[{"body":"On July 8, 2026, Judge Ruslan Teplukhin of the Vyselkovskiy District Court handed down yet another guilty verdict in the case of one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. For participating in meetings for worship, Sergey Nazarov, 51, received a 2-year suspended sentence.\nThe believer has a large family — the couple raised four children. Their eldest has a severe disability and is dependent on his parents. The young man\u0026#39;s condition sharply worsened after a search of the home in 2022 — he spent 3 months in the hospital. During the investigation, Sergey was under a recognizance agreement, which also made it difficult for him to care for his son, as visits to the doctor required travel to a neighboring district.\nSergey has spent almost his entire life in Vyselki. He worked in construction. After the start of criminal prosecution, he encountered difficulties finding work. He was added to the Rosfinmonitoring list. Sergey said that during this difficult period, relatives and friends gave him support. \u0026quot;They listened to me, gave advice, for which I am very grateful,\u0026quot; the believer noted. \u0026quot;Many came from other villages and cities, made sacrifices, and tried to help both with words and deeds. That is very valuable.\u0026quot;\nCourt proceedings began in September 2025. Nazarov did not admit guilt in extremism. \u0026quot;There are no victims in this case. I am being prosecuted for my faith. I follow Jesus Christ\u0026#39;s example in living peaceably with others and not rebelling against those in authority,\u0026quot; he said.\nAll cases against Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Vyselki, including Sergey Nazarov\u0026#39;s, follow a single pattern: they are based on video recordings of meetings for worship, testimony from a secret witness under the pseudonym Pastor, and the religious expert conclusion of Pavel Boyko. In the village, which has a population of only about 20,000, 19 believers are under criminal prosecution, 16 of whom have already been convicted.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2026-07-10T15:44:35+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2026/07/101544/image_hu_a67195bbbc42b095.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2026/07/101544/image_hu_bf574b37a5947985.jpg","webp":"/news/2026/07/101544/image_hu_6f95d38de02d6183.webp","webp2x":"/news/2026/07/101544/image_hu_998c43d86377538e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2026/07/101544.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":"The Number of Convicted Jehovah's Witnesses in the Village Has Reached 16","tags":["sentence","282.2-1","suspended","secret-witness"],"title":"Father of Four from Vyselki Given Suspended Sentence for His Faith.","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 29, 2026, the Rudnichniy District Court of Prokopyevsk imposed a 2.5-year suspended sentence on Irina Shishkina, 56, for participating in peaceful meetings for worship. The same court, in early June, sentenced her husband, Vasiliy, to imprisonment on similar charges.\n\u0026#39;How is a faith dangerous, if it makes a person honest, peaceful, law-abiding, and caring toward others?\u0026#39; Irina asked the court. In her final statement, she also stated her position regarding the charge: \u0026#39;I did not harm anyone, did not incite violence, did not disrupt public order. All I did was read the Bible, pray, speak about God, and try to live as Jesus Christ taught.\u0026#39;\nIrina\u0026#39;s and Vasiliy\u0026#39;s criminal cases developed in parallel: for about 2 years, their home was under surveillance and in January 2025, it was searched. At first, Irina was listed as a witness in her husband\u0026#39;s case, and because of this, they were forbidden to communicate — for almost 1.5 years, the couple was forced to live apart. A criminal case against Irina was initiated in December 2025.\nA similar strategy of prosecution — first, charges are brought against one family member, then against others — has already been used for several years in cases against Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2026-06-29T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2026/07/011417/image_hu_bd3f20513d2934e4.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2026/07/011417/image_hu_4247abd2afbb41bc.jpg","webp":"/news/2026/07/011417/image_hu_1cab0ff35e13922f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2026/07/011417/image_hu_64278875fe55e7c9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2026/07/011417.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"subtitle":"Less Than a Month Ago Her Husband Was Sentenced to 6 Years in a Penal Colony","tags":["sentence","282.2-2","families","suspended"],"title":"Irina Shishkina from Prokopyevsk Given a Suspended Sentence.","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 25, 2026, the Birobidzhanskiy District Court announced its decision in the case of Olga Chebrak, 55. She was convicted for reading the Bible together with her fellow believers. Judge Svetlana Zemtsova handed down a 2.5-year suspended sentence with a 3-year probation period and 6 months of restrictions.\nOlga has lived in Birobidzhan since her youth and has worked as a pharmacist in a drugstore for over 30 years. She has been one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses since 1997. The criminal case against the believer was initiated in early October 2025. Soon after, her home was searched; FSB investigators seized electronic devices and personal notes. According to the investigation, Chebrak \u0026quot;resumed and continued the activity of an extremist organization\u0026quot; — in the form of joint meetings for worship, prayers, and singing religious songs.\nThe case went to court in March 2026. In her final statement, Olga said: \u0026quot;Is there any evidence of extremism on my part, that is, hatred, enmity, or violence? Not only are there no actions — there is not a single phrase, not even a single word.\u0026quot; She added: \u0026quot;I am deeply disappointed that the prosecutor has drawn an equal sign between me and extremism.\u0026quot; As for her beliefs, Chebrak said: \u0026quot;This prosecution is an opportunity for me to strengthen my faith. Faith tested by trials is made strong.\u0026quot;\nThe Chebrak case is part of the widespread prosecution of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Birobidzhan. The investigation was overseen by FSB investigator Dmitriy Yankin, who in the past 5 years has initiated criminal cases against at least 20 local believers.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2026-06-25T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2026/06/261127/image_hu_eb6a83e7da5599f5.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2026/06/261127/image_hu_1d5c46fb7143cd53.jpg","webp":"/news/2026/06/261127/image_hu_93d21103e37fb767.webp","webp2x":"/news/2026/06/261127/image_hu_73d98ea5fa68cfb.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2026/06/261127.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":"Court Issues Verdict Against Olga Chebrak","tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-2"],"title":"\"Faith Tested by Trials is Made Strong.\"","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 24, 2026, the Birobidzhanskiy District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region gave Yelena Shestopalova, 60, a 2.5-year suspended sentence for participating in the activity of an organization that the state has declared extremist. The bottom line of the charge was that the believer read the Bible with her friends.\n\u0026quot;Persecution can even bring joy if you use the opportunity to endure with dignity. Being a Christian I see this as an honor,\u0026quot; Yelena concludes regarding the events of recent years. \u0026quot;My friends supported me... Once, they brought me gifts and handmade cards from children from a neighboring town. I remember the words: \u0026#39;Dreams have no expiration date. Don't give up!\u0026#39; It made me cry.\u0026quot;\nThe criminal case against Yelena was initiated by the FSB in October 2025. Shortly thereafter, her home was searched. \u0026quot;I wasn't afraid in the slightest. I tried to find a reason to praise the officers, for example, for their tact and politeness. I am a peaceful person,\u0026quot; the believer explained. Notably, law enforcement officers arrived at the very moment when Yelena was getting ready to attend a court hearing in the case of her daughter, Vladlena Kukavitsa. Her daughter had already been given a 4.5-year suspended sentence, but numerous appeal hearings lay ahead. \u0026quot;I was more worried about Vladlena than myself. We try to support each other and also be a reliable help for others,\u0026quot; Yelena says.\nThe trial against Yelena began in April 2026. At the earliest hearings, the prosecutor read out a large volume of written materials unrelated to Yelena: documents dating from 2015, which fell outside the period of the charges, as well as materials from the case of another defendant, Oleg Postnikov, including search protocols and lists of items seized from him.\nYelena considers the charge unlawful and unfounded. \u0026quot;I am not the only one who has faced criminal prosecution. In our city, several other people who have done no harm to anyone are also under criminal prosecution. Like me, they are decent members of society,\u0026quot; the believer mentioned in her final statement. In Birobidzhan, 32 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have faced prosecution.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2026-06-24T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2026/06/251558/image_hu_97d3aaca837d043d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2026/06/251558/image_hu_2d8f3253229fcb7b.jpg","webp":"/news/2026/06/251558/image_hu_125516f8b9ed0cfc.webp","webp2x":"/news/2026/06/251558/image_hu_121e07087feed35b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2026/06/251558.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":"Yelena Shestopalova Given Suspended Sentence","tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-2","elderly","families"],"title":"Another Verdict Against One of Jehovah's Witnesses in Birobidzhan.","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 19, 2026, the Surgut City Court announced the verdict in one of two high-profile criminal cases against Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in the city. Yuriy Khorikov, his son Roman, Valentina Alekseyeva, and Kirill Severinchik were found guilty under articles on \u0026quot;organizing\u0026quot; and \u0026quot;participating\u0026quot; in the activity of a banned organization. The proceedings against the believers dragged on for 7 years.\nJudge Aleksey Koryakin imposed suspended sentences: Yuriy Khorikov — 6.5 years, Roman Khorikov — 6 years and 4 months, Valentina Alekseyeva — 5 years and Kirill Severinchik — 4 years. In addition, the court ordered the Khorikovs to pay a total of 990,244 rubles.\nRoman Khorikov, 35, is an auto mechanic. In the past, Roman completed alternative civilian service on consciencious grounds. In his final statement, he addressed the court: \u0026quot;I am glad that we were able to show all participants in the proceedings that we are not extremists or religious fanatics, but ordinary people with our own interests, dreams, and hopes, only with a strong faith in our God Jehovah.\u0026quot;\nRoman\u0026#39;s father, Yuriy, 58, is a retired civil servant who worked for many years in the internal security department of a bank. After the search, his situation at work changed drastically: \u0026quot;The bank\u0026#39;s management started treating me with caution, even though I had a good reputation. Eventually, a corporate security officer recommended that I resign, which I did without regret.\u0026quot; In his final statement, he said: \u0026quot;There is no cruelty, no motives of religious hatred, intolerance, or enmity in our hearts.\u0026quot;\nValentina Alekseyeva, 67, is the oldest of those convicted. She is caring for her son, who is severely disabled — since childhood — and requires constant attention. There is no one to care for him besides his mother.\nKirill Severinchik, 29, works as an electromechanic for elevators. His father, Artur, was earlier convicted for his faith in the same city and also received a suspended sentence.\nThe criminal case was initiated in February 2019, following mass searches, during which 7 believers were subjected to torture. Kirill Severinchik was among those who were severely beaten.\nThe main evidence for the charges was the testimony of secret witness \u0026quot;Aleksey Mironov\u0026quot;. According to him, in 2018, he began interacting with Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses — out of curiosity — and later approached the FSB. At one hearing, Valentina Alekseyeva stated: \u0026quot;Mironov began studying the Bible on his own initiative; he came to my home without an invitation. On that basis, they are charging me with persuading (involving others) in the activity of a liquidated legal entity.\u0026quot;\nThe indictment amounted to almost 5,000 pages — an amount comparable to a dozen full-length books. The hearings were held behind closed doors. The essence of the charges was that the investigators categorized conversations about the Bible, joint prayers, and meetings for worship as extremist activity. At the same time, the case contains an expert study stating that the believers\u0026#39; words did not reveal \u0026quot;any signs of inciting hatred, promoting superiority, or encouraging acts of violence.\u0026quot;\nIn total, 27 believers in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area have faced prosecution for their faith.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2026-06-19T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2026/06/261135/image_hu_8be6be92406eabf4.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2026/06/261135/image_hu_511d7a874ce2d005.jpg","webp":"/news/2026/06/261135/image_hu_6161b2c11a7400aa.webp","webp2x":"/news/2026/06/261135/image_hu_64d9f2d425f06000.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2026/06/261135.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"subtitle":"Trial Against Local Jehovah's Witnesses in Surgut Concludes","tags":["sentence","282.2-1","282.3-1","suspended","families","elderly"],"title":"Suspended Sentences From 4 to 6.5 Years.","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 3, 2026, the Vyselkovskiy District Court of the Krasnodar Territory pronounced the verdict against five local believers. Judge Aleksandr Kalchevskiy found them guilty of organizing the activity of an extremist organization and gave them suspended sentences: Ushakov and Bochko — 6.5 years, and Vechkayev, Shubnikov, and Kolesnikov — 6 years.\nVitaliy Ushakov, 45, is a car mechanic; Yevgeniy Bochko, 51, does not work because he suffers from multiple sclerosis and is classed as disabled; Valeriy Vechkayev, 52, is a father of three, a musician, and a decorator; Vladimir Kolesnikov, 80, is a retired military officer; and Aleksey Shubnikov, 43, is severely disabled and has been confined to a wheelchair since the age of 16.\nThe criminal prosecution began in February 2022 with a series of searches: investigative actions affected at least 51 people; electronic devices, bank cards, and personal notes were seized from the believers. Ushakov was sent to a pretrial detention center for almost 7 months, then placed under house arrest and then under a ban on certain actions; Bochko, Vechkayev, Kolesnikov, and Shubnikov were also banned from a range of actions, including contacting witnesses in the criminal case and using communication services.\nVladimir Kolesnikov said: \u0026quot;We lived in Belarus for 4 years and then we were forced to return to Russia — my wife became seriously ill. She died in January 2020. Later I became seriously ill and ended up in hospital; I do not remember everything (stroke). A search took place 8 months later at my home... The husband of my wife\u0026#39;s daughter, Viktor Spirichev, and I were placed under investigation on the same day.\u0026quot;\nIn court, the defense repeatedly pointed out violations committed during the trial. For example, the experts analyzed materials other than those presented by the investigator. Aleksey\u0026#39;s lawyer noted another violation regarding the case materials: \u0026quot;Without the knowledge of the defense, 154 pages were added, 105 pages were altered, and 18 pages were permanently removed.\u0026quot;\nIn the Krasnodar Territory, so far 34 criminal cases have been initiated against Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, and 18 believers have been sentenced to terms in prison.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2026-06-03T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2026/06/261208/image_hu_881697736264cc3e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2026/06/261208/image_hu_3c5e42bcfbb66962.jpg","webp":"/news/2026/06/261208/image_hu_93e6d04c77d140e3.webp","webp2x":"/news/2026/06/261208/image_hu_ecf7aed90b5300e9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2026/06/261208.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":"Among Them Are Believers with Disabilities and an 80-Year-Old","tags":["sentence","suspended","elderly","disability","282.2-1"],"title":"Court in Vyselki Finds Five Jehovah's Witnesses Guilty.","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 22, 2026, Judge Marina Sinitsyna of the Nadezhdinskiy District Court gave Viktor Chernov a 3-year suspended sentence for practicing his religion among his friends. \"All I want is to be allowed to live peacefully with my family in my beloved Primorye Territory, to work and bring joy and benefit to others,\" he told the court.\nViktor, 63, has worked in landscape design for the past 25 years and has taken part in various programs to make the city of Vladivostok green. He suffers from serious health conditions, including diabetes, hypertension, and coronary heart disease.\nDuring the court hearings, Viktor suffered a heart attack and subsequently underwent heart surgery. The court proceedings resumed in April 2026 — Viktor was notified by phone just 20 minutes before the hearing. A month later, the prosecutor requested 4 years of imprisonment.\nViktor's home was searched twice — in 2020 (as part of a case against another believer) and again in 2022. During that period, Viktor lost his wife, with whom he had been married for 28 years and had raised a son. After the second search, the believer was detained and placed under house arrest. \"For 5 months I couldn't leave my home,\" Viktor recalled. \"I lost my job, and all my property was seized. The prosecution has been going on for a long time; my body is under constant stress, and that affects both my physical and emotional health. I have to fight discouragement.\"\nDespite the prosecution lasting several years, Viktor has not given up — just like the other 63 prisoners of conscience in the Primorye Territory; 10 of them are already serving terms in penal colonies; 32 were given suspended sentences, and criminal investigations are being carried out against the rest.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2026-05-22T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2026/05/251636/image_hu_3ba0599932122aa1.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2026/05/251636/image_hu_f43f6deb38fab747.jpg","webp":"/news/2026/05/251636/image_hu_9b424c3fabd04feb.webp","webp2x":"/news/2026/05/251636/image_hu_6fd7601b67d9803f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2026/05/251636.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","elderly"],"title":"In Primorye, One of Jehovah’s Witnesses, 63, Is Given Suspended Sentence","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 30, 2026, Judge Emma Kharkovskaya of the Naberezhnye Chelny City Court of the Republic of Tatarstan announced the verdict against Robert Ishberdin, 47, and Sergey Starikov, 50. Each was given a 6‑year suspended sentence.\n\u0026quot;After the search, initially there was a constant feeling of anxiety and depression; even everyday tasks became very difficult,\u0026quot; Robert described the changes his family faced after the prosecution began. \u0026quot;Trips and dreams are put on hold for the foreseeable future.\u0026quot;\nThe criminal case was handled by the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for Tatarstan; investigator Ayrat Giniyatullin initiated the proceedings in June 2024. The following spring, Robert and Sergey were placed under a recognizance agreement. According to Robert, even routine family matters were dependent on decisions by the investigators and the court — for example, he had to ask permission to travel to see his elderly parents in Bashkortostan.\nSergey Starikov is a skilled tradesman: a lathe operator, carpenter‑joiner, and electrician. He is self‑employed and renovates apartments. Sergey has lived in Naberezhnye Chelny since childhood; he is married, and the couple has an adult daughter. Robert Ishberdin graduated in economics, worked as an economist and as a consultant on accounting software and in recent years has earned his living caring for lawns. Together with his wife, he is studying sign language.