vladimir married Nelly, a coworker at the plant. Now she is retired. The couple has two adult children—a son and a daughter.\nIn his youth, Vladimir was not a believer, but he was interested in the life of Jesus Christ. As he became acquainted with Jehovah's Witnesses, he learned that Bible prophecy is being fulfilled with accuracy. He was surprised by the logic of Bible teachings, and in 1997 he began his journey as a Christian.\nDuring the search, Vladimir's wife, who does not share his religious views, experienced severe stress. Vladimir's serious chronic illnesses were also aggravated due to the anxiety caused by the criminal prosecution.\n","date":"2023-01-05","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/usenko/photo_hu_81f90d54dc2a7271.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/usenko/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/usenko/photo_hu_c13dfa6141f12fe2.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/usenko/photo_hu_f307407fba6702c2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/usenko.html","regions":["mari-el"],"tags":["elderly","disability"],"title":"Vladimir Usenko","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In March 2021, searches were carried out in the homes of residents in Syktyvkar. Sergey Ushakhin, a group II disabled person who sufferes from insulin-dependent diabetes, was detained and later released under recognizance agreement. The criminal prosecution seriously affected the health of his wife Natalya, as well as his own. In August 2023, his condition deteriorated dramatically and he passed away.\nSergey was born in September 1961 in the urban-type settlement of Pinyug (Kirov region). The family moved to Syktyvkar when he was two years old and lived here all his life.\nIn his youth, Sergey was a weightlifter. After school, he received a secondary technical education. From 1980 to 1982 he served in the army. Sergey worked as a chauffeur, locksmith, turner, apparatus operator for the preparation of raw materials at the Syktyvkar timber industry complex.\nIn 1987, Sergey married Natalya. They raised two children—son Ruslan and daughter Tatyana. Together with his wife, Sergey began to study the Bible many years ago. They became Christians and instilled an interest in the spiritual things in their children. Natalya, Ruslan and Tatyana are outraged that the authorities accused a peaceful person of a serious crime.\n","date":"2021-04-07","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/ushakhin/photo_hu_3c009faf3f907f77.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/ushakhin/photo_hu_572d18bfaa8b5d49.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/ushakhin/photo_hu_1ee7dca2839e22ca.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/ushakhin/photo_hu_e9c47b105bade1e9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/ushakhin.html","regions":["komi"],"tags":["died","disability","elderly"],"title":"Sergey Ushakhin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Rimma Mikhailovna Vashchenko was the oldest Russian woman, persecuted by the authorities only because of her faith in Jehovah God. In 2019, she was under investigation and on the official list of Rosfinmonitoring as an “extremist”. Unfortunately, the peaceful believer did not live to see rehabilitation: she died in January 2021 at the age of 90.\nRimma was born in 1930 in the village of Trushnikovo (Kazakhstan). Father worked as an accountant, mother as a cook. They raised three children together, but their father passed away early. Rimma's childhood came in the war years. The family lived very poorly, and when the eldest son went to the army, it became even more difficult.\nAfter the war, Rimma entered the Physics and Mathematics Faculty of the Semipalatinsk Pedagogical Institute. Throughout her working life, she has always worked as a Physics and Maths teacher, receiving numerous awards. Rimma got married and raised two children.\nHaving retired in 1985, Rimma Mikhailovna came to live in Nevinnomyssk, where in summer there is a lot of greenery and it is very warm. Living here, she began to think about how to understand the Bible better. As she studied this ancient book, she found the loving, just, and merciful God she had been looking for for so long. Rimma Mikhailovna has repeatedly said that she never regretted it.\nCriminal prosecution has become an ordeal for the elderly woman. Rimma Mikhailovna bitterly shared her feelings: “I somehow do not fully understand what is happening to me. Can you imagine that at my age I am an extremist? I have diplomas as a teacher of physics and mathematics, but I do not understand who are the extremists? \" Shortly before the believer was interrogated, doctors diagnosed her with a progressive brain disease.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/vashchenko/photo_hu_a7ab33c9556b1d6b.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/vashchenko/photo_hu_3ad28b77021e156c.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/vashchenko/photo_hu_c0dd608ea9d2118e.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/vashchenko/photo_hu_96a5e872bba7df52.