\nThe case went to court in the summer of 2025. During the trial, testimonies were heard from a religious‑studies expert, a secret witness, and an FSB officer, which did not contain any facts confirming the believers\u0026#39; guilt in extremism. Moreover, the FSB officer stated that Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses should \u0026quot;stay at home, study [the Bible], that\u0026#39;s it.\u0026quot;\nIn Tatarstan, 15 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have already faced prosecution for their religious beliefs. Four of them have been sentenced to terms in penal colonies.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2026-04-30T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2026/05/011540/image_hu_690a0e22eaec2cf8.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2026/05/011540/image_hu_fceb7e84e93880a6.jpg","webp":"/news/2026/05/011540/image_hu_560047898f3a36eb.webp","webp2x":"/news/2026/05/011540/image_hu_f4830a083c937bd9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2026/05/011540.html","regions":["tatarstan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","282.2-1","suspended"],"title":"Court in Naberezhnye Chelny Gives Two Jehovah’s Witnesses Suspended Sentences","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 14, 2026, the Taldomskiy District Court of the Moscow Region gave Galina Inkina, 72, and Dmitriy Mladov, 44, suspended sentences for 2 and 6 years respectively.\nGalina was born in the Urals into a large family. For more than 20 years she worked as a laboratory technician at a glass factory, and later as a social worker and a cafeteria attendant. She was forced to leave her job after undergoing cancer treatment. Dmitriy grew up in Kandalaksha on the coast of the White Sea. As a child, he was deeply impressed by the nature in the north of the Kolsky District, in which he saw evidence of God\u0026#39;s existence. This sparked his desire to read the Bible.\nIn December 2024, criminal cases were initiated against both believers on suspicion of extremism. On the same day, Galina\u0026#39;s home was searched. She later recalled: \u0026quot;I was terribly frightened, I was shaking with fear and couldn\u0026#39;t speak. They made me face the wall and threatened me — this went on for 2 hours. Then they took me to Dmitrov for interrogation. I was placed alone in an office, nothing was explained to me, and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. I stayed there without food or water.\u0026quot; As a preventive measure, she was made to wear an electronic monitoring bracelet. \u0026quot;My veins were bulging, my legs turn blue and swell up by evening, and the tracking bracelet is digging into my leg,\u0026quot; Galina said, describing what she had to endure.\nDmitriy was detained in Novorossiysk while traveling by car with his wife and was sent to a pretrial detention center in the Moscow Region. He described the conditions in one of the detention facilities as follows: \u0026quot;The cell was in a semi‑basement, with a small window near the ceiling, from which sometimes only someone\u0026#39;s legs could be seen, as well as dogs and rats running by. The cell, designed for eight people, measured 14 square meters.\u0026quot; He was granted his first visit from his wife only after 6 months of separation.\nIn their final statements, the believers expressed their views on what was happening. \u0026quot;I did not insult or rob anyone, steal anything, or kill anyone. The case file contains positive character references about me from local police inspectors,\u0026quot; Dmitriy noted. He added that during the year he spent in pretrial detention centers he had no conflicts with other inmates, as he tried to conduct himself in a Christian manner. Galina said: \u0026quot;My entire life is the complete opposite of extremism. I lead a peaceful way of life and respect the laws and the authorities because I am a believer.\u0026quot;\n","category":"verdict","date":"2026-04-14T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2026/04/171332/image_hu_be50c15e0b614fb9.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2026/04/171332/image_hu_1ce99dd7632d1ccb.jpg","webp":"/news/2026/04/171332/image_hu_1099d3b134327eb0.webp","webp2x":"/news/2026/04/171332/image_hu_8f01354b3d366dec.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2026/04/171332.html","regions":["moscow_obl"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","elderly","282.2-1","282.2-2"],"title":"New Verdict Against Jehovah’s Witnesses in the Moscow Region: Suspended Terms Ranging from 2 to 6 Years","type":"news"},{"body":"Sergey Babiy, judge of the Nikolaevsky-on-Amur City Court, rejects the motion of Nadezhda Korobochko to cancel the suspended sentence and remove the conviction.\nThe believer served more than half of the established period of probation and filed a motion with the court. Nadezhda noted that she diligently fulfilled the duties assigned to her in the verdict. The representative of the Criminal Correctional Inspectorate supported the motion of the believer.\nThe court recognized that there were no violations in Nadezhda's behavior during the entire period of supervision, but considered this insufficient to cancel the suspended sentence. According to the judge, the 82-year-old believer does not participate in \"active community activity, charity,\" \"volunteer organizations,\" and so on.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kononenko and Others in Nikolayevsk-on-Amur","date":"2026-04-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nikolayevsk_na_amure/index.html#20260402","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["suspended","clearing","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladlena Kukavitsa, 35, has been defending her right to freedom of religion for 2 years, the last 7 months — at the retrial in the Birobidzhan District Court. Judge Olga Klyuchikova made the final decision on January 22, 2026.\nThe first verdict (6 years suspended) was overturned by the court of appeal. Vladlena was charged with involving others in the activity of an extremist organization and participating in it. The case of the believer, like dozens of similar ones throughout the country, was based on the testimony of an informant. Vladlena says that there were no expressions of extremism in her conversations with Zhukova-Suvorova, who turned out to be a secret agent. The conversations were friendly and focused on discussing Bible teachings, God\u0026#39;s qualities, and prayer. The videos that were viewed in court showed how Vladlena encouraged the woman to show love to others, forgive and not hold a grudge.\nAfter the liquidation of religious organizations and the beginning of actual persecution against Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Russia, Vladlena became anxious. \u0026quot;At first, it was difficult. I heard the news: in one place after another, law enforcement officers break into houses, conduct searches and arrest people,\u0026quot; she says. \u0026quot;Sadly, some ended up behind bars. But I saw how they overcame it all. This strengthened me.\u0026quot;\nStill, the stress in connection with the criminal prosecution left its mark. \u0026quot;I needed to seek medical help repeatedly because the criminal prosecution affected my health. Now I am constantly taking medication,\u0026quot; she said at one of the court hearings.\nVladlena expressed special gratitude to her mother for her support: \u0026quot;She is always by my side. She herself has had to go through searches and interrogation; she always accompanied me when I went to the investigator and waited on the street next to the FSB building while I was there.\u0026quot; In October 2025, a criminal case was also initiated against Kukavitsa\u0026#39;s mother, Yelena Shestopalova.\nThe family of Vladlena Kukavitsa is not the first to be in the focus of law enforcement officers. In Birobidzhan, alreadyeight families are being prosecuted for their faith in Jehovah God. This trend has been going on for years.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2026-01-22T14:34:53+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2026/01/221434/image_hu_cf774470a0673708.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2026/01/221434/image_hu_7bb46e70ddda3c92.jpg","webp":"/news/2026/01/221434/image_hu_230523dafd3ae34a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2026/01/221434/image_hu_5d9954150d9e33b3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2026/01/221434.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":"This Time — 4.5 Years Suspended","tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-2","282.2-1.1","families"],"title":"Vladlena Kukavitsa From Birobidzhan Again Convicted for Her Faith.","type":"news"},{"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/index.html#20260115","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["appeal","elderly","suspended","282.2-1.1","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region upheld the sentence against Igor Prityko. The believer states that the indictment is \"completely unsubstantiated\" and relies on a recording of a meeting for worship, where he \"shares thoughts based only on the Bible.\"\n\"For a peaceful person, who has not committed any action dangerous to people or the state, it is not easy to cope with criminal prosecution and everything related to it,\" he notes, adding that what is happening, damages the physical and emotional health of both him and his loved ones.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Prityko in Birobidzhan","date":"2026-01-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan23/index.html#20260113","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["appeal","282.2-2","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"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/index.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_1f6f1b65bd23f577.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/12/301627/image_hu_3c6e6c59e4068c54.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/12/301627/image_hu_ea4eaf7da7b8330e.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/12/301627/image_hu_7c4804510c5bcb69.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":"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_c1d7521e40fddb48.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/12/230915/image_hu_8e7faaed99ada15a.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/12/230915/image_hu_ebc64627239f7967.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/12/230915/image_hu_21bc210e33c12f58.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 Supreme Court of the Karachayevo-Circassian Republic upholds the verdict handed down earlier to Yulia Pasynkova — a 5-year suspended sentence.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yuliya Pasynkova in Mednogorskiy","date":"2025-12-16T16:00:57+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy4/index.html#20251216","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["appeal","suspended","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Dvurechenskiy, 50, has been given a 2-year suspended sentence. This decision was announced on December 9, 2025, by Judge Yelizaveta Proskuryakova of the Vyselkovskiy District Court. This is already the fifth verdict she has issued in a case involving Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\nSergey, who was born in Vyselki, has worked in construction for more than 20 years. At one of the court hearings, character references written by his employer and a neighbor were read aloud. According to Sergey\u0026#39;s recollection, after the hearing the prosecutor called them \u0026quot;the description of an ideal person.\u0026quot; Regarding the participants in the process the believer said: \u0026quot;It is one thing that they carry out their duties, but as people I see their wonderful traits\u0026quot;.\nIn Vyselki, similar cases have been initiated against 14 more believers. Most of the charges are based on the testimony of a secret witness under the pseudonym \u0026quot;Pastyr,\u0026quot; [Shepherd] who secretly recorded meetings for worship on video. \u0026quot;He never ever showed up at the hearing,\u0026quot; Sergey said. \u0026quot;He\u0026#39;s doing what he does for some reason — it\u0026#39;s not for me to judge. But you know, I don't feel any anger or resentment toward him.\u0026quot;\nThe court spent more than a year reviewing the recordings of meetings for worship. \u0026quot;I think it was good for both the judge and the prosecutor to listen to them,\u0026quot; Dvurechenskiy thinks. \u0026quot;There were great points about family life and relationships. There\u0026#39;s definitely nothing extremist in them.\u0026quot;\nThe criminal prosecution of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Vyselki has been ongoing since February 2022, when mass searches took place, which also affected Dvurechenskiy. Most cases against local believers have already resulted in guilty verdicts.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-12-09T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/12/101349/image_hu_c6c2cec82593f396.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/12/101349/image_hu_7b0a03cb4e5e73d.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/12/101349/image_hu_fb6be59651178272.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/12/101349/image_hu_38b2b524bbdd8814.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/12/101349.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-2","secret-witness"],"title":"Another One of Jehovah's Witnesses from Vyselki Given Suspended Sentence","type":"news"},{"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_4f3aa530958d5a8b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/11/211657/image_hu_5598682b49bca6f.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/11/211657/image_hu_4ad1c3933cf7520f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/11/211657/image_hu_bffaad7d435cb76c.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":"Igor Prityko makes his final statement, after which the court announces the verdict.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Prityko in Birobidzhan","date":"2025-11-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan23/index.html#20251114","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["final-statement","sentence","282.2-2","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On November 14, 2025, the court gave Igor Prityko, 55, a suspended sentence, recognizing him as a participant in the activity of an extremist organization. The believer pleaded not guilty and called the prosecution an expression of \u0026quot;intolerance toward religious beliefs.\u0026quot;\n\u0026quot;The nature of my work requires that I communicate a lot with people, and I try to focus on the positive traits of a person. This helped me... gain a reputation as a reliable partner and a person easy to talk to,\u0026quot; testified Prityko, who has changed professions in the field of construction several times throughout his life. \u0026quot;Helping people find hope in the wonderful future promised by God, I became the happiest person. All this, Your Honor, is my contribution to maintaining peace in society,\u0026quot; he added, highlighting that his way of life is incompatible with extremism.\nBirobidzhan is one of the Russian cities with the largest number of criminal cases against Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses: at the time of publication of this article, there were 24 cases (initiated against 28 people). Four believers were sent to a penal colony, and 21 people given suspended sentences. When court hearings against Jehovah's Witnesses first started in his city, Igor attended them. \u0026quot;After the decision [to liquidate the legal entities] I made it my goal to attend court hearings to encourage my brothers and sisters in the faith and to see the joy on their faces when the verdicts were announced,\u0026quot; he recalls. In time his family also faced prosecution: in the winter of 2024 law enforcement officers conducted the first search at Prityko's home, and the year after, following another raid, D. Emelyanenko, investigator of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, initiated a criminal case against the believer. Soon the trial began in the Birobidzhan District Court, led by Judge Svetlana Zemtsova.\nIgor grew up in a large family and, being the eldest, was used to taking care of his loved ones from childhood, but with the beginning of the investigation it became more difficult for him to do so. \u0026quot;I only work a little, and the entire financial burden fell on the shoulders of my wife,\u0026quot; the believer explained the situation and added: \u0026quot;Although our active life was slowed down by various restrictions and it became difficult to provide for the family, we lacked nothing. Hardship has brought us closer. There is less fuss and more time for the family.\u0026quot;\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-11-14T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/11/200937/image_hu_c96ba926bb2e6f25.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/11/200937/image_hu_42ab5a12b170500d.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/11/200937/image_hu_efc092504145c29a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/11/200937/image_hu_6690176884c6cc17.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/11/200937.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":"The 27th Conviction of One of Jehovah's Witnesses by Local Court","tags":["sentence","282.2-2","suspended"],"title":"Resident of Birobidzhan Given a 2.5-year Suspended Sentence.","type":"news"},{"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_d962b2cc0501ac84.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/10/300902/image_hu_9142847468ff81e8.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/10/300902/image_hu_6b98d69cbcd72b67.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/10/300902/image_hu_fecd480ee91d6e9b.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":"On October 24, 2025, Yelizaveta Proskuryakova, judge of the Vyselkovskiy District Court, gave Vladimir Lepskiy, 59, a 2-year suspended sentence. The believer was charged for \u0026quot;reading religious books aloud,\u0026quot; as stated in the decision to initiate the case.\nVladimir worked in the railway industry for more than 20 years: he was a rail yard coordinator. He has been one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses for almost 30 years. In February 2022, the homes of believers in Kuban were searched en masse, which marked the beginning of the prosecution of 15 local residents. Among them was Lepskiy. The search in the house of Vladimir and his wife, Olga, lasted 7 hours. The believer recalls: \u0026quot;People in camouflage entered the courtyard and knocked on our door. My Olga was scared, she was talking on the phone with her grandchildren at the time.\u0026quot; Law enforcement officers turned everything upside down, including the bed and looked through all our documents.\nA criminal case against Lepskiy was initiated 2 years later — then he was no longer living in Vyselki, but had to return. \u0026quot;In the village we don't have an apartment or a house. Friends helped us to find an affordable apartment and supported us financially. We would not have coped on our own,\u0026quot; Vladimir remembered. In his final statement, alluding to his involuntary relocation he said: \u0026quot;I could have not turned up, I could have hidden, and no one would have found me. But I came because I do not consider myself guilty. I believe in Jehovah God and I am his Witness.\u0026quot;\nThe court considered the believer's case for a year. \u0026quot;I look at what I am going through as a new assignment from God: to witness about Him in the courts,\u0026quot; said Vladimir about his frame of mind during this difficult period of his life and added: \u0026quot;My wife Olga noticed that I have become calmer and more controlled. The examples of my fellow believers who have gone through all this mean a lot.\u0026quot;\nThe population of the village of Vyselki is less than 20,000. However, 11 criminal cases against Jehovah's Witnesses have already passed through the local district court. Judge Yelizaveta Proskuryakova issued guilty verdicts in four of them. ","category":"verdict","date":"2025-10-24T17:36:34+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/10/241736/image_hu_3576bf1b6236885f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/10/241736/image_hu_378042839dbdfa52.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/10/241736/image_hu_48495bb9a86f532.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/10/241736/image_hu_7b7fee97f0c546f1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/10/241736.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":"Vladimir Lepskiy Given Suspended Sentence for His Faith","tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-2"],"title":"Fourth Verdict Within a Month in Vyselki.","type":"news"},{"body":"A 2-year suspended sentence was given to Irina Zinina, 37, on October 21, 2025 by the Vyselkovskiy District Court. She was found guilty of extremism for discussing the Bible with friends. In June, the court made a similar decision in the case of her mother, Lyudmila, a pensioner with serious illnesses.\n\u0026quot;Due to the application of this law [on extremism — ed.] many people are getting the wrong impression of me,\u0026quot; Irina addressed the court on the eve of the announcement of the verdict. \u0026quot;Still, there are a lot of sympathetic people who are outraged by the fact that they unfairly initiate criminal cases against law-abiding, decent people. It is sad that this law is applied to peaceful residents of different ages... among them are disabled, seriously ill, and some have even died under investigation.