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/vashchenko.html","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["died","elderly"],"title":"Rimma Vashchenko","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Vladimir Vasiliyev was accused in a criminal case on extremism in 2018, along with 6 other Jehovah's Witnesses from Kirov.\nVladimir was born in 1956 in Perm. As a child, he was fond of football, played for a local club. After school, he graduated from college as a plumber, and later - driver courses in several categories. In subsequent years, Vladimir worked in both specialties, and now he is retired.\nIn 1978, Vladimir married Nadezhda, who at that time worked as a seamstress-minder in an atelier. Soon the couple had a son, Yuri, and a few years later the family moved to Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan). Due to the unrest that began in 2000, the family had to return to Russia. This time they settled in Nadezhda's hometown of Kirov.\nThe couple became interested in the Bible in the early 1990s. Vladimir was impressed to discover the world of biblical archeology. He was struck by the accuracy with which archaeological finds and history corroborated the biblical accounts.\nVladimir and Nadezhda have preserved their love for this ancient book to this day. In it, they draw strength and consolation when faced with unfair criminal prosecution. Because of the criminal case, Vladimir lost his job, as he was forced to quit - the stress experienced affected his health. The spouses, however, try not to lose optimism.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/vasilyev/photo_hu_3973ced9ac32ea4e.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/vasilyev/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/vasilyev/photo_hu_832bbb1020c53b58.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/vasilyev/photo_hu_b4e74d96a71acd7c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/vasilyev.html","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Vladimir Vasiliyev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In 2021, a criminal case was opened against Sergey Vasiliyev, a pensioner who participated in the construction of the Baikal-Amur Mainline, only because of his belief in Jehovah God.\nSergey was born in Irkutsk in May 1951 into a family of musical theater artists. In 1955, they gave their son to be raised by their maternal grandparents. As a child, Sergey had many hobbies: fishing, hiking, collecting wild useful plants, cycling, as well as chess, skating, skiing, tennis, judo.\nImmediately after school, Sergey got a job at a reinforced concrete products plant as a reinforcement worker. Upon his return from the army, where he served as a tanker, he acquired many professions: a car mechanic, a driver, an electrician, a slinger, a commodity expert of fur raw materials. He has certificates and gratitude. For the last 23 years he worked in an Irkutsk pharmacy, and in 2018 he retired.\nSergey began to study the Bible in 1993. About this time he said: “I have been looking for the meaning of life for a long time. When young and healthy, there is neither experience nor skills in work. Acquired both that, and another—there are neither forces, nor health. Nonsense. With Bible study, everything fell into place.” Having found answers to his questions, in 2002 Sergey embarked on the Christian path.\nSergey's hobbies include cycling, boating, fishing, hiking in the forest. Having lived in different regions of Russia, as well as in Latvia, Ukraine, Egypt and Thailand, he returned to his historical homeland.\nNone of Sergey's close relatives survived. He was married twice. The first wife died in 2008, the second did not become in 2020. Friends support the believer and consider criminal prosecution unfair.\n","date":"2022-03-11","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/vasilyevs/photo_hu_c2a49c5a6ce41575.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/vasilyevs/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/vasilyevs/photo_hu_81284463ed847d90.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/vasilyevs/photo_hu_b79337baf40235e6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/vasilyevs.html","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Sergey Vasiliyev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On January 20, 2020, a criminal case was opened against Dmitry Vinogradov in Chelyabinsk. The reason for this was his religion.\nDmitry was born in 1963 in Chelyabinsk. His father went through the war, later worked as an accumulator in a railway depot, and his mother was the head of a savings bank. He has an older brother.\nFor some time after the divorce of his parents, Dmitry lived with his mother in the village of Kargapole (Kurgan region). He studied first in Chelyabinsk, then in Moscow. Later he returned to his hometown.\nDmitry grew up as an active child - he was engaged in skiing, wrestling. He liked to read a lot. His passion for chess later grew into a profession: in 1985 he graduated from the chess department of the Chelyabinsk State Institute of Physical Education and since then has worked as a coach, and later as a senior coach at the children's and youth school of the Olympic reserve.