\u0026quot;\nBack in February 2022, the homes of Irina and Lyudmila Zinina were searched. Police officers searched them for the addresses of other believers, as well as books and notes with the name of God. More than a year later, criminal proceedings were initiated against both women.\n\u0026quot;Practical advice from the Bible has helped me for as long as I remember, for example: to always be a kind and decent person, to conscientiously do my job and carry out duties assigned to me,\u0026quot; said Irina, expressing her disagreement with the charge of extremism. She added: \u0026quot;In my role as a caregiver, I look after people from different backgrounds, statuses and religions, and they are all happy... People turn to me for mending and sewing clothes, for help with cleaning and for construction repairs. I carry out these tasks with willingness and diligence.\u0026quot;\nIrina and Lyudmila try not to lose optimism, despite the difficulties. Friends have supported them during this time: \u0026quot;They send drawings, videos, and encouraging thoughts; come to court hearings and try to support us there,\u0026quot; says Irina. \u0026quot;At first, it was hard to accept help, because usually you help yourself, but here...\u0026quot;\nIn total, 15 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have already been prosecuted for their faith in the village of Vyselki. In three instances, law enforcement officers initiated cases against several family members.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-10-21T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/10/221336/image_hu_713f11ae1a3bcd6d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/10/221336/image_hu_25e97da1110f2370.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/10/221336/image_hu_16560cac9657fd4.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/10/221336/image_hu_c620b9834f316497.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/10/221336.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":"Two People Already Convicted for Their Faith in This Family","tags":["suspended","families","282.2-2"],"title":"Court Considered Irina Zinina from Vyselki to Be An Extremist.","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 15, 2025, Aslanbek Tuarshev, judge of the Khabezskiy District Court, gave 60-year-old Tatyana Pasynkova a 4-year suspended sentence for participating in the activity of an extremist organization. Following her son Aleksey and his wife Yuliya, Tatyana was convicted for her religious beliefs.\nTatyana is a retired plant breeder. She raised three sons on her own. \u0026quot;Have fundamental [Bible] principles really become outdated or suddenly radical and extremist? Life depends on them! They are the moral benchmark, they have withstood the test of time... I never abandoned my children; I also never abandoned my parents, but I cared for them and loved them until they died. And is that what I\u0026#39;m being judged for?.. For raising my sons as worthy members of society despite having lived a difficult life?\u0026quot; said Tatyana Pasynkova in her final statement.\nShe has been under the close attention of law enforcement officers since 2021 — her home was searched five times. One of the searches she remembers especially well: \u0026quot;I opened the door wearing my nightdress and slippers. There were eight masked people in the courtyard. They had machine guns, pistols, a grenade hung on one side, handcuffs on the other. I was confused: \u0026quot;Oh, so many of you!\u0026quot; I asked them to put their weapons away.\u0026quot; She felt unwell — was having difficulty breathing and started shaking. She had to call an ambulance. Tatyana has serious problems with her heart and other internal organs. The stress caused by the prosecution affected her health \u0026quot;not in the best way\u0026quot; she said.\nTatyana often noticed that she and her family were under surveillance by her informant neighbors. \u0026quot;They looked through the fence into the windows, brazenly took photos and videos, for example, me walking with my grandson... It was both appalling and ridiculous when an informant drove a car around his garden and filmed us planting potatoes,\u0026quot; she recalls.\nAt the same time, Tatyana is not afraid to tell others about her prosecution: \u0026quot;I say directly: a criminal case has been initiated against me, a trial is underway, I am being tried for reading the Bible, for being one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\u0026quot; People\u0026#39;s reaction, she said, was often surprise: \u0026quot;How can you prosecute someone for his faith?\u0026quot;\nDuring these difficult times, Tatyana felt the love and support of people who care. When a hailstorm damaged the roof and windows of the Pasynkovs\u0026#39; house, friends came to the rescue: a couple from Krasnodar helped to repair the roof, another, from St. Petersburg, to replace the windows.\nTatyana considers any trials temporary: \u0026quot;I taught my sons that you don\u0026#39;t need to run away from difficulties, you need to overcome them. Hope is my lifeline. I look forward to the time when my grandson Timofey, who has a disability, will start talking, and we will have a heartfelt conversation with him.\u0026quot;\nThe prosecution of Tatyana Pasynkova and her family is not the only case in today's Russia when Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses of different generations find themselves in the dock.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-10-15T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/10/161318/image_hu_5dff5976bb216fb1.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/10/161318/image_hu_dbd68025360b3259.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/10/161318/image_hu_a6e725d07a04dee.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/10/161318/image_hu_25e2336b6dc4f28c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/10/161318.html","regions":["karachaevo"],"subtitle":"Pensioner From Karachayevo-Circassia Given Suspended Sentence","tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-2","families"],"title":"\"Have Bible Principles Really Become Extremist?\"","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 15, 2025, Yelizaveta Proskuryakova, judge of the Vyselkovskiy District Court, gave Yelena Rumyantseva, 53, a 2-year suspended sentence with 6 months restriction of freedom based on charges of extremism. Shortly before that, her daughter, Vasilina Penskaya, was given a suspended sentence. Both women are Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\nIn recent years, Yelena has gone through a lot — the sudden death of her husband in 2019, the illness and death of her father in 2021; her mother had a stroke and still needs constant care. In 2022, Yelena\u0026#39;s house was searched, her daughter Vasilina was prosecuted, and after a while the Investigative Committee also initiated a case against Yelena. A month later, Rosfinmonitoring blocked her accounts, which caused difficulties with her work.\n\u0026quot;I tried to stay strong after the search,\u0026quot; the believer recalls. \u0026quot;It seemed as if I was tough enough to handle it. But that only lasted for so long. Then I had an emotional breakdown. After all we\u0026#39;re not made of steel.\u0026quot; The support of friends and other people who cared, helped Yelena cope with what was happening. She said: \u0026quot;People you don\u0026#39;t know make many sacrifices, traveling from many kilometers to the courthouse just to be there with you. This is amazing and touching. They also help financially... I have everything I need and even more.\u0026quot;\nYelena\u0026#39;s case went to court at the same time as her daughter\u0026#39;s case, at the end of December 2023. Later, the judge in the case changed, and the trial began anew. During the hearings, the defense drew attention to numerous violations. The secret witness could not say anything specific about Rumyantseva except that she was present at the meetings for worship, and one of the expert studies had nothing to do with her. The investigator admitted that material evidence did not contain anything relevant to the case. The court also attached to the case file two certificates and a letter of thanks — from the management of the Berezanskaya Art School for many years of cooperation and support, from the administration of the Vyselkovskiy Municipality and from the Department of Consumer Affairs of the Krasnodar Territory for conscientious work.\n\u0026quot;Unfortunately, sincere faith is not always met with understanding,\u0026quot; the believer noted in her final statement. — \u0026quot;Fear, misunderstandings, or rumors can turn good deeds and simple religious meetings into something suspicious. But I want to be clear: my faith is based on love. It teaches me to be honest, kind and respectful to everyone. It has nothing to do with extremism.\u0026quot;\nThe case of Yelena Rumyantseva is one of 11 initiated by investigators against believers from Vyselki. In total, 38 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have already been prosecuted in the Krasnodar Territory; one of them died in custody without having received the necessary medical care.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-10-15T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/10/160820/image_hu_10c4822dfad76c2b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/10/160820/image_hu_67ecb937d669ec4.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/10/160820/image_hu_6533193918e77402.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/10/160820/image_hu_b150e2122e7bb6ea.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/10/160820.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":"Earlier, Her Daughter Received Same Punishment","tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-2","families"],"title":"Court In Kuban Gave Yelena Rumyantseva Suspended Sentence for Her Faith.","type":"news"},{"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_e91acecee2659c9c.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/10/031122/image_hu_80e503eca7470bba.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/10/031122/image_hu_709bcb97f0892610.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/10/031122/image_hu_3fd4e7b4a3b2ad8f.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":"A 3-year suspended sentence — this punishment was imposed on Svetlana Ogoreva, 41, from Mednogorskiy by the Zelenchukskiy District Court on October 1, 2025. Attending peaceful meetings for worship and talking about her faith was enough to find her guilty of participating in the activity of an extremist organization.\nIn her final statement before Judge Fatima Borlakova, Svetlana said: \u0026quot;Although my health has suffered greatly from this unfair and unlawful criminal prosecution, I feel the support of my God and friends and I am sure that whatever the outcome of this case, I will continue to feel this support. [...] And I\u0026#39;m sure if my dad were alive, he would be proud of me. After all, I am not standing before the court for a bad deed, but for my faith in God.\u0026quot;\nAfter the death of her father, Svetlana moved to live with her widowed mother. In November 2021, the family\u0026#39;s home was searched, followed by a second search 2 years later. At first, Svetlana was a witness in the case of Aleksey Pasynkov, but then the Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against her.\nDue to the stress experienced, Svetlana started having heart problems. Another cause of anxiety was the criminal case against her elderly mother, Mariya, who is also on trial for her faith. She has to attend hearings at a court which is located 80 kilometers from their home. Svetlana said that friends help them cope with difficulties. For example, one of the friends calls regularly, and others, who live in St. Petersburg, have sent a parcel with treats.\nSvetlana categorically disagrees with the charges for extremism. \u0026quot;As to associating with fellow believers, from the standpoint of the Bible, religion cannot be chaotic; believers cannot be apart from each other or act separately. Otherwise, divisions will develop, and the religion itself, that is, a particular denomination, will cease to exist,\u0026quot; she said.\nNeighbors spoke in support of Svetlana, providing the court with positive character references. According to them, she is kind to others and leads a healthy lifestyle. One of the neighbors said that Svetlana worked for her as a nanny. \u0026quot;I have known her since childhood as a very friendly girl, not looking for trouble, kind and without bad habits. She is approachable, polite, sociable,\u0026quot; the woman said. Another neighbor wrote: \u0026quot;My children love her very much. She organizes contests and games for the children.\u0026quot;\nMednogorskiy is a small village in the Urupskiy District of the Karachayevo-Circassian Republic with a population of less than 5500 people. In addition to Svetlana and Mariya Ogoreva, four other believers have been prosecuted there.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-10-01T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/10/071612/image_hu_f0e2a0bcd8c712f8.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/10/071612/image_hu_9a922a760b6b64af.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/10/071612/image_hu_3d89f0ace3b988e1.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/10/071612/image_hu_aebd685b6ecfde2d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/10/071612.html","regions":["karachaevo"],"subtitle":"Svetlana Ogoreva Given Suspended Sentence","tags":["sentence","282.2-2","suspended","families"],"title":"Court Found One More Peaceful Believer From Karachayevo-Circassia Extremist.","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_6089cf8ee7c29db6.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/10/011530/image_hu_c85c8d8fae10488a.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/10/011530/image_hu_ad75913e1672c83b.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/10/011530/image_hu_ee3d8addea668a91.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":"On September 16, 2025, the court gave Yuliya Pasynkova, 34, a 5-year suspended sentence. Her husband, Aleksey, is already serving a suspended sentence for his faith, and her mother-in-law, Tatyana, is also being tried. \u0026quot;Being prosecuted for your faith in God is unnatural,\u0026quot; the believer said.\nThe Pasynkovs are raising a son with a disability. His illness is incurable. \u0026quot;Timofey is deprived of a normal life. He cannot say what he thinks, what he feels or what he wants,\u0026quot; the believer told the court, \u0026quot;he cannot be left alone even for 5 minutes.\u0026quot; Yuliya had to travel 150 kilometers from home to the hearings, which made the trial even more exhausting for the whole family. She recalls: \u0026quot;Sometimes I only slept for 3 hours to get there by 10 in the morning. When I returned home, my son would hug me for hours. He could cry for hours in the morning, because he did not see me.\u0026quot;\nThe prosecution concluded that Yuliya had no mitigating circumstances and requested a long suspended sentence with additional restrictions. Nariman Abdokov, a judge of the Khabez District Court, fully supported this position when sentencing her.\nThe Pasynkovs have been living under prosecution for nearly 4 years. During this period, their home was searched three times. At the same time, a tragedy occurred — Yuliya\u0026#39;s parents were hit by a car. \u0026quot;Caring for my mother, my father\u0026#39;s funeral, taking care of my son and other difficulties — I could not have gone through all this alone, without my husband,\u0026quot; the believer recalls.\nAleksey and Yuliya stated that the difficulties brought their family together. \u0026quot;We had a warm, close relationship before,\u0026quot; Aleksey said, \u0026quot;but the prosecution brought us even closer. We spend a lot of time together, trying to console each other, strengthen each other... Especially when we are physically and emotionally drained.\u0026quot;\nThe authorities often subject several family members to repression for their faith: at least 170 of prosecuted Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have at least one relative in similar circumstances.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-09-16T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/09/171124/image_hu_e9b23ebcaae27986.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/09/171124/image_hu_aed7f59ff8d8c4e5.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/09/171124/image_hu_682614714035b44c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/09/171124/image_hu_ab171f9669aa6cc2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/09/171124.html","regions":["karachaevo"],"subtitle":"Court Sentences Mother of Disabled Child for Talking on Bible Topics","tags":["families","282.2-2","suspended"],"title":"Following Husband’s Footsteps.","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 31, 2025, Roman Teplukhin, judge of the Vyselkovskiy District Court of the Krasnodar Territory, issued a ruling in the case of 27-year-old Vasilina Penskaya. She was found guilty of participating in the activity of an extremist organization and given a suspended sentence.\nVasilina faced prosecution on religious grounds in February 2022, when searches were carried out in her home, as well as in the home of her mother, Yelena Rumyantseva. After 1 year and 4 months, Vasilina became a defendant in a criminal case and was added to the Rosfinmonitoring list.\n\u0026quot;There were many tears because it\u0026#39;s scary when you\u0026#39;re accused of extremism, of something you didn\u0026#39;t do,\u0026quot; she recalls. Before the verdict, Vasilina\u0026#39;s husband, Dmitriy, added: \u0026quot;You can\u0026#39;t prepare for prosecution in any way, and it\u0026#39;s something you don\u0026#39;t get used to. The state of suspense, when you have no idea what will happen next, is very depressing. We have been living like this for 2 years already.\u0026quot;\nVasilina Penskaya, her husband, Dmitriy, and her mother, Yelena Rumyantseva, July 31, 2025 The case of Vasilina Penskaya was considered in court for more than 1.5 years. The guilty verdict was based on the testimony of a secret witness, which has been used in the cases against several other Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses from Vyselki. This man collaborated with the FSB and since June 2022 has been conducting covert audio and video recordings of meetings for worship. At the hearings, it turned out that he did not know Penskaya personally, neither could he confirm her participation in the meetings for worship, nor even her presence at them.\nSpeaking in court during her final statement, Vasilina emphasized: \u0026quot;Freedom of conscience is a fundamental human right. My faith is my personal choice, and it does not pose a threat to society.\u0026quot; She added: \u0026quot;I believe in God and try to live according to his commandments. This makes me a better person.\u0026quot;\nIn different districts of the Krasnodar Territory, criminal cases are initiated, searches are carried out, believers are imprisoned. A total of 38 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have faced prosecution in the region.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-07-31T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/08/040906/image_hu_edfa758112064aa9.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/08/040906/image_hu_78895db905c0e38f.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/08/040906/image_hu_6e81348ec2e0ffe.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/08/040906/image_hu_a7657b51ca92c4e2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/08/040906.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":"Vasilina Penskaya Given 2-Year Suspended Sentence for Her Faith in God","tags":["sentence","282.2-2","suspended"],"title":"Yet Another Woman Convicted in Krasnodar Territory","type":"news"},{"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/index.html#20250626","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["appeal","elderly","282.2-2","suspended"],"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_5ee73cae4daaa5d8.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/06/120836/image_hu_96f37bce36c14a58.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/06/120836/image_hu_84acfcb748a6f21f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/06/120836/image_hu_88184cdff5603930.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 Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region reverses the decision of the court of first instance and sends the case for a new trial to the Birobidzhanskiy District Court.\nThe believer noted in her appeal: \"All of my actions were completely peaceful and respectful. The prosecution did not even charge me with inciting witness V. E. Suvorova to violence or religious hatred or enmity towards any person or group of persons practicing another religion or belonging to another nationality or social group.