\nIn 1997 he became a highly qualified coach and worked as a director of a chess club. Dmitry is a FIDE (International Chess Federation) chess master, winner of all-Union and international tournaments.\nDmitry holds a degree in management from the Open University of Great Britain. He worked in a large retail chain, was a member of the Board of Directors.\nRecently, Dmitry taught at a private chess school. His students have repeatedly won various competitions.\nDmitry met his future wife Zhanargul in Orsk (Orenburg region). In 1990 they got married.\nThe family has four children. Dmitry's older children received higher and secondary technical education. The younger ones are happy to study at a music school along with a general education school.\nSeriously interested in the Bible, Dmitry began to study it deeply and in 2014 became a Christian. In the Holy Scriptures, Dmitry found the answer to the question: why reasonable people destroy the planet, harm others, including their children, and also learned what the future holds for humanity.\nAs a result of the searches that took place at Dmitry's workplace, he lost his chess file, on which he worked for many years, as well as some students who stopped attending his section. In addition, Dmitry's eyesight has dropped significantly, although he had never used glasses before.\nEvery time the doorbell rings, Dmitry involuntarily asks the question: \"Are the machine gunners going to rummage through [the belongings] of my schoolgirl daughters again?\" Yet he tries to remain calm, and in this he is helped by the support of friends and relatives.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/vinogradov/photo_hu_c56ab981a4092d5d.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/vinogradov/photo_hu_de43d0405695c00c.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/vinogradov/photo_hu_56abb1e5c0d8cf14.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/vinogradov/photo_hu_6a0cb5d5e43fbe2c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/vinogradov.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Dmitriy Vinogradov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"One of the May days of 2019 began for 63-year-old (at that time) Valentina Vladimirova with a search and detention. The pensioner was interrogated for about 14 hours, which increased her blood pressure. She became so ill that she had to call an ambulance. This did not prevent law enforcement officers from sending Valentina to a temporary detention center, and later to a pre-trial detention center, where the believer spent six months.\nValentina was born in 1956 in the city of Demidov (Smolensk region). In her youth, she was fond of sports - she played volleyball, and also loved to sing and read. After school there, in Demidov, she graduated from the \u0026quot;Technical School of Industry Technologies\u0026quot; and received the specialty \u0026quot;hydraulic technician\u0026quot;. She worked in the technical departments of the Central Bank, Agroprombank and Rosselkhozbank in Smolensk, carried out audits of construction organizations.\nGod\u0026#39;s promises to restore paradise on earth, which Valentina learned from the Holy Scriptures, deeply touched her and prompted her to become a Christian.\nNow Valentina is on a well-deserved rest and lives in Smolensk. She has two adult children, a daughter and a son. Criminal prosecution, detention, house arrest — all this shattered the already poor health of the believer. Her chronic diseases worsened and hypertensive crises became more frequent.\n","date":"2021-06-16","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/vladimirova/photo.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/vladimirova/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/vladimirova/photo_hu_593c32d903147fc.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/vladimirova/photo_hu_593c32d903147fc.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/vladimirova.html","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Valentina Vladimirova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In October 2022, law enforcement officers broke into the house of pensioner Nikolay Voishchev. His house was searched; he was sent to a detention center and later sentenced to imprisonment for practicing the religion of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. As a result, the believer spent more than 900 days behind bars: a little less than a year in a pre-trial detention center, and the rest of the time in a penal colony. In April 2025, he was released, having served his sentence in full. Less than a year later, he died.\nNikolay was born in September 1955 in the city of Kandalaksha, Murmansk region. Soon after his birth, the family moved to Bratsk. Nikolay had a brother and an adult son who live far away.\nNikolay was introduced to the Bible by his parents. For some time, he lived with them in Belarus. There, the young man graduated from a technical school, becoming a specialist in gas equipment.\nHaving met his future wife Tatyana, in 1980 Nikolay moved to her place of residence, to Maykop (Adygea), where they soon got married. In 1986, the couple had a son. Nikolay worked as a watch repairman. When Tatyana fell seriously ill in 1995, he cared for her for many years. After her death in 2014, the man stayed in Maykop and worked as a plumber until his arrest.\nNikolay loved nature, traveling, and people. He was always ready to help solve difficult issues or some everyday problems. Nikolay\u0026#39;s acquaintances remember him as a kind, modest, and cheerful person.\nImprisonment for his faith was a difficult test for Nikolay. Speaking in court with the final plea, he said: \u0026quot;The first few weeks of my arrest were a stressful situation for me—there were panic attacks. There was not enough air, I was suffocating; The closed space pressed on me from all sides. Then I would lie down on my bed, close my eyes, and begin to pray. Gradually, my heart calmed down.\u0026quot; According to Voishchev, faith helped him cope with what was happening: \u0026quot;For me, Jehovah became a God of consolation, tranquility, and I saw an opportunity to look at my life circumstances positively.\u0026quot;\nIn the summer of 2025, Nikolay married Irina. In November, the man was diagnosed with a progressive brain disease. In February 2026, at the age of 70, the believer died. Until the last day, Irina was there, supporting her husband.\n","date":"2022-11-23","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/voishchev/photo_hu_51431a394829c58f.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/voishchev/photo_hu_9455a3c30c1208ec.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/voishchev/photo_hu_378c186335309fc4.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/voishchev/photo_hu_866013b5bd3cc25.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/voishchev.html","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["elderly","died"],"title":"Nikolay Voishchev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Aleksandr Voronchikhin became one of Jehovah's Witnesses in the USSR, when believers were repressed by the authorities. Today, after a short-lived freedom of religion, he again faces persecution.\nAleksandr was born in 1965 in the city of Zlatoust, Chelyabinsk region. As a child, he was fond of competitive orienteering. After finishing school, he served in the army, after which he graduated from an industrial technical school with a degree in steel production. After the deaths of his father and stepfather, Aleksandr invited his mother to live with him; she is now retired.\nAt various times, Aleksandr worked as an assistant steelworker, a boiler room mechanic and a communications electrician. Now he works as a cable-splicer of linear-cable lines. In his free time, he likes to watch soccer and to do crossword puzzles.\nAleksandr met his future wife, Galina, in 1982, and in 1985 they got married. The couple raised a daughter—Irina. She shares the religious beliefs of her parents. In 2008 the family moved to the city of Simferopol. Galina works as a nurse.\nAlong with his wife, Aleksandr became Jehovah's Witnesses in 1990. Aleksandr recalls that he always thought that everything surrounding him must have been created by someone. Thanks to knowledge from the Holy Scriptures, he found a reasonable and logical explanation for the emergence of all life on earth.\nThe Voronchikhins maintain a positive attitude. Aleksander and Galina's friends and relatives support them in every possible way.\n","date":"2023-01-16","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/voronchikhin/photo_hu_f0085e7abcbb251d.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/voronchikhin/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/voronchikhin/photo_hu_2aa35d5af0a452b7.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/voronchikhin/photo_hu_3dd412840cd2383e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/voronchikhin.html","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Aleksandr Voronchikhin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Galina Yatsik, a peaceful pensioner from the city of Zeya, a widow, grandmother of 7 grandchildren, became accused in a criminal case on extremism in February 2022 only because of her faith in Jehovah God.\nGalina was born in September 1950 in the village of Belaya, Zeya District, Amur Region. His father was a carpenter in a gold mine, his mother worked at a weather station, and later at a veterinary station. Galina is the youngest of five children in the family. As a child, she loved drawing, poetry, and sang in the choir.\nAfter school, Galina graduated from the Khabarovsk Technical School, where she received the specialty of a construction technician. After graduation, she worked at the airport as an airfield service technician. Then for many years she was an economist-standardizer in the Repair and Construction Department of the city of Zeya.\nGalina met her future husband at work. Valeriy was a builder, served as a foreman. They got married in 1971. The couple raised a daughter and a son. In 1995, Valeriy died.\nDue to her atheistic upbringing and education, Galina did not believe in God. However, in the early 1990s, she began to think about the meaning of life — she was outraged by injustice and war. She began to be interested in what scientists think about faith in God, as well as to study the Bible. The historical and scientific accuracy of this book amazed Galina. In addition, she learned that many scientists believe in God. Reflecting on how complex and diverse the surrounding world is, Galina came to the conclusion that there is a reasonable Creator. In 1994, she embarked on the Christian path.\nGalina still lives in the city of Zeya. She has been retired since 2008 and has 2 granddaughters, 5 grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Galina is engaged in Nordic walking and adaptive physical education, which helps her maintain her health. Likes to listen to classical music.\nCriminal prosecution became stressful for Galina. Her family does not understand why this is happening. Although relatives do not share her religious views, they are sure that the accusations are unfounded.\n","date":"2022-03-16","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/yatsik/photo_hu_1e5aae563ce1e828.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/yatsik/photo_hu_19fe4593ee552d59.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/yatsik/photo_hu_e410f5f1c21bdfa2.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/yatsik/photo_hu_cc77fa804f16b010.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/yatsik.html","regions":["amur"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Galina Yatsik","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On July 18, 2019, a new criminal case was opened in the Kemerovo region against peaceful believers. One of them, Sergey Yavushkin, was then under house arrest. Because of this, he lost his job and did not see his children and grandchildren for almost 2 years. The court considered the criminal case for more than a year, and in June 2021 sentenced Yavushkin to 4 years of suspended imprisonment for believing in Jehovah God.\nSergey was born in 1960 in the city of Rubtsovsk (Altai Territory). Both parents are no longer alive. He has an older sister. As a child, he was actively involved in sports, played the guitar. After graduating from school, he received a secondary technical education related to foundry. Later he received the profession of an electric and gas welder, in which he has been working for more than a decade.\nIn 1990, Sergey married Tatyana, who works as a midwife in the Department of Pregnancy Pathology. The couple raised a son, Alexander, and a daughter, Maria, who already have their own families. For many years, Sergey lived in his native Rubtsovsk, but in 2008, for health reasons, he was forced to move to Kemerovo with his family. When Sergey was about 30 years old, he got acquainted with the Bible and was very impressed by the practicality and relevance of its advice despite its antiquity. Oddly enough, because of his Christian views, Sergey found himself in court as an accused. His large family, consisting of several generations, warmly supports him in the new difficult situation, and Sergey's employer personally called the investigator and asked to let him go to work. According to the employer, Sergey is the best locksmith of the enterprise and is very much needed in the workplace.\nThe criminal prosecution had a strong impact on the health of both spouses. Sergey ended up in the hospital, where the tracking bracelet on his leg made it difficult for doctors to work. The investigator was hardly persuaded to allow the electronic bracelet to be removed in order to facilitate the diagnosis and treatment of the patient. Sergey was treated in the department for stroke patients. His wife was also forced to undergo treatment due to stress.\nSpeaking with his last word in court, Sergey Yavushkin noted: \"My work experience in the profession of an electric and gas welder is more than 35 years, and the total length of my work at state-owned enterprises is 40 years. I could still work in the same place, if not for the arrest and forced dismissal from my place of work.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/yavushkin/photo_hu_ad7404e07ad90f13.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/yavushkin/photo_hu_fa56a82cd2e432ef.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/yavushkin/photo_hu_974ef2456c8559e9.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/yavushkin/photo_hu_ac582d3c35d8a1f9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/yavushkin.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Sergey Yavushkin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"70-year-old Svetlana Yefremova has been adhering to her religious beliefs for about 30 years, so the fact that in April 2021 she was brought in as a defendant in a criminal case came as a surprise to many.\nSvetlana was born in 1950 in Blagoveshchensk (Amur Oblast) in the family of an officer. She has a younger brother. Svetlana's school years were spent in Lesozavodsk (Primorsky Krai). Then she entered the Spassk Pedagogical School and received the specialty \"primary school teacher\". Later, while working at a garment factory, she was simultaneously trained as a process engineer at the Vladivostok Technological Institute of Light Industry. She continued to work at the factory until its closure in 1991. Having gone through years of unemployment, in 1996 Svetlana got a job in the social service, and after 9 years she retired.\nIn 1992, Svetlana started reading the Bible and realized that she wanted to better understand this book. Having become better acquainted with the biblical moral norms, Svetlana decided to follow them in her life. It brought her great joy to develop such Christian qualities as love, meekness, self-control. She still believes that love is the most important quality that must be shown even to her ill-wishers.\nToday, her children are adults, she already has grandchildren. Although Svetlana's children do not share her religious beliefs, they maintain good relations with their mother and help her financially.\n","date":"2021-05-31","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/yefremova/photo_hu_a101e707a15317d0.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/yefremova/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/yefremova/photo_hu_5d43fa9a583a6d1f.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/yefremova/photo_hu_766db19efa0c5d24.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/yefremova.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Svetlana Yefremova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In June 2021, a civilian resident of the small town of Alatyr in the middle Volga region faced groundless persecution for his belief in Jehovah God. A criminal case was initiated against Mikhail Yermakov under an extremist article.\nMikhail was born in October 1962 in Alatyr (Chuvashia). He has an older sister. His mother is a disabled person of group I, his father is no longer alive. As a child, Mikhail loved to be in nature, pick mushrooms, fish.\nMikhail graduated from the Alatyr Technological College. He worked as an installer of steel and reinforced concrete structures, and then as a 5th category blower in the wood chemical industry.\nIn 1990, Mikhail moved to Stavropol, where he worked at the Analogue electronic materials and devices plant. For some time he lived in Novocheboksarsk and Petrovsk-Zabaikalsky.\nIn 1996, Mikhail embarked on the Christian path. In the Bible, he was impressed by the logic of the presentation of events, the fulfillment of prophecies, and the scientific accuracy of this book.\nIn 2007, Mikhail returned to Alatyr to take care of his elderly father and help him with the housework, got a job as a janitor. Mikhail loves to grow flowers, berries, vegetables and pick mushrooms.\nThe criminal prosecution affected Mikhail's health: due to unfounded accusations and threats from the security forces, his heart disease worsened. Also, the believer faces financial difficulties, because due to calls to the investigator during working hours, he loses part of his salary.\nMikhail's relatives worry about him and consider the criminal prosecution groundless and unfair.\n","date":"2022-06-22","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/yermakov/photo_hu_eb6bcc4852080a69.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/yermakov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/yermakov/photo_hu_ded105fa78fefa6a.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/yermakov/photo_hu_8948029ded9e4145.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/yermakov.html","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Mikhail Yermakov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"The quiet, measured life of the family of Aleksey Yershov, a retired engineer and teacher, completely changed when in the summer of 2020 security forces raided the believers' apartment with a search. A criminal case was initiated against a peaceful pensioner and later the court sentenced him to imprisonment.\nAlexey was born in February 1953 in the city of Seversk (Tomsk Region) into a family of workers. In the same year, his father died tragically. Then Alexey’s elder sister was only five years old. Mother had to raise five weather children alone. Alexey's mom and elder sister are no longer alive.\nFrom early childhood, Alexey collected postage stamps, matchsticks, coins, bonds (paper banknotes), postcards and envelopes. He attended various sports sections.\nAfter graduating from 8 classes, Alexey studied at a technical school, and then at the University of Marxism-Leninism. He worked as a technician, senior engineer and mechanic, taught at a vocational school. He is now retired.\nIn 1973, Alexey met his future wife Lyudmila, and after 3 years they got married. Lyudmila worked as a preschool teacher. She loves to paint, read and plant houseplants. The couple raised two children — a son and a daughter.\nThe practical benefits of biblical truths, as well as the hope for the resurrection of his beloved relatives, prompted Alexey to devote his life to serving God. Together with his wife, in 1994, they embarked on the Christian path. Their adult daughter Olga shares the spiritual and moral values of her parents. She is an amateur photographer.\nIn his free time, Alexey continues to do collecting, tries to keep himself in good physical shape — he goes skiing, is engaged in Scandinavian walking. Likes to grow vegetables and berries in a garden plot.\nThe criminal prosecution and searches had a negative impact on the health of Lyudmila and Olga. The family lives in constant stress, waiting for new searches and interrogations, but despite this they try to encourage each other. Alexei shares: \"This challenge brought us together as a family. Friends are surprised that in Russia they can be persecuted for their faith, and they support us in every possible way, for which we are very grateful to them.\"\n","date":"2021-05-27","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/yershov/photo_hu_52316b4ac6db8d0d.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/yershov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/yershov/photo_hu_a14730a2db712503.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/yershov/photo_hu_fe20c5b906bc9036.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/yershov.html","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Aleksey Yershov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Yuriy Zalipayev was born in 1962 in Kuibyshev (now Samara). Seven years later, he and his parents moved to the Magadan region. In 1983, he married his former classmate Natalya and moved with her to the city of Mayskiy (Kabardino-Balkaria). Here Yuriy worked as a driver, a caretaker of a children\u0026#39;s sports school and a welder. He is fond of poetry and airbrushing, loves hiking in the mountains.\nYuriy and Natalya began studying the Bible together with Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in 1993, and a year later they were baptized as followers of this religion on the same day. The couple raised their three children according to the teachings and commandments of the Bible.\nIn August 2017, a criminal case was opened against this peaceful, deeply religious man under Part 1 of Article 280 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation — \u0026quot;incitement to hatred or enmity, as well as humiliation of human dignity.\u0026quot; Investigators suggested that Yuriy allegedly publicly called on Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses to \u0026quot;beat Orthodox Christians and Muslims.\u0026quot; This accusation not only did not correspond to reality, but contradicted all common sense, as well as well-known facts: the non-violence for Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses is so categorical that tens of thousands of believers of this religion preferred imprisonment, and sometimes certain death, refusing to serve in the armed forces of different countries.\nOn October 7, 2020, Нуlena Kudryavtseva, judge of the Mayskiy District Court of Kabardino-Balkaria, fully acquitted Yuriy Zalipayev. In February 2021, the prosecutor\u0026#39;s office officially apologized to the believer for the erroneously initiated case.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/zalipaev/photo.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/zalipaev/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/zalipaev/photo_hu_4bcf06b817ac1687.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/zalipaev/photo_hu_4bcf06b817ac1687.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/zalipaev.html","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["prosecutor-apology","elderly"],"title":"Yuriy Zalipayev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Yelena Zaishchuk was accused of extremism along with five other elderly residents of Vladivostok just because of her religion. Later, in February 2021, criminal proceedings against Zayshchuk were suspended due to her poor health.\nYelena was born in 1934 and until the age of 16 she was brought up in one of the orphanages of the Mari ASSR. She does not remember her parents. Childhood was harsh, post-war—no time for entertainment.\nYelena graduated from a vocational school and received the profession of a turner. According to the distribution, she moved to Vladivostok, where she has been living since then. From the age of 17, Yelena worked in the Primorye regional crab flotilla. She graduated from the Maritime School in absentia with a degree in technologist for the processing of fish products. Yelena is now retired. She raised her daughter. The elderly woman loves animals and takes care of them.\nIn the late 1990s, after undergoing a major operation, Yelena got acquainted with the Bible. From this book, she received answers to questions that she had been asking herself and others for a long time. In particular, she was worried about why such a terrible and bloody World War II took place, in which so many innocent people died. Bible advice helped to cope with life's difficulties and problems.\nBecause of the criminal prosecution, Yelena's health worsened even more, and the consequences of the operation were exacerbated. The daughter and grandson worried about her, not understanding why they were persecuting an elderly and sick peaceful woman who had done nothing wrong to anyone.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/zayshchuk/photo_hu_7120a50dc02bb442.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/zayshchuk/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/zayshchuk/photo_hu_c9af56e568f12863.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/zayshchuk/photo_hu_3029ce8fd7b97e82.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/zayshchuk.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["elderly","health-risk"],"title":"Yelena Zayshchuk","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Early in the morning in February 2019, FSB officers broke into the house of Mikhail Zelenskiy in Syzran, searched and took him to a temporary detention center. The believer was accused of extremism, and in October 2020, the court sentenced him to 2.5 years of probation only because of his faith in Jehovah God.\nMikhail was born in 1960 in the village of Bulaeshti (Moldova). He has two brothers and a sister. In his youth, he was fond of motorcycles, was a biker. He changed several professions, from a sailor to a driver. Since 1989 he has been married, has a son and grandchildren.\nIn the early 1990s, Mikhail was surprised to discover that the Bible does not support the doctrine of the immortality of the soul. This prompted him to study this book more closely. As a result, he and his wife became deeply religious people.\nEveryone who knows Mikhail is outraged by the conviction that the court passed on this peaceful believer.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/zelenskii/photo.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/zelenskii/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/zelenskii/photo_hu_e91121090fb10652.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/zelenskii/photo_hu_e91121090fb10652.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/zelenskii.html","regions":["ulyanovsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Mikhail Zelenskiy","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In August 2021, a criminal case was opened against Olga Zhelavskaya from Chelyabinsk for her faith. In October, the security forces wanted to search her home, but they were prevented by the fact that the believer was in the hospital after suffering covid and a stroke.\nOlga was born in February 1962 in the village of Potapovo (Chelyabinsk region) in a large family - she has two older sisters, their brother died.\nAs a child, Olga was involved in athletics. After graduating from college in the city of Chebarkul (Chelyabinsk region), she worked as a passport officer in the housing and maintenance department. Later, Olga moved to Chelyabinsk, where she worked as a dispatcher of the elevator section.\nWhile studying the Bible, Olga became convinced of the existence of God and in 2012 became one of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nThe criminal prosecution had a negative impact on Olga's health and on her life in general, as the believer was fired from her job. Olga's daughter and sisters do not share her religious beliefs. Despite this, the daughter was summoned for questioning by the Investigative Committee.\n","date":"2021-11-22","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/zhelavskaya/photo_hu_bf12176017fa654e.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/zhelavskaya/photo_hu_318621b20315f855.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/zhelavskaya/photo_hu_3d7ff051c2cd7db.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/zhelavskaya/photo_hu_207ea557cbc8697c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/zhelavskaya.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Olga Zhelavskaya","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Vera Zolotova was detained on August 19, 2018 in Yelizovo (Kamchatka region) on charges of extremist activities. After long court proceedings, the peaceful pensioner was sentenced to 2 years conditionally for extremism.\nVera was born in Yelizovo in 1946 in a big family with six children. As a child, she loved skating and skiing and often went hiking in the picturesque places of Kamchatka. She worked as a turner and accountant, now retired. Vera is happy to communicate with friends, loves to be in nature, grows indoor plants. Almost all her life lived in her native Elizovo, although two years lived in Belarus.\nFor a long time, Vera had been seeking God and got acquainted with different religions. From the Bible, she learned that God is just and loves people. She was glad that one can address him with own words, from heart.\nIn 1966, Vera married Yuriy. They had a son and a daughter. Her husband passed away, but during his lifetime he was impressed by the positive changes that occurred in his wife under the influence of the Bible.\nVera's adult daughter found out about her mother's arrest from the Internet and was terrified of this news. She has a hard time with her criminal prosecution and cannot understand how this meek and peaceful woman could have been convicted under the \"extremist\" article.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/zolotova/photo.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/zolotova/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/zolotova/photo_hu_ffc0c694c7911617.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/zolotova/photo_hu_ffc0c694c7911617.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/zolotova.html","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Vera Zolotova","type":"prisoners"}]