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kukavitsa in Birobidzhan","date":"2025-06-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan20/index.html#20250610","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["appeal","suspended","282.2-1.1","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests the court sentence the believer to 6.5 years in a penal colony with a 4-year ban on engaging in activity related to leading and participating in the work of public organizations.\nAnton Kuzhelkov gives his final statement. He draws a parallel between his case and the trial of Jesus Christ: \"I am accused of changing the foundations of the constitutional order of the country by the use of force... but I am a follower of Christ. I cannot act against the state.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuzhelkov and Prokhorov in Kirsanov","date":"2025-05-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirsanov/index.html#20250527","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["punishment-request","defense-arguments","final-statement","courtroom","sentence","suspended","282.2-1","studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On May 27, 2025, the Kirsanovskiy District Court found Anton Kuzhelkov guilty of extremism for holding meetings for worship and preaching. \u0026quot;Who is being judged — me or the God in whom I believe?\u0026quot; he asked at one of the hearings, pointing out that on the 31st page of the charge, his name is mentioned only once, and the name of God — 168 times.\nIn December 2020, Kuzhelkov\u0026#39;s house was searched. \u0026quot;They came to our home with weapons... To us, peaceful, calm, quiet people who pose no harm to anyone,\u0026quot; recalls Anton during his final statement. \u0026quot;Why?Apparently, they thought that we would put up some resistance... But that didn't happen. Why? Jesus\u0026#39; disciples don't act like this.\u0026quot;\nFor 4.5 years of preliminary and judicial investigation, Kuzhelkov spent about 15 months in a pretrial detention center. The arrest of the believer occurred during Covid. \u0026quot;To get a visit,\u0026quot; says Alena, Anton\u0026#39;s wife, \u0026quot;I had to have an expensive test confirming that I did not have Covid, stand in line, and after the documents were accepted, wait 5 hours.\u0026quot; Later, Anton was transferred to a more remote detention center, and a long distance was added to the already difficult procedure.\nAnton does not agree with the guilty verdict; he insists that peaceful religious activity cannot be considered a crime. The defense drew attention to violations during the expert studies, which formed the basis of the verdict. Witness testimonies in court indicated that Kuzhelkov had no extremist motives. One of them said of the believer: \u0026quot;I was touched by his determination not to take up arms and his desire to serve in another legal way — in a nursing home, where he cared for the elderly. Not every young person is capable of this.\u0026quot;\nThe prosecution of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in the Tambov Region is not easing. In February 2025, another criminal case was initiated in Tambov against Andrey Mikhailov, 41. At the same time, court proceedings against Nikolai Prokhorov (he was the second defendant in the Kuzhelkov case) were suspended in February 2025 due to his cancer.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-05-27T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/05/301414/image_hu_3e2cd59c16dcd52a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/05/301414/image_hu_bfda14f59ae3d1bb.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/05/301414/image_hu_7df5bb7e7b485991.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/05/301414/image_hu_250b551e8d42eac3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/05/301414.html","regions":["tambov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-1","studies-violations"],"title":"Court in Kirsanov Gave 32-Year-Old Jehovah's Witness 6.5- Year Suspended Sentence for His Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"The Eighth Court of Cassation in Kemerovo upheld the court decision against Sergey Petrenko - 4 years of suspended imprisonment with a probationary period of 3 years. In his cassation appeal, the believer noted: \"During the trial, it was reliably established that [his] actions were in fact nothing more than a peaceful manifestation of his attitude towards religion, for which, as the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation emphasized, criminal liability is excluded.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Petrenko in Gorno-Altaysk","date":"2025-05-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gorno-altaysk2/index.html#20250521","regions":["altai"],"tags":["cassation","282.2-2","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On April 22, 2025, the Kamchatka Territory Court upheld the verdict against Aleksey Ovchar. The believer will serve a 6-year suspended sentence. He does not consider himself guilty.\nThe verdict handed down in February 2025 was appealed. As the believer\u0026#39;s lawyer emphasized, there is no corpus delicti in Ovchar\u0026#39;s actions. In addition, a significant part of the materials presented as evidence of Aleksey\u0026#39;s guilt does not relate to him at all.\nOvchar stated in his appeal: \u0026quot;The action, for which I was sentenced and punished, was a conversation on everyday and religious topics. During the conversation, my fellow believer and I sought to emotionally and spiritually support a woman who shares my religious beliefs. In our conversation, there were no calls for violence, the overthrow of the constitutional order, disrespect for the authority of the state or other actions of an extremist nature.\u0026quot; He added that \u0026quot; declaring a legal entity extremist is not tantamount to banning a religion and does not prohibit believers from providing emotional and spiritual assistance to each other.\u0026quot;\nWilly Fautré, founder and director of the Brussels-based organization Human Rights Without Frontiers, previously noted: \u0026quot;Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses are the religious group that has been the most persecuted in Russia... Statistics about the magnitude of the repression are disturbing. Freedom of religion or belief is the cornerstone of all freedoms.\u0026quot;\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-04-22T14:25:51+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/04/221425/image_hu_d5e3090da83a785b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/04/221425/image_hu_26b7524262f17209.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/04/221425/image_hu_d35c57ca8b521b28.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/04/221425/image_hu_8f4171e934b9f33d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/04/221425.html","regions":["kamchatka"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","suspended","282.2-1"],"title":"Court of Appeal in Kamchatka Upheld Verdict Against Aleksey Ovchar — Long Suspended Sentence","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 10, 2025, the Birobidzhanskiy District Court gave Vladlena Kukavitsa a 6-year suspended sentence. Judge Aleksandr Kulikov deemed discussing questions about Christianity to be involving others in \u0026quot;the activity of an extremist organization.\u0026quot; Vladlena considers the verdict unjust.\nOperational-investigative measures against Kukavitsa began back in July 2022. In February 2024, A. A. Karavaev, FSB investigator for the Jewish Autonomous Region, initiated a criminal case against her for involving others in the activity of an extremist organization. At the same time, her home was searched. A month later, another investigator, Dmitriy Yankin, who had repeatedly initiated criminal cases against Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in the Jewish Autonomous Region, initiated a second case against her, this time for participating in extremist activity. Then both cases were combined into one. Six months later, Vladlena was placed under a recognizance agreement. The prosecutor requested a 7-year suspended sentence for her.\nThe charge in this case was based on the testimony of a woman named Valeria Suvorova, with whom Vladlena discussed Bible topics. In court, the believer noted that this was instigated by the law enforcement agencies and said: \u0026quot;Valeria Suvorova asked me to continue discussing religious topics with her, pretending that she was interested, that she needed God\u0026#39;s comfort and hope for the wonderful future God promises. When I learned that this girl had difficult life circumstances, I sincerely wanted to help her.\u0026quot;\nVladlena Kukavitsa works at an ambulance station and has the reputation of being a conscientious worker and a peace-loving person. Her reference from her place of work says that she is polite, non-confrontational, maintains friendly relations with colleagues and has never spoken offensively about other people.\nIn court, the believer defended herself, and since the hearings were held behind closed doors, none of her relatives could attend the court hearings. Nevertheless, many came to support her at the courthouse. She said what helped her: \u0026quot;While I was in the courtroom, I was very supported and strengthened by the thought that my friends were now waiting for me and soon I would see them and be able to hug them.\u0026quot;\nAt the time of the sentencing of Vladlena Kukavitsa, 26 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses had already been prosecuted in the Jewish Autonomous Region. Half of them are women, all of whom have been given suspended sentences ranging from 2 to 4.5 years.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-04-10T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/04/151441/image_hu_a2ed8fa69cc4d168.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/04/151441/image_hu_f5d4a9e585bed2d0.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/04/151441/image_hu_2e6d40ff37d77432.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/04/151441/image_hu_f85d1b7a8e26d775.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/04/151441.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":"Vladlena Kukavitsa Given 6-Year Suspended Sentence for Talking About God","tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-1.1","282.2-2"],"title":"One More Guilty Verdict in the Jewish Autonomous Region.","type":"news"},{"body":"Kamchatka Regional Court (Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, 52 Leninskaya Street). Start: 14:00.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Chechulins in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy","date":"2025-04-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petropavlovsk-kamchatskiy2/index.html#20250408","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["2-appeal","suspended","282.2-1","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On April 8, 2025, the Kamchatka Territory Court upheld the decision of the court of first instance against Yelena and Sergey Chechulin — a 6-year suspended sentence for organizing the activity of an extremist organization. This is how the court classified discussing the Bible with friends.\nThe court issued the first guilty verdict under the article on participating in the activity of a liquidated legal entity. The believers were given a 2-year suspended sentence. The prosecutor\u0026#39;s office sought to apply a more serious article, but the court of appeal did not toughen the sentence. However, the court of cassation returned the case for reconsideration to the court of first instance, which tripled the sentence, and the second court of appeal upheld this decision.\nThe Chechulins still consider themselves innocent of extremism. Sergey voiced his position in court as follows: \u0026quot;Neither I nor my wife want to harm the state or people.\u0026quot;\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-04-08T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/04/081347/image_hu_870cdede9e9904cf.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/04/081347/image_hu_692f199c4ea1cf05.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/04/081347/image_hu_bb9aa7349270c700.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/04/081347/image_hu_f3b7046e3a9621e1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/04/081347.html","regions":["kamchatka"],"subtitle":"They Were Given Long Suspended Sentences","tags":["2-appeal","suspended","282.2-1","families"],"title":"Court of Appeal in Kamchatka Again Upheld Verdict Against Jehovah's Witness Couple.","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_3901784ab0e55c7c.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/03/250916/image_hu_ec2631b28ae7e261.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/03/250916/image_hu_dc26f0c87c6700c8.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/03/250916/image_hu_bd479b4b5a11caad.webp"},"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 24, 2025, Mariya Manaeva, judge of the Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk City Court, gave Olga Kalinnikova and Larisa Potapova, residents of Iturup Island, a 2.5-year suspended sentence. To participate in the court hearings, they had to fly to Sakhalin, each time covering a distance of 450 kilometers.\nIn her final statement, Olga Kalinnikova said: \u0026quot;Laws are created to protect society from criminal actions. The law on extremism stipulates punishment for specific actions of an extremist nature. The list of these actions does not include peaceful conversations with people about God. On the contrary, such conversations are protected by the State and the Constitution.\u0026quot;\nLarisa Potapova also pleaded not guilty to extremism, stating: \u0026quot;The most harmless people were labeled extremists. This is very strange, because Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses do not take up arms, they are opposed to any form of cruelty.\u0026quot;\nThe criminal case was initiated in October 2023, a month later the homes of the women were searched. As it turned out, they had come to the attention of the law enforcement officers a few years earlier. Olga said that since 2017, six rulings have been issued to not initiate a criminal case against her. Initially, investigator Kirill Deshko initiated a case against Kalinnikova and Potapova \"for participating in the activity of an extremist organization,\" and six months later extended the charge to include the article against involving others in this activity.\nAccording to the lawyer of the believers, the main witness in the case was an elderly woman, with whom Kalinnikova and Potapova talked about the Bible and whom they selflessly helped in everyday matters. With the woman\u0026#39;s permission, the officers conducted hidden video filming in her house. Potapova commented on these actions as follows: \u0026quot;I have no grudge against [the witness — Ed.]. It is so strange for someone to say that she was afraid of me and didn't want me to visit her, when a photo in the case materials shows us hugging and smiling. And it is all the more surprising that she repeatedly came to my house herself.\u0026quot;\nThe case went to the Kurilsk District Court in May 2024, but two judges recused themselves one after the other. As a result, the case was sent to the Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk City Court for consideration. Due to the long distance, the believers motioned to participate in the hearings via videoconferencing but were refused. The state prosecutor requested a 5.5-year suspended sentence for them.\nA total of 10 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have faced criminal prosecution in the Sakhalin Region. One of them has been sentenced by the court to 6 years in a penal colony.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-03-24T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/03/251349/image_hu_702f97deb18f9d0b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/03/251349/image_hu_5cd7128832871395.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/03/251349/image_hu_c8ef2f7e34f26677.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/03/251349/image_hu_5c0a40bd3d5a86e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/03/251349.html","regions":["sakhalin"],"subtitle":"Court Deemed Conversations About the Bible to Be Extremism","tags":["sentence","282.2-2","282.2-1.1","suspended"],"title":"Two Residents of the Kuril Islands Were Given Suspended Sentences.","type":"news"},{"body":"Judge Andrey Zaloshkov granted Sergey Logunov's petition for the early cancellation of the suspended sentence and the removal of the conviction, since the believer had served half of the probationary period.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kochnev and Others in Orenburg","date":"2025-03-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orenburg/index.html#20250305","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["suspended","clearing"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On February 26, 2025, Aleksandr Kotkov, judge of the Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy City Court, declared Aleksey Ovchar\u0026#39;s peaceful religious activity \u0026quot;a crime against the constitutional order of the state\u0026quot; and gave him a long suspended sentence.\nAleksey Ovchar faced criminal prosecution in 2022 at the same time as his fellow believers, Sergey and Yelena Chechulin. The believer was added to the Rosfinmonitoring list of extremists and his bank accounts were blocked. Later, Aleksey\u0026#39;s case was made into a separate proceeding. In October 2024, the Investigative Committee began investigating, and a month later the case went to court.\nA significant part of the evidence obtained during the investigation did not concern Ovchar directly. The charge was based on 12 recordings of conversations between believers, during most of which Aleksey was not present. Also, as the believer noted, the expert conclusion in the case was conducted with numerous violations. Despite this, the prosecutor requested 6.5 years in a penal colony for Aleksey.\nAt one of the court hearings, Ovchar said: \u0026quot;I believe that the investigation is misled and mistakenly claims that peacefully practicing my religion is continuing the activity of an extremist organization. [...] I had every right to discuss the Bible and socialise with my fellow believers.\u0026quot;\nIn total, 11 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses are being prosecuted in the Kamchatka Territory. Eight of them have been convicted.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-02-26T16:08:19+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/02/261608/image_hu_5171b8fb6922e54e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/02/261608/image_hu_a67eba1e11e651b7.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/02/261608/image_hu_a27213156889749d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/02/261608/image_hu_26ca56c911288257.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/02/261608.html","regions":["kamchatka"],"subtitle":"Believer, 45, Given 6-Year Suspended Sentence","tags":["sentence","282.2-1","suspended"],"title":"Another Guilty Verdict Against One of Jehovah's Witnesses in Kamchatka.","type":"news"},{"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_8837bffa5e66bebd.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/02/251517/image_hu_9114f0455e7da91c.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/02/251517/image_hu_8e40446b24ebf024.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/02/251517/image_hu_45310bcaa4b39f9e.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 19, 2025, 10 months after the first verdict, the Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy City Court issued a new decision in the case of Sergey and Yelena Chechulin. They were found guilty of organizing extremist activity and their suspended sentence was tripled: instead of 2 years, they were given 6 years each.\nIn court, Sergey stressed that the prosecutor considered simple friendly conversations with fellow believers and meetings for worship, at which they talked about Jesus Christ and love for people, to be extremist activity. \u0026quot;Here there is no extremism,\u0026quot; Chechulin commented on the charge. \u0026quot;We cannot help but love people, because we love God. Neither I nor my wife have ever allowed and will never allow ourselves to make any extremist statements.\u0026quot; Yelena Chechulina also rejected the accusations of extremism: \u0026quot;All my actions were absolutely peaceful. I did not incite religious hatred or enmity, which is confirmed by the conclusions of all seven linguistic expert studies.\u0026quot;\nIt was the prosecutor\u0026#39;s office who sought a retrial of the Chechulins\u0026#39; case: the state prosecution considered the initial verdict inappropriate and initiated its reconsideration through the court of cassation. As a result, Judge Olga Obraztsova began a new trial in the court of first instance in December 2024.\nRussian law enforcement agencies often initiate criminal cases against multiple members of families of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. As of 2024, the number of families where more than one person has been prosecuted for their faith has exceeded 80.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-02-19T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/02/201322/image_hu_3ebb71af7711d9dd.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/02/201322/image_hu_636ff4628e08ab3a.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/02/201322/image_hu_d7680d236c8a3494.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/02/201322/image_hu_d69e39f31377e1be.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/02/201322.html","regions":["kamchatka"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","retrial","282.2-1","suspended","families"],"title":"Court in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy Again Found Married Couple of Jehovah's Witnesses Guilty of Extremism and Toughened Their Punishment","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_6a006061cbbf592e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/02/201117/image_hu_4957626383f5412a.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/02/201117/image_hu_a7ee233fc383f6e4.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/02/201117/image_hu_ac5d3277abc3340b.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 3, 2025, the Pervorechenskiy District Court sentenced Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses from Vladivostok to various terms, even up to 7 years imprisonment. Judge Galina Vasilkevich deemed peaceful religious activity to be extremism. Previously the husband of one of the defendants, Dmitriy Barmakin, was sentenced to 8 years in a penal colony on similar charges.\nIgor Lonchakov was sentenced to 7 years imprisonment, Yuriy Redozubov — to 6.5 years. The women were given suspended sentences: Yekaterina Treguba and Lyudviga Katanaeva — 3 years and 4 months each with a 3-year probation period; Yelena Barmakina, Yelena Tsorn and 65-year-old Nina Astvatsaturova — 3 years each with a 3-year probation period.\nThis case is one of the longest in the history of prosecuting Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in modern Russia. Back in the fall of 2017, undercover FSB agent, Yekaterina Petrova, began secretly recording meetings for worship. Yelena Barmakina was the first to be prosecuted. Later, her case was combined with cases against nine of her fellow believers.\nThe Investigative Committee charged Yuriy Redozubov and Igor Lonchakov with organizing the activity of an extremist organization, and Yelena Barmakina, Yelena Tsorn, Nina Astvatsaturova, Lyudviga Katanaeva, Yekaterina Treguba, Alibek Kartayganov and the couple Roman and Violetta Verigin with participating in its activity. In 2023, the consideration of the case against Kartayganov and the Verigins was paused.\nYelena Barmakina twice defended her right to freedom of religion in court. In 2020, the court returned her case to the prosecutor, and in 2022 she was brought to trial again along with the other believers. Speaking during the closing arguments, she said: \u0026quot;A new charge has been brought against me, but in fact its plot and description of the criminal act imputed to me have not changed. I am charged with all the same actions as before: reading and discussing texts from the Bible... participating in singing religious songs, praying and watching videos of talks.\u0026quot; Nina Astvatsaturova commented on the charges: \u0026quot;During these meetings, there were no extremist calls for illegal actions against anyone.\u0026quot;\nSimultaneously with the case of Yelena and her fellow believers, the Pervorechenskiy District Court considered the case of her husband, Dmitriy Barmakin, who was initially acquitted, but later sent to a penal colony. He is serving his sentence in the Samara Region, 7,500 kilometers from Vladivostok.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-02-03T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/02/051048/image_hu_c87337877e1a7d93.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/02/051048/image_hu_2b5c12fa1c6fef1a.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/02/051048/image_hu_41e56ff3dcba768b.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/02/051048/image_hu_3ab868d891173c13.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/02/051048.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":"Two Men Received Prison Terms","tags":["sentence","282.2-1","282.2-2","liberty-deprivation","suspended","families"],"title":"Court in Vladivostok Passed Verdict in Case of Seven of Jehovah's Witnesses.","type":"news"},{"body":"On January 28, 2025, Maksim Ivanishko,judge of the Fokino City Court of the Primorye Territory, issued a decision in the case of Aleksander Sazhin. He gave him a 3-year suspended sentence for reading the Bible with fellow believers, deeming it participating in the activity of an extremist organization.\nDuring the closing arguments, Sazhin emphasized: \u0026quot;I am a Christian. My religious views are based on the Bible. They are expressed in two basic commandments: love God and love people. Therefore, my views are the complete opposite to what is called extremism.\u0026quot;\nThe believer faced criminal prosecution from April 2023. Then investigator A.S. Belashko initiated a case against him under Article 282.2(2) of the RF CrC, and 2 days later Aleksandr\u0026#39;s house was searched. He was detained, interrogated in the FSB department, and then released under a recognizance agreement. The investigation lasted a year, after which the trial began in April 2024.\nBecause of the prosecution, Sazhin had to quit his job; his cards and accounts were blocked. The searches also affected the health of his wife.\nThe charge against the believer was based mainly on the testimony of a witness, who feigned an interest in the Bible and was in close contact with Sazhin. Since fall 2022, he was secretly recording meetings for worship. According to the defendant, the man\u0026#39;s testimony only shows that Sazhin discussed the Bible with him and invited him to several meetings. The indictment states: \u0026quot;There is no information about any victims or the nature and extent of the harm caused... by the crime.\u0026quot; Nevertheless, the prosecutor requested 3 years imprisonment for the believer.\nIn the Primorye Territory, 58 people have already been prosecuted for their faith, 8 of them have been sentenced to a penal colony for terms ranging from 2 to 8 years.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-01-28T16:29:34+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/01/281629/image_hu_21d4bad93fbf572d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/01/281629/image_hu_7559fe0b7cc552b6.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/01/281629/image_hu_ce1b11389c3a7506.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/01/281629/image_hu_a8f3ba5c1b4580f0.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/01/281629.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":"Aleksandr Sazhin Given a 3-Year Suspended Sentence for His Faith in Jehovah God","tags":["sentence","282.2-2","suspended"],"title":"Yet Another Guilty Verdict in Primorye Territory.","type":"news"},{"body":"On January 24, 2025, a panel of judges of the Sakhalin Regional Court considered the case of Roman Gumenyuk and did not change the decision of the court of first instance. Earlier, the court gave the believer a 5-year suspended sentence. He maintains his innocence and has the right to appeal this decision in cassation proceedings.\nIn his appeal, Gumenyuk noted that participating in meetings for worship and conversations on Bible topics with other people is not a crime, but a form of expressing faith that is not prohibited by law. In his final statement, the defendant said: \u0026quot;I have not committed any crime, and especially the one I am charged with. I lead an honest life. My friends and acquaintances know me as a peace-loving person who is incapable of illegal actions that would harm anyone.\u0026quot;\nRoman Gumenyuk became the sixth Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witness in the Sakhalin Region convicted for his religion.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-01-24T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/01/290933/image_hu_935e8acc631c9794.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/01/290933/image_hu_31d0e20319e437cd.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/01/290933/image_hu_e95ddbc8ce00edd8.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/01/290933/image_hu_640d1e94255404e8.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/01/290933.html","regions":["sakhalin"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","282.2-2","282.2-1.1","suspended"],"title":"Court of Appeal in Sakhalin Upheld Guilty Verdict Against Roman Gumenyuk","type":"news"},{"body":"On January 20, 2025, Galina Yevsegneyeva, judge of the Urupskiy District Court of the Karachayevo-Circassian Republic, issued a verdict in the case of Aleksey Pasynkov: 6-year suspended sentence. The court considered reading the Bible with fellow believers to be extremist activity.\nAleksey does not agree with the decision and thinks that the court has not cited a single fact proving his guilt. He noted that the panel of experts did not find any signs of extremism in the material presented for their study. Witnesses for the prosecution are either not acquainted with the defendant or testify based on hearsay.\nThe Investigative Committee for the Karachayevo-Circassian Republic initiated a criminal case against Aleksey Pasynkov in December 2022, but the prosecution of the believer\u0026#39;s family began a year earlier, after the first search. Aleksey was placed under a recognizance agreement, and almost a year later his case went to court.\nInvestigator A. A. Ionov charged him with organizing the activity of an extremist organization. Aleksey said: \u0026quot;In the charges, religious lectures, discussing religious topics, meetings for worship, discussing the Holy Scriptures, maintaining contact with fellow believers are listed as illegal actions imputed to me.\u0026quot; He noted that all these actions are not prohibited by law.\nThe life of the Pasynkovs was not easy anyway. \u0026quot;Our son has a disability, and he needs constant care, as he does not have the ability to care for himself,\u0026quot; said Aleksey at the trial. \u0026quot;And this takes a lot of energy from us.\u0026quot;\nThe prosecution for his faith affected not only Aleksey, but also all his close relatives: law enforcement officers also initiated criminal cases against his wife and mother, and the homes of his brothers were searched.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-01-20T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/01/210912/image_hu_2fa3fdf302a3c8e5.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/01/210912/image_hu_c215e3b7ee15446f.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/01/210912/image_hu_5dead93c8ab0e06d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/01/210912/image_hu_53b87a4b7fe6bc03.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/01/210912.html","regions":["karachaevo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-1","families"],"title":"Father of Child with Disability Given Suspended Sentence for his Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"On January 20, 2025, the verdict against Rimma Popova, a resident of Cherkessk, was announced — 4.5-year suspended sentence. Judge Din-Islam Chotchaev equated talking about God and reading the Bible to extremism. \u0026quot;I suffered a heart attack because of the stress,\u0026quot; the defendant said.\nThe believer faced criminal prosecution in June 2023, when her house was searched. Three months later, the Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against her. Rimma was interrogated and detained, and then the court placed her under house arrest for 2 months. Due to severe stress, she was hospitalized, and after being discharged, an electronic bracelet was put on her leg to track her whereabouts.\nIn April 2024, Popova\u0026#39;s case was sent to the Cherkessk City Court. The charge was based on the testimony of a woman with whom Rimma discussed the Bible. The believer commented on this as follows: \u0026quot;Was there anything extremist in our conversation with Miroshnik about marriage, during which we talked about how to strengthen it, how to treat each other: it is important for a wife to be assured of love, and for a husband to be respected? That\u0026#39;s what's written in the Bible.\u0026quot;\nChallenging the charge that she \u0026quot;continued to promote the superiority of followers of the religious teachings of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses,\u0026quot; Popova noted: \u0026quot;It is strange that the prosecution did not cite a single quote from the notepads, notebooks and notes seized from me, which allegedly contained such propaganda.\u0026quot; The prosecutor requested 4.5 years in a penal colony as punishment for her.\nBack in 2022, Emily Baran, PhD, an expert on Russia and church-state relations, noted: \u0026quot;Russia continues to treat this religious community [of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses] as dangerous extremists, despite the complete lack of evidence to support this claim.\u0026quot; By 2024, 11 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, including 7 women, had already suffered for their faith in the Karachayevo-Circassian Republic.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-01-20T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/01/211537/image_hu_e7ea28ba748a0393.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/01/211537/image_hu_43c58af407037b28.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/01/211537/image_hu_cb13224de6744608.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/01/211537/image_hu_ed35a31e96914ff3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/01/211537.html","regions":["karachaevo"],"subtitle":"Woman, 56, Given Suspended Sentence for her Faith","tags":["sentence","282.2-1.1","282.2-2","suspended"],"title":"In the Karachayevo-Circassian Republic, the Fifth Verdict Against One of Jehovah's Witnesses Was Announced.","type":"news"},{"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_93882afcf145268e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/01/210938/image_hu_f8a63499bc468d41.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/01/210938/image_hu_6f0124ce655d8e4f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/01/210938/image_hu_cf1056a6c1de5f3f.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":"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_eeba8df35a7a2418.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/12/271510/image_hu_2b83dfac0ae1fb8d.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/12/271510/image_hu_6bdf0d48fcbb5035.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/12/271510/image_hu_5b455062defa0053.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":"On December 11, 2024, the Biysk City Court gave Sergey Lukin a 4.5-year suspended sentence. The believer does not admit guilt and, as a Christian, considers it his inherent right to talk to friends and other people about the Bible. \u0026quot;What\u0026#39;s extremist about wanting to follow Jesus\u0026#39; example?\u0026quot; he asked in court.\nThe Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against Lukin in December 2022. The following month, the homes of four families of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses from Biysk were searched, including Sergey\u0026#39;s apartment and place of work. The law enforcement officers who took part in the investigative actions were armed. After his interrogation, Lukin was placed under a recognizance agreement.\nThe criminal case involved a man who pretended to be interested in the Bible: he secretly recorded conversations with Lukin on Bible topics and later handed over the recordings to the law enforcement agencies. The investigation considered these conversations to be involving others in the activity of an extremist organization, and participating in peaceful meetings for worship as continuing its activity.\nIn his final statement, Lukin drew an analogy between his situation and the repressions during World War II. He quoted a report on a group of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Nazi Germany: \u0026quot;... the accused, who for several years have called themselves \u0026quot;Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses,\u0026quot; held meetings in their apartments, read and distributed printed materials of the banned [organization] ... gathered together to listen to the Bible Students\u0026#39; radio broadcasts from abroad.\u0026quot; The believer noted that the accusations are identical to modern ones. \u0026quot;Hasn\u0026#39;t history shown that such persecution is a path to terrible consequences?\u0026quot; he said.\nNine Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have already been charged with extremism in the Altai Territory, two of them are serving sentences in penal colonies for their faith.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-12-11T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/12/120929/image_hu_c5c5644028b5a8c5.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/12/120929/image_hu_1523efd1b10680ec.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/12/120929/image_hu_efdbbe2b186c6e4a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/12/120929/image_hu_8df50b28135b57e3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/12/120929.html","regions":["altaisky"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-2","282.2-1.1"],"title":"In Biysk, One of Jehovah's Witnesses Given Suspended Sentence for His Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 19, 2024, Marina Zelenina, judge of the Korsakov City Court, gave Roman Gumenyuk, 42, a 5-year suspended sentence. The court considered participating in peaceful worship and conversations about God with other people to be participating in the activity of an extremist organization and involving others in it.\nAs additional punishment, the court sentenced the believer to restriction of freedom for 2 years with a 3-year probation period. The verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed.\nRoman Gumenyuk is a third-generation Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witness. In Soviet times, his father was sentenced to 3 years in prison for his religious beliefs but was later rehabilitated as a victim of political repression.\nNow Roman is also facing criminal prosecution. It all started in July 2023, when Major of Justice E. V. Maksimov initiated a criminal case against him under Article 282.2(2) of the RF CrC. Later, law enforcement officers searched his house and his car. The investigation lasted a year, and in June 2024, the case went to court. In his closing arguments the prosecutor requested 5 years in a penal colony for the defendant. During the court hearing, Roman tried to express his view of the charges, but the judge interrupted his statement. The court found the believer guilty of extremism in seven sessions.\nThe believer maintains his innocence. In his final statement, he expressed his feelings as follows: \u0026quot;For me, believing in and worshiping Jehovah God is like breathing. Law enforcement agencies, represented by investigators, FSB officers, the prosecutor and others, are trying, figuratively speaking, to cut off my oxygen... by making me renounce my best friend, God whose name is Jehovah.\u0026quot;\nIn the Sakhalin Region, already 10 people are being prosecuted for their faith in Jehovah God. Back in June 2018, the Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights commented on the situation surrounding Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Russia: \u0026quot;The charges brought against believers in all cases are based on the allegation that a group of believers held a meeting for worship. [...] This cannot but cause concern, since criminal prosecutions and arrests have become systemic. The situation is reminiscent of the Soviet period, when \u0026quot;Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses\u0026quot; were subjected to groundless repression on the basis of religion, as a result of which the RF law dated October 18, 1991, No. 1761-1, on the rehabilitation of victims of political repression, was extended to them.\u0026quot;\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-11-19T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/11/200830/image_hu_36d1b0ea6fb6e585.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/11/200830/image_hu_841638213077094.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/11/200830/image_hu_9e328065f299a207.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/11/200830/image_hu_b6b772f80e2ce67e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/11/200830.html","regions":["sakhalin"],"subtitle":"He Maintains His Innocence","tags":["sentence","282.2-2","282.2-1.1","suspended","presidential-council"],"title":"Roman Gumenyuk, Son of One of Jehovah's Witnesses Convicted in Soviet Times and Later Rehabilitated, Received a 5-Year Suspended Sentence for His Faith.","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_e967fb210217f3d6.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/11/040950/image_hu_58fc69baa644cede.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/11/040950/image_hu_4f8428545df8494b.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/11/040950/image_hu_9be6a83c4902b95e.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":"On October 25, 2024, Oksana Nazarova, judge of the Pervomayskiy District Court of Izhevsk, gave Yevgeniy Stefanidin and Aleksandr Votyakov to 6 and 6.5 years suspended sentences, respectively. The court equated reading the Bible with fellow believers to organizing the activity of an extremist organization.\nThe prosecutor requested imprisonment in a penal colony for Votyakov, 50, and Stefanidin, 35, followed by 1.5 years restriction of freedom for each. The believers maintain their innocence and can appeal.\nThe criminal case was initiated against them in December 2022, by Artem Kholmogorov, senior investigator of the Investigative Committee. At that time, searches were conducted in the homes of the families of the believers (it was the second time for the Stefanidins). The investigation lasted about 8 months. The case went to court in August 2023. During the hearings, many witnesses were questioned, including a secret one. They either spoke positively about the defendants or said they hardly knew them. Some witnesses stated that they were pressured and threatened during the preliminary interrogation, so they retracted their statements during the trial and gave new ones in court.\nDue to the stress he experienced, Stefanidin\u0026#39;s health deteriorated, and in the fall of 2022, he was diagnosed with a disability. In his final statement, Votyakov asked the judge to take into consideration his friend\u0026#39;s condition and added, \u0026quot;He is raising a young daughter who loves her father very much and needs his tender care. Do not separate the family because of a ridiculous and baseless accusation.\u0026quot; Regarding the accusation against him, he noted, \u0026quot;The \u0026#39;evidence\u0026#39; gathered against me is that I was and am a Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witness... met with fellow believers, discussed the Bible and sang songs of praise to Almighty God Jehovah.\u0026quot; Yevgeniy Stefanidin said in his final statement, \u0026quot;The recordings and transcripts show that these were peaceful meetings for worship among friends and close people in a loving friendly atmosphere. There were no extremist statements, not even close.\u0026quot;\nThree weeks earlier, by the decision of the Supreme Court of Udmurtia, the sentence of three other Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses from Izhevsk entered into force. The international community regularly condemns the restriction of freedom of religion in Russia. According to the ECHR, \u0026quot;That broad definition of \u0026#39;extremism\u0026#39;... prevented individuals or organizations from being able to anticipate that their conduct, however peaceful and devoid of hatred or animosity it was, could be categorised as \u0026#39;extremist\u0026#39; and censured with restrictive measures.\u0026quot; (§ 158)\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-10-25T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/10/280833/image_hu_63a408e03ec9ee29.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/10/280833/image_hu_e446027c2cd1f301.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/10/280833/image_hu_e07ccbb993c23d1d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/10/280833/image_hu_7591605630ff3bf6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/10/280833.html","regions":["udmurtia"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","282.2-1","disability","suspended"],"title":"Court in Izhevsk Gave Two Men Long Suspended Sentences for Practicing The Religion of Jehovah’s Witnesses","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_b62de93596e6970.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/10/160849/image_hu_a75355bcac9d9be9.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/10/160849/image_hu_c318ac947cd10e94.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/10/160849/image_hu_70c3d7d9939d5038.webp"},"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":"As a result of the appeal hearing on October 3, 2024, in the Crimea Supreme Court, Yuriy Gerashchenko and Sergey Parfenovich, father of many children, were given prison terms and arrested in the court room. The panel of judges, chaired by Natalya Grebennikova, supported the position of the prosecutor\u0026#39;s office, which considered the punishment imposed on the believers as insufficient.\nThe believers do not consider themselves guilty of organizing the activity of an extremist organization; in their appeals, they asked to be acquitted. Commenting on the decision of the district court, Yuriy Gerashchenko\u0026#39;s lawyer noted: \u0026quot;From... the evidence in the case nothing can be concluded other than Gerashchenko belongs to the religion of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, which is not prohibited in the Russian Federation, as well as that he was periodically present at meetings of a religious group of followers of this religion, among many others of its followers.\u0026quot; Parfenovich\u0026#39;s lawyer stated that his client also acted inline with the law on freedom of religion.\nAnother nine of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses from Crimea have been sentenced to 6 or more years in a penal colony for their beliefs. The European Court of Human Rights has repeatedly called for an end to the prosecution of believers.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-10-03T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/10/070940/image_hu_4f93f65742815f99.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/10/070940/image_hu_9a44a29e7b68097f.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/10/070940/image_hu_45ba8d2a632377ff.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/10/070940/image_hu_98b75603b06a80a2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/10/070940.html","regions":["crimea"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","282.2-1","suspended"],"title":"Instead of a Suspended Sentence – 6 Years in a Penal Colony: Court of Appeal in Crimea Toughened 'Too Lenient' Sentence for Two Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"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_901e5241a8049285.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/09/191323/image_hu_7bc0fed43d30799a.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/09/191323/image_hu_ff64e0b57c260b53.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/09/191323/image_hu_6c9e72cd790f7bc7.webp"},"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":"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_cad0c2fff9931403.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/08/231120/image_hu_4f7a468c0bdf9e59.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/08/231120/image_hu_546978d5205ea43c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/08/231120/image_hu_fb0771994ab4fcad.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":"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_e7f3c3fc9ccd16c5.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/08/271443/image_hu_5910d6b8a22925e2.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/08/271443/image_hu_34db0058c5d0557d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/08/271443/image_hu_6d6a50dc2d73a666.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":"On August 20, 2024, an appeal in the Amur Regional Court left the verdict unchanged in the case against Yevgeniy Sokolov in Zeya. The believer could not attend the court hearing in person, so he took part in it via video conferencing.\nAddressing the panel in the court of appeal, Yevgeniy stated that Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses are citizens who respect the authorities, observe the laws of their country, pay taxes and do not participate in protests. He noted: \u0026quot;We don\u0026#39;t just pretend to be law-abiding people... We truly serve God, and our words are not at variance with our deeds.\u0026quot;\nThe believer was criminally charged for \u0026quot;preparing and conducting religious meetings.\u0026quot; In this regard, he reminded the court that the right to practice the religion of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses is guaranteed by the Constitution of the Russian Federation. Yevgeniy said: \u0026quot;If I stopped preaching and meetings with others, then I would be breaking God\u0026#39;s own law. And in this instance there really will be no excuse for me.\u0026quot;\nYevgeniy Sokolov is being prosecuted simultaneously in two criminal cases. A second case on similar charges is being heard in a court in Voronezh.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-08-20T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/08/241233/image_hu_817c9181b92de5fd.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/08/241233/image_hu_b94b4b11350ac3e0.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/08/241233/image_hu_589f69f48b524142.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/08/241233/image_hu_1ae49af26e903d6d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/08/241233.html","regions":["amur"],"subtitle":"The Sentence Remained Unchanged - Three Years Suspended","tags":["appeal","282.2-1","282.2-2","suspended"],"title":"The Verdict in One of the Two Cases Against Yevgeniy Sokolov Has Entered into Force.","type":"news"},{"body":"A guilty verdict was passed: 2 years and 6 months of suspended imprisonment.\n","caseTitle":"Glazov's case in Yaroslavl","date":"2024-08-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavl3/index.html#20240819","regions":["yaroslavl"],"tags":["282.2-2","sentence","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On July 30, 2024, the Nikolayevsk-on-Amur City Court found Igor Kletkin, Nikolay Kononenko, Vladislav Markov, and Nadezhda Korobochko guilty of extremism for reading the Bible together. Judge Roman Zhukov gave the believers suspended sentences. The decision has not entered into force.\nIgor Kletkin and Nikolay Kononenko received a 6-year suspended sentence with a period of probation of 4 years, Nadezhda Korobochko — 5 years and 3 years of probation. The court made the case of Vladislav Markov into a separate proceeding.\n\u0026quot;The charge against me is based on an erroneous interpretation and application of the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation dated April 20, 2017 and on erroneous expert study conclusions,\u0026quot; Nikolay Kononenko said at one of the court hearings.\nThe case of 81-year-old Nadezhda Korobochko is based on an audio recording of just one meeting for worship, at which she spoke briefly on spiritual topics. The elderly believer noted: \u0026quot;The prosecution was interested only in the formal aspect — that the believers gathered to discuss teachings. However, neither the investigator nor the prosecutor even tried to get to the bottom of what these meetings were about. If they had, they would have understood that I had not committed any unlawful actions.\u0026quot;\nShe related what she had to go through during the criminal prosecution: \u0026quot;The search was the most difficult for me, because at that time I was sick, I had high blood pressure — a hypertensive crisis.\u0026quot; The recognizance agreement also created additional difficulties for Nadezhda, since she could not go to the regional hospital in Khabarovsk to have a pacemaker fitted.\nThe four believers noted that relatives, friends and fellow believers help them maintain a positive attitude by sending them cards and loving messages. Despite the verdict, the believers do not lose heart. \u0026quot;I am greatly strengthened by the example of our brothers and sisters. Everyone has a positive impact on me,\u0026quot; said Igor Kletkin.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-07-30T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/07/311437/image_hu_6c327c70ed7f6b96.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/07/311437/image_hu_9f19acba94423283.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/07/311437/image_hu_80d104321ba8f2f8.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/07/311437/image_hu_dd3fe067ad9e42ae.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/07/311437.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["282.2-1.1","282.2-2","sentence","suspended"],"title":"In Nikolayevsk-on-Amur, an 81-Year-Old Woman and Fellow Believers Sentenced to Suspended Terms for Discussing the Bible","type":"news"},{"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_be12bbe706363288.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/07/191653/image_hu_7dc732362bd826a6.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/07/191653/image_hu_91d4e12ace84f191.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/07/191653/image_hu_52d16a0f7e3f61c.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":"After a year and three months of legal proceedings, Valeriy Rabota, 62, received a suspended sentence. On June 10, 2024, Maria Luzhbina, judge of the Khabarovsk District Court, equated participating in peaceful meetings for worship to extremism.\nThe Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against the believer in the spring of 2022. During this time, he spent 2 days in a temporary detention facility, 116 days in a pretrial detention center and 100 days under house arrest. During the months spent in detention, Valeriy\u0026#39;s chronic illnesses worsened. Later, while under house arrest, he suffered a stroke. The case went to court in March 2023. Eight months later, at the final stage of the trial, Judge Angelina Sviderskaya recused herself and the hearings started over.\nValeriy Rabota was charged with participating in the activity of an extremist organization and involving others in it. However, the linguistic expert study indicates that the believer did not encourage extremist actions, but only \u0026quot;the reading and studying the material under discussion.\u0026quot; This point was emphasized by the lawyer: \u0026quot;My client is being tried solely for the ways he expresses his faith... Actions related to participation in religious meetings for worship with fellow believers and the dissemination of one\u0026#39;s beliefs are based not only on the RF Constitution, but also on the Bible \u0026ndash; the source of moral norms and natural law.\u0026quot;\nFSB officer Stanislav Martyn, who feigned an interest in the Bible to collect information about believers, during interrogation denied that Rabota had persuaded him to join the activity of any organization. The witnesses for the prosecution spoke positively about Valeriy. One of the interrogated, an FSB officer associated with the believer\u0026#39;s case, stated that he \u0026quot;did not witness any crime on Valeriy\u0026#39;s part.\u0026quot; Some of the interrogated persons spoke of falsifications in their written testimonies and pressure from the investigation. The defense pointed out violations of the law by experts, for example, religious scholar M.B. Serdyuk assessed the actions of the believer from a legal point of view, going beyond the limits of her authority.\nIn the Khabarovsk Territory, authorities initiated 19 criminal cases against 41 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. One of the believers died under investigation, and courts have already passed sentences on 20 people.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-07-10T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/07/101453/image_hu_3a38943526bd1733.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/07/101453/image_hu_807a53dce7aec5f1.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/07/101453/image_hu_1ebcb8e3501af3ea.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/07/101453/image_hu_f9a0ea2796d6ccdc.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/07/101453.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","282.2-1.1","282.2-2","suspended"],"title":"After a Retrial of the Case, the Court in Knyaze-Volkonskoye Sentences One of Jehovah's Witnesses Valeriy Rabota to 6 Years Suspended for Talking About the Bible","type":"news"},{"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_61266ab4caf78809.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/07/090943/image_hu_89b777f35dc5e711.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/07/090943/image_hu_8f608a2632ac8217.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/07/090943/image_hu_cd0f3d6fbcd095fa.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":"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_232065f1971ca888.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/07/311346/image_hu_c60567085afa1c3d.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/07/311346/image_hu_3edb90aedcc107c9.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/07/311346/image_hu_cb429dd3ed46730b.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":"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_d0e6c538def3ec35.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/07/021538/image_hu_8bfac39c79f9d84.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/07/021538/image_hu_791c8cda9543df41.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/07/021538/image_hu_fe140701a0979320.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":"On July 1, 2024, Judge Valentin Shchukalskiy of the Krasnogvardeysky District Court of the Republic of Crimea convicted two Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, Yuriy Gerashchenko and Sergey Parfenovich. The court gave them a 6-year suspended sentence with a probation period of 4 years.\nThe story of the prosecution of Gerashchenko and Parfenovich began back in 2022. In September, V.A. Novikov, investigator of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Republic of Crimea, initiated a criminal case against Sergey Parfenovich under the article on organizing the activity of an extremist organization. A few days later, a 6-hour search took place in Sergey\u0026#39;s house. At the time, his minor daughter and his elderly disabled father, were in the house. Parfenovich was detained, placed in a pretrial detention center for 1.5 months, and then under house arrest. Six months later, in the same case, Yuriy Gerashchenko was charged under Article 282.2(1) of the RFCrC. He spent 269 days under house arrest and later was released under a ban on certain activities.\nIn July 2023, the case went to court. It took the judge a year to consider it. In his final statement, Sergey Parfenovich said: \u0026quot;The prosecution believes that worshiping Jehovah is extremism. I am in the dock for participating in meetings for worship. That is, in order for me to \u0026#39;repent,\u0026#39; I need to give up worshiping Jehovah. I can\u0026#39;t, and I don\u0026#39;t want to do this!\u0026quot; He asked to be cleared of all charges and the label of an extremist. Yuriy Gerashchenko also disagrees with the decision. They can appeal the verdict to a higher court.\nIn Crimea, 11 of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have already been convicted for their faith.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-07-01T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/07/031102/image_hu_851cb09b106e0ce6.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/07/031102/image_hu_167e768d2470a21c.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/07/031102/image_hu_62158c8e6054ae12.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/07/031102/image_hu_f8289b210cf310.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/07/031102.html","regions":["crimea"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["282.2-1","sentence","liberty-deprivation","suspended"],"title":"Another Guilty Verdict Against Jehovah's Witnesses in Crimea, One of the Convicted Persons Is a Father of Six","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 27, 2024, the court gave Sergey Petrenko, 45, a 4-year suspended sentence with a 3-year. Yelena Usoltseva, judge of the Mayminsky District Court, considered attending peaceful meetings for worship to be participating in the activity of an extremist organization.\nThe criminal prosecution of Petrenko began in January 2022, when his house was searched. In July of the same year, the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation initiated a criminal case against the believer, separating the materials from the case of Aleksandr Kalistratov. Sergey Petrenko was accused of participating in the activity of a banned organization (Article 282.2(2) of the RF CrC) and was placed under a recognizance agreement. In December 2022, his management asked him to quit his job because he was being prosecuted, after which it became more difficult for him to provide for his family.\nPetrenko\u0026#39;s case was considered in court for 1.5 years. During this time, the judge was changed three times. At the hearings, witnesses for the prosecution stated that their testimonies in the interrogation protocols were distorted. Petrenko himself said in his final statement that, in his opinion, he was in the dock solely because he practises the religion of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. He added: \u0026quot;People who are not Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses — my relatives, neighbors and colleagues — are perplexed that a decent and law-abiding citizen became a victim of a criminal prosecution.\u0026quot;\nThe believer can appeal the court\u0026#39;s decision.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-06-27T13:10:08+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/06/271310/image_hu_ad8b60b3412201da.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/06/271310/image_hu_673dfa827e61d71e.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/06/271310/image_hu_e8d4070fcb3e842f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/06/271310/image_hu_c57a6ac3abe131f3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/06/271310.html","regions":["altai"],"subtitle":"A Local Jehovah's Witness Sentenced in Gorno-Altaysk","tags":["sentence","282.2-2","suspended"],"title":"A 4-Year Suspended Sentence for Faith in God.","type":"news"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests a three-year suspended sentence for the believer.\n\"You have not had the opportunity to hear or read about the wonderful future of which the Bible is written. I am glad that I had the opportunity to talk about it,\" Yulia Globa makes her final statement.\nAt the same session, which lasts a total of 6.5 hours, the court convicts the believer.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Globa in Unecha","date":"2024-06-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/unecha/index.html#20240625","regions":["bryansk"],"tags":["punishment-request","final-statement","courtroom","sentence","282.2-2","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On June 25, 2024, Tatyana Postavneva, judge of the Unecha District Court of the Bryansk Region, found Yuliya Globa guilty of extremism. English teacher, 42, got a 2,5-year suspended sentence for practicing her religion.\nIn May 2023, the Investigative Committee of the Bryansk Region initiated a criminal case against the believer. The investigation considered the conversations with people about the Bible to be participating in the activity of an extremist organization. Prior to that, the home of Yuliya and her husband, Ernest, had been searched three times. After 4.5 months of investigative actions the case went to court.\nWitnesses for the prosecution gave a positive description of Yuliya\u0026#39;s character. An Orthodox priest, who also appeared in court as a witness, said he was not familiar with the accused and her activity. The expert, professor of the Department of World History and International Relations, noted that the religion of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses is not banned in Russia.\nIn her final statement, Globa said: \u0026quot;Your Honor, what do you think, can words from the Bible harm the constitutional order, a group of people, or an individual RF citizen? On the contrary, they give comfort and hope! Therefore, I do not consider myself guilty of the crime I am accused of.\u0026quot;\nEarlier in the Bryansk Region, four other fellow believers of Yuliya, including two women, were convicted on similar charges. A total of 116 women have already been convicted in Russia for belonging to that religion.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-06-25T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/06/271729/image_hu_6c21a7af5011e0.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/06/271729/image_hu_7662c655f16e8dba.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/06/271729/image_hu_425da77e284a66c0.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/06/271729/image_hu_859d64fe9822a7ac.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/06/271729.html","regions":["bryansk"],"subtitle":"Yuliya Globa From Unecha Got a 2.5-Year Suspended Sentence","tags":["282.2-2","sentence","suspended"],"title":"Yet Another Resident of the Bryansk Region Was Convicted for Her Faith.","type":"news"},{"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_b5140fb9c01dd2db.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/06/241147/image_hu_66a285af63493f0f.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/06/241147/image_hu_cf8c3a0c95b29b68.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/06/241147/image_hu_cf6c697310fee25.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":"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_4ef0259f65ca4e10.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/06/270954/image_hu_7d5f08cb2f228505.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/06/270954/image_hu_f3fd1113f6aae0e.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/06/270954/image_hu_d2ab455a3430265.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":"On June 11, 2024, the sentence for Yelena Chernykh, one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses from Prokopyevsk, entered into the legal force. The panel of judges of the Kemerovo Regional Court agreed with the 3-year suspended sentence imposed on her but removed from the additional punishment the deprivation of the right to participate in public and religious associations.\n\u0026quot;The court has not established that I have any motives of religious hatred or enmity. All my actions were completely peaceful,\u0026quot; said the believer, 47, as she appealed. \u0026quot;I believe in God, talk to others about the Bible, share my beliefs with them, pray to Jehovah God and sing songs of praise to him.\u0026quot; Yelena concluded that she was convicted for practicing her faith in the way common to Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses and not for any extremist actions.\nThroughout the investigation, Yelena and her husband, Yuriy, were not left without help from their fellow believers. She said: \u0026quot;From the very first day I have felt the prayerful support of my dear friends. It is also very nice to see how they come to the court hearings even from other cities.\u0026quot;\nIn Russia, 190 women have already been prosecuted for their faith in Jehovah; the oldest of them was 89 (Rimma Vashchenko) when the criminal case was initiated, the youngest was 18 (Darya Dulova).\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-06-11T08:22:34+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/06/110822/image_hu_44d22c2c32a7843d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/06/110822/image_hu_3cff87b56f841e15.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/06/110822/image_hu_9f546a34d4ab1115.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/06/110822/image_hu_59c53f5e9701dda5.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/06/110822.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","complaints","282.2-2","suspended","families"],"title":"Court of Appeal Upholds the Verdict Against Yelena Chernykh from Prokopyevsk for her Faith - a 3-Year Suspended Sentence","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 29, 2024, Arina Fedorova, judge of the Zeya District Court of the Amur Region, gave Yevgeniy Sokolov, 48, a 3-year suspended sentence. He attended the last hearings via video conferencing, as he is simultaneously being tried in another criminal case in Voronezh — 7400 kilometers from Zeya.\nThe court found him guilty of participating in the activity of an extremist organization. The believer was also given a probation period of 3 years with deprivation of the right to engage in leading and participating in any activity of public organizations for 3 years and additional restriction of freedom for 10 months. The prosecutor requested a 3-year sentence in a penal colony. The verdict has not entered into force.\nThe Zeya case was initiated in December 2022. The charge was based on hidden audio and video recordings of meetings for worship, which, at the direction of the FSB, were made by a woman who pretended to be interested in the Bible.\nSpeaking before the court, Sokolov said: \u0026quot;I am not acting against the constitutional foundations of the state, but on the contrary, I am defending my constitutional right, which I am guaranteed — to practice my Christian religion together with others.\u0026quot;\nThe Amur Region today holds the record for the number of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses imprisoned in penal colonies — 13 believers are already serving time for their peaceful beliefs.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-05-29T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/05/281534/image_hu_2f24d738d16a270b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/05/281534/image_hu_2d54942e16169211.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/05/281534/image_hu_1a6f6e160ecb8bf5.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/05/281534/image_hu_11803ca64211b6f7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/05/281534.html","regions":["amur"],"subtitle":"He Defends his Beliefs in Two Courts","tags":["sentence","282.2-2","suspended"],"title":"Court in Zeya Gave Yevgeniy Sokolov a 3-Year Suspended Sentence.","type":"news"},{"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_20559402883109d1.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/05/161346/image_hu_d2ec3a7c793b2270.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/05/161346/image_hu_e54a1984e7fcf316.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/05/161346/image_hu_2166cf939c529644.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_4cc8f8d96b5ada79.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/05/131631/image_hu_2e1b0f1512d044fd.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/05/131631/image_hu_cfb17f7c6b9a95e5.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/05/131631/image_hu_6abc29d8d1b9de82.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":"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_f8e856c6ba7d30f1.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/05/011110/image_hu_fd652d6c410f36b6.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/05/011110/image_hu_dd56a086a399affc.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/05/011110/image_hu_490ee4c3c343192.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":"On April 22, 2024, Ivan Pantyashin, judge of the Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy City Court, gave the Chechulins each a 2-year suspended sentence, a 3-year probation period and additional restrictions of 6 months for talking about the Bible. The believers do not agree with this decision and can appeal the verdict.\nSergey, 55, who grew up in an orphanage, works as a repairman in a heat supply organization, and 45-year-old Yelena works as a nurse. The Chechulins found out about the criminal prosecution in October 2022 during interrogation at the Investigative Committee, where they were taken after a search in their home. The spouses were accused of organizing the activities of an extremist organization (part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation), and later the court reclassified the charge to participation in the activities of an extremist organization (part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). The investigation lasted 1 year and 3 months. It took the court 3 months to find the believers guilty.\nExpert studies on conversations of the believers in the case materials stated: \u0026quot;There are no statements inciting hostile (violent) actions of one person or group of persons against another person or group of persons.\u0026quot; This did not prevent the prosecutor from requesting 6 years in a penal colony for the couple.\nIn her final statement to the court, Yelena spoke about the basic beliefs of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses and explained why the charges of continuing the activity of a banned legal entity are untenable: \u0026quot; For centuries, Christians have gathered to study the Holy Scriptures and discuss spiritual matters. What kind of meeting did the apostle Paul mean when he said \u0026quot;do not forsake your meetings\u0026quot;? Definitely not legal entities that are set up in accordance with the laws of different countries. The words of the apostle Paul are 2000 years old, whereas the legal entities that we are accused of organizing—appeared, existed for a short time and disappeared. But the worship of God does not.\u0026quot;\n\u0026quot;We are being prosecuted for our right to religious beliefs, guaranteed to us by the most important document of the country, the Constitution of the Russian Federation . . . We are unfairly and without proof accused of enmity and hatred toward persons not identified by the prosecution. Not a single person has been named, whom we would have insulted, humiliated or inappropriately compared his views, beliefs, race or gender with our views and beliefs,\u0026quot; Sergey Chechulin said in court. \u0026quot;We could get angry, but we do not. We understand that the faith of every Christian is tested differently.\u0026quot;\nSergey expressed gratitude to those who are supporting his family, especially to fellow believers: \u0026quot;They often share encouraging thoughts, pray for us and send parcels. Letters are especially joyful. They come from different parts of the world. We are also strengthened by those who come to court hearings.\u0026quot;\nRussian law enforcement officers often initiate criminal cases against several family members at once. By November 2023, under this scheme, at least 71 families in 35 regions of the Russian Federation became easy prey for the security forces.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-04-22T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/04/231526/image_hu_e77a214e2c6dde2a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/04/231526/image_hu_96218185b3685a71.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/04/231526/image_hu_b8fa629057e03f8f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/04/231526/image_hu_656e42f6c98c126b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/04/231526.html","regions":["kamchatka"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","families","282.2-1","suspended"],"title":"In Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy, a Court Gave a Married Couple of Jehovah's Witnesses a Two-Year Suspended Sentence for Their Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"Yelena Chernykh, a 47-year-old Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witness from Prokopyevsk, was found guilty of extremism for continuing to practice her faith. The verdict was passed on April 12, 2024 by Yelena Karamova, judge of the Tsentralniy District Court of Prokopyevsk, who gave the believer a 3-year suspended sentence.\nIn 2020, the home of Yelena and her husband Yuriy, parents of three, one of whom is a minor, was searched. Then they were interrogated as witnesses in the case of Andrey Vlasov (who is serving time in a penal colony for his faith). The Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Kemerovo Region initiated a criminal case against Yelena under Article 282.2(2) of the RF CrC. The investigation and the court considered the practice common for all Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in the world of jointly discussing the Bible and Christian teachings as \u0026quot;participating in the activity of a banned religious organization.\u0026quot; According to the investigation, Yelena\u0026#39;s actions posed a threat to the state and society, incited interreligious discord, although during the trial not a single fact of a real crime or evidence of intention to commit it was presented.\nSpeaking in court, in her final statement, Yelena Chernykh said: \u0026quot;I have been a believer for 30 years. For all these years, I have never had any malicious intent, let alone any actions aimed at undermining the constitutional order or security of the Russian Federation.\u0026quot;\nIn September 2023, based on similar charges, the court sentenced Yelena\u0026#39;s husband to 3 years of forced labor.\nIn the Kemerovo Region, 18 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses are being prosecuted for their faith. Two of them are serving sentences in a penal colony for their faith.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-04-12T16:23:13+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/04/121623/image_hu_2db876af4b4a4e18.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/04/121623/image_hu_b7e29315f4a3bc41.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/04/121623/image_hu_dc9464cbcf6e66d1.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/04/121623/image_hu_912a45426eb8fecb.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/04/121623.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"subtitle":"Earlier, the Same Court Had Convicted Her Husband","tags":["sentence","282.2-2","suspended","families"],"title":"In Prokopyevsk, Yelena Chernykh, One of Jehovah's Witnesses, Was Given a 3-year Suspended Sentence for Her Faith.","type":"news"},{"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_e4aec22b9157f1ce.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/04/041721/image_hu_e0ba52a6a099c010.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/04/041721/image_hu_2bf5e8673e21c7db.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/04/041721/image_hu_ee8637fef04a384a.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":"On March 22, 2024, Anastasiya Fedorova, judge of the Central District Court of Tolyatti, gave Yelena Yurenkova, 53, a 2-year suspended sentence. For reading and discussing the Bible, she was found guilty of the activity of an extremist organization.\nIn her final statement before the court, Yelena stated: \u0026quot;Today, Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses do not lose their joy when they are persecuted for Jesus\u0026#39; name. For me, as for the ministers of old, suffering in itself is not a cause for joy. But if I remain faithful to God during trials, he will help me endure and gain his approval. This is my hope, the foundation of my faith, for which I am being judged today.\u0026quot;\nThe believer and her husband surrounded by friends near the court building The prosecution of Yelena Yurenkova began in May 2023, when the Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against her. The basis for this were hidden video recordings of meetings for worship, which were made over 1.5 years. After the search and interrogation, the believer was made to sign a recognizance agreement. In August of the same year, court hearings began, in which a secret witness participated.\nThe prosecutor requested a sentence of 4 years in a penal colony and 1 year restriction of freedom for Yurenkova. Yelena does not agree with the court\u0026#39;s decision and can appeal to higher courts. There are no victims, no damage caused and no proven facts of extremist activity in the case.\nIn Tolyatti, 6 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, including 4 women, have already been prosecuted.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-03-22T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/03/251357/image_hu_b0e49e1033f0c2d2.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/03/251357/image_hu_e45c97f646026524.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/03/251357/image_hu_d8d1611cb5b28b06.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/03/251357/image_hu_6a4126f85e17d743.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/03/251357.html","regions":["samara"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","282.2-2","secret-witness","hidden-surveillance","suspended"],"title":"Court in Tolyatti Gave Yelena Yurenkova a 2-Year Suspended Sentenced for Her Faith","type":"news"},{"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_1eda5153206f0b5.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/03/151419/image_hu_969044aca1143e89.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/03/151419/image_hu_5941c3c636082295.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/03/151419/image_hu_80beda85fc7187fa.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":"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_412fa964d25f15fc.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/03/131340/image_hu_2256679fd8c3944.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/03/131340/image_hu_69ec8793bf48fff4.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/03/131340/image_hu_6ab63637bbf884c7.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":"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_d4268defdd51729f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/03/061540/image_hu_5dbaaa40b1106758.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/03/061540/image_hu_f2b5dc69280b052a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/03/061540/image_hu_f86f427d433e7116.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":"On March 4, 2024, Irina Onuchina, judge of the Central District Court of the city of Tolyatti, found Yelena Kozhevnikova guilty of extremism and gave her a 2-year suspended sentence for \u0026quot;actively participating in the activity of the religious organization of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses through video conferencing.\u0026quot;\nThe prosecutor had requested 4 years of imprisonment for the believer.\nRegarding the charges, Kozhevnikova stated that she does not pose any public danger, as she respects people of any nationality and religion as well as the laws of the state. \u0026quot;This what the Bible teaches, which for me is the most important law,\u0026quot; the believer highlighted. \u0026quot;I do not think that talking about God and Bible principles in any way violates the constitutional order or threatens state security.\u0026quot;\nThe criminal prosecution of Yelena began in May 2023, following searches that took place simultaneously at several addresses of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Tolyatti. The Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against the believer, and she was placed under a recognizance agreement. Already within 2 months, the case went to court. The charge was based on the testimony of a secret witness and hidden video recordings of meetings for worship.\nIn the Samara Region, 10 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have already been prosecuted, one of whom was sentenced to 8 years in prison for their faith, and four more to 7 years in a penal colony.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-03-04T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/03/050830/image_hu_e9e60e4296e97e36.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/03/050830/image_hu_18f0188bbd25678f.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/03/050830/image_hu_3a84e8e12ea4a8a8.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/03/050830/image_hu_40b484186116e4a9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/03/050830.html","regions":["samara"],"subtitle":"The Court Gave a Suspended Sentence to 62-year-old Yelena Kozhevnikova","tags":["282.2-2","sentence","hidden-surveillance","suspended"],"title":"Another Sentence for Faith in Tolyatti.","type":"news"},{"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/index.html#20240221","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["punishment-request","suspended","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_e435ca0ec3f4995f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/02/161420/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/02/161420/image_hu_902fc27cb0b90ff.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/02/161420/image_hu_38f2acaee5f077b0.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":"On February 8, 2024, the Sverdlovsk Regional Court considered the case of Aleksandr Pryanikov and Venera and Daria Dulova for the fourth time. Now the court of appeal has upheld the suspended sentences for Aleksandr and Venera (2.5 and 2 years, respectively) and released Darya from criminal liability.\nThe court explained its decision by the fact that during the period of allegeed guilt, Darya Dulova was 17 years old, and in this case the statute of limitations is 5 years (Article 78 of the RfCrC). It expired in June 2023. The appeals of the defendants and the ruling of the prosecutor were denied by the panel of judges. The believers do not agree with the verdict and deny being guilty of extremism.\nIn 4.5 years, three verdicts were passed in the case of the believers from Karpinsk: two guilty and one acquittal. The court of first instance considered the case twice, the court of appeal four times, and the court of cassation twice. The trial even went before the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation. Since 2021, another case against the Dulovs and Pryanikov is being considered in court, also on charges of extremism.\nThe European Court of Human Rights recognized that the prosecution of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Russia is unlawful and ruled in their favor in June 2022.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-02-08T14:06:28+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/02/091406/image_hu_2f02ae2e5c930b93.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/02/091406/image_hu_946ed035aace4567.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/02/091406/image_hu_541570dc579115f0.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/02/091406/image_hu_98eeabd08466b0a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/02/091406.html","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"subtitle":"The Verdict Against the Remaining Defendants in the Case Entered into Force","tags":["2-appeal","282.2-2","suspended","disability"],"title":"Darya Dulova Was Released from Criminal Liability due to the Expiration of the Statute of Limitations After the Fourth Appeal Hearing.","type":"news"},{"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_93a3f4a9d25a06b0.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/01/241710/image_hu_629aad76f92b144d.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/01/241710/image_hu_dfb50f5a251f60d8.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/01/241710/image_hu_c40fa49f0c453651.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":"Yelena Menchikova, 59, was again found guilty - on January 23, 2024, Nauruz Shukurov, judge of the Cherkessk City Court, gave the woman with a disability a 4.5-year suspended sentence with a probation period of 2.5 years because of her religion.\nAs Yelena said in court, the charges boil down to the fact that she invited friends \u0026quot;to study the Holy Scriptures (Bible), ingluding singing songs together, praying, and studying religious articles.\u0026quot; \u0026quot;I never imagined that in the Caucasus hospitality would turn out to be such a grave crime and that if would lead to punishment,\u0026quot; the believer said. However, the indictment does not contain a specific description of how, when and under what circumstances Menchikova expressed extremism.\nYelena Menchikova in the courtroom. January 24, 2024 The prosecution of Yelena on religious grounds has been going on since December 2019. The first verdict — a 5-year suspended sentence and legal costs — was handed down to her in December 2021. Two months later, the court of appeal released her from paying court costs, and later the court of cassation sent the case for a new trial.\nIn Karachay-Cherkessia, four more of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have been prosecuted, and two of them have already received sentences for their faith. The world community calls on the Russian authorities \u0026quot;to drop 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;\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-01-23T16:27:11+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/01/241627/image_hu_340309037787cd11.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/01/241627/image_hu_744319c376fdc108.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/01/241627/image_hu_956b8687dda7f8f9.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/01/241627/image_hu_bc2ba5efb675ec84.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/01/241627.html","regions":["karachaevo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["disability","282.2-2","282.2-1.1","retrial","suspended"],"title":"Court in Cherkessk Reviewed Yelena Menchikova's Case and Again Found Her Guilty of Extremism for Talking About the Bible","type":"news"},{"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_c91ef834839be1de.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/01/171414/image_hu_77aebddd873c6c4f.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/01/171414/image_hu_4cf14a5a0714c0a5.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/01/171414/image_hu_2940d45a405f7b17.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":"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_e62f95ad568c1154.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/01/120854/image_hu_40c704624c0b2b80.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/01/120854/image_hu_fcf80bb57249179e.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/01/120854/image_hu_ddf14abddbeaf6bb.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":"On December 29, 2023, Sergey Kurunin, judge of the Norilskiy City Court gave two local Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, Aleksandr Polozov and Stepan Shevelev a 6-year suspended sentence. According to the prosecution, they entered into a \u0026quot;criminal conspiracy\u0026quot; for studying the Bible.\nTheir criminal prosecution began back in October 2019, when special police surrounded the camp site, where the believers were relaxing with friends. A criminal case was initiated against Aleksandr Polozov under of Article 282.2(1) of the RFCrC (organizing the activity of an extremist organization), and in May 2021, Stepan Shevelev became the second defendant.\nAleksandr Polozov spent 3 months in a pretrial detention center, and in March 2020 he was included on the Rosfinmonitoring list of terrorists and extremists. Aleksandr is very grateful to his fellow believers for financial assistance after his bank cards were blocked. He was also encouraged by numerous letters: \u0026quot;Some wrote where they had been and what they had seen... Stories of interesting places seemed to push the walls of the prison apart, and I \u0026quot;traveled\u0026quot;. Stepan Shevelev said: \u0026quot;Our friends understand that sometimes we need emotional support, and they do everything to encourage us.\u0026quot;\nIn June 2021, the case went to court. In 2022, it was returned to the prosecutor for the absence of corpus delicti. A new trial of the criminal case began in July 2023. Again, the prosecutor was unable to provide evidence of the defendants\u0026#39; guilt. Also, Polozov was credited with words he never said. Despite this, the prosecutor requested 6 years in a penal colony for the believers.\nStepan and Ksenia Shevelev. Norilsk, December 2023 Aleksandr Polozov and his wife, Svetlana. Norilsk, December 2023 In his final statement, Polozov noted: \u0026quot;I am a Level 5 rescuer for gas emergencies. More than once I risked my life to save the lives of other people and was rewarded for it... My profession does not give me the right to choose whether or not to save a person, based on whether he is a believer or not, whether he is my friend or my enemy. Every life is valuable in the eyes of God, and therefore in mine too. With this in mind, any accusation of extremism against me looks absurd.\u0026quot;\nShevelev said: \u0026quot;I have had the opportunity to talk with many religious people, including Muslims and Orthodox priests. But I did not consider any of them to be beneath me. The fact that we have different religious views does not give me the right to judge them. Besides, that would be contrary to my views.\u0026quot;\nThe believers have the right to appeal the verdict in the court of appeal.\nIn the Krasnoyarsk Territory, five of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have already been sentenced to prison terms, and in total, more than 30 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have been subjected to religious persecution in this region.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-12-29T15:53:48+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/12/281056/image_hu_cff70411c4718a07.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/12/281056/image_hu_23e4b3a6ff558af4.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/12/281056/image_hu_8e6222b34365ba6a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/12/281056/image_hu_2d9bb8f737128a42.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/12/281056.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","282.2-1","secret-witness","suspended","rosfinmonitoring"],"title":"In the Krasnoyarsk Territory, Aleksandr Polozov and Stepan Shevelev Received a 6-Year Suspended Sentence for Their Peaceful Beliefs","type":"news"},{"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_ac93c6b585167c32.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/12/191048/image_hu_6a5861ff4da712b1.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/12/191048/image_hu_7b873cf695a45bec.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/12/191048/image_hu_18af86dbdb58e5a4.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_afabb2c0f37d701d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/12/201343/image_hu_6720cbe8fc39ed65.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/12/201343/image_hu_f116f6a26a5a65fb.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/12/201343/image_hu_2c010a78f081fd81.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":"On December 8, 2023, the Judicial Chamber of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Tatarstan upheld the verdict against Stanislav Klyuchnikov, Dmitriy Yarchak and Denis Filatov. The decision has entered into force; the convicted persons have the right to appeal in the court of cassation.\nThe believers drew attention to the fact that they were found guilty of extremism on the basis of the decision of the Supreme Court of April 20, 2017, but this decision was not a ban on a religious denomination with its inherent teachings, spiritual terminology, the arrangements for meetings for worship and the dissemination of religious beliefs.\nIn his final statement before the court of appeal, Dmitry Yarchak emphasized: \u0026quot;I am in the dock not for murder, not for theft, not for some evil deeds, but for being a disciple of Jesus.\u0026quot; Yarchak has been disabled since childhood; participating in investigative actions and the trial is not easy for him. However, he does not lose courage. \u0026quot;Of course, my physical and emotional health has been shaken, but my faith has become stronger,\u0026quot; he said in court.\nStanislav Klyuchnikov noted: \u0026quot;How can people who adhere to the rules or principles written in the Bible be dangerous to the state and society and be called \u0026#39;extremists\u0026#39;?\u0026quot; He also drew the court\u0026#39;s attention to the fact that his faith in Jehovah God helped him break with an antisocial group and become a useful member of society: \u0026quot;In fact, I was a danger to society before I became one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in 1998.\u0026quot;\nThe defendants are among 13 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses from Tatarstan who have been prosecuted for their beliefs.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-12-11T16:25:45+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/12/111625/image_hu_687b0a24306c97d8.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/12/111625/image_hu_77dae4f8df8f812d.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/12/111625/image_hu_18ebca82eddec01.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/12/111625/image_hu_9b8391970acbf48f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/12/111625.html","regions":["tatarstan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","suspended","disability","282.2-1"],"title":"Supreme Court of Tatarstan Upholds the Sentence Against Three Jehovah's Witnesses from Nizhnekamsk — 6 Years Suspended","type":"news"},{"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_9697f024df6298da.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/12/051514/image_hu_1e9732ff64a11125.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/12/051514/image_hu_50aef759abe02ed8.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/12/051514/image_hu_982e24aae3a3ed9a.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_f403bb5262627e07.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/12/051413/image_hu_c98f1de4b1a135a9.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/12/051413/image_hu_c25377ee6e3a28fd.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/12/051413/image_hu_c22c42f966e9d3a0.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":"On November 20, 2023, Nina Panarina, judge of the Proletarsky District Court of Tula, convicted four Jehovah's Witnesses: Yevgeniy Godunov and Gurami Labadze received a 6.5-year suspended sentence, Yuliya Popkova and Anzhela Putivskaya — a 2.5-year suspended sentence.\nThe believers faced criminal prosecution for their religious beliefs in April 2021, when law enforcement officers conducted a series of searches in Tula and the neighboring city of Kireyevsk. Then they learned that the FSB Directorate for the Tula Region had initiated a criminal case against them for organizing the activity of an extremist organization (Article 282.2(1) of the RF CrC). After searches and interrogations, Gurami Labadze was placed under house arrest. Anzhela Putivskaya and Yuliya Popkova, who have a number of chronic illnesses, as well as Yevgeniy Godunov ended up in pretrial detention. About a month later, they were also placed under house arrest, and 2 months later they were all placed under a recognizance agreement. Later, the charges against Anzhela Putivskaya and Yuliya Popkova were reclassified under Article 282(2) of the RF CrC.\nThe investigation lasted 2 years, and the case went to court in April 2023. During the interrogation, prosecution witnesses gave evasive answers, their testimonies did not correspond to those recorded in the case materials. When asked by the defense whether the defendants showed hatred and discrimination against others and distributed banned literature, the FSB officer replied: \"We were simply guided by the fact that they are Jehovah's Witnesses.\" Although the prosecution was unable to show what specific extremist actions the defendants committed, the prosecutor requested a 6-year suspended sentence for the men and a 2.5-year suspended sentence for the women.\nThe believers told how they coped with difficulties during imprisonment. Labadze spent 100 days under house arrest, not allowed to leave his apartment even to go on the landing, receive guests or use the telephone or the Internet. \"When you find yourself in such difficult, unusual conditions, it particularly draws you closer to God, because this time you are not reading someone else's story, but you are personally experiencing his support,\" he says. \"You are overwhelmed with gratitude that all your needs are taken care of by your fellow believers ... Where else in this world can you find such friends? And they were taught all this by Jehovah.\"\nYevgeniy Godunov, who spent 1 month in the detention center and 2 months under house arrest, recalls: \"When it is difficult, one of the best ways to refocus is to reflect on Jehovah's creations. The only thing from nature in the detention center was a sprouting onion, they even gave him a name. Fortunately, I received many beautiful postcards and photos of nature. Such postcards were read and carefully examined not only by me, but also by everyone in the cell. In his final statement, he stated: \"The prosecution requested that I be convicted for being an honest man who respects the laws of the land; for being one of Jehovah's Witnesses, observing and using Article 28 of the RF Constitution; for never having committed criminal acts. It would be to give up good beliefs... Today I am in the dock for my faith in God and for wanting to live the way Jesus Christ taught.\"\nIn her final statement, Anzhela Putivskaya described how her apartment was invaded by a group of law enforcement officers, two of whom were armed with machine guns, the search lasted for many hours and was very exhausting. \"Despite my poor health,\" the believer said, \"the officers opened the windows, creating a draft, and thereby aggravated my condition. They also exerted psychological pressure on me, speaking obscenely about my religion, and forbade me to take my belongings and medical documents about my cancer with me.\"\nThroughout this difficult time, the believers tried not to lose heart. Numerous letters of support written by fellow believers from all over the world helped them to maintain good spirits in the detention center.\nGurami Labadze, Yevgeniy Godunov, Yuliya Popkova and Anzhela Putivskaya still maintain their innocence and can appeal this verdict in appeal and cassation procedure.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-11-20T18:07:58+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/11/211807/image_hu_986b2b2a1a4fb496.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/11/211807/image_hu_95435e88fa91ae62.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/11/211807/image_hu_89157d3b2bedd1ef.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/11/211807/image_hu_5627b0bab889a026.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/11/211807.html","regions":["tula"],"subtitle":"Four of Jehovah's Witnesses Received Suspended Sentences","tags":["sentence","282.2-1","suspended"],"title":"First Sentence for Faith Given in Tula.","type":"news"},{"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_379d4e7b05f2898c.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/11/171546/image_hu_c18f48fa1af306fe.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/11/171546/image_hu_fc9e9968736aa72a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/11/171546/image_hu_bb2bd691c8cbb3a5.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":"On November 7, 2023, Nina Kalashnik, judge of the Pozharsky District Court of the Primorye Territory, found Valeriy Vyaznikov guilty of participating in extremist activities—this is how the confession of faith in Jehovah is interpreted. A peaceful 59-year-old believer from the village of Chegdomyn was sentenced to 2 years and 6 months of suspended sentence.\n\"My conscience is clear before God, people and the court. It is for the fact that I am trying to convey life-saving truths from the Word of God that I am now being judged,\" the believer said in his last word. Although there are no victims and facts of extremist actions in the case, the prosecutor asked to sentence Vyaznikov to 3 years conditionally with restriction of freedom for 1 year. The verdict can be appealed.\nThe Investigation Department for Dalnerechensk of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee for the Primorsky Territory opened a criminal case against Valery Vyaznikov in July 2021, almost 1.5 years later it went to court in Luchegorsk, located more than 1000 kilometers from the believer's place of residence. The accusation was based on recordings of conversations on biblical topics between informants-operatives and believers. Vyaznikov was allowed to participate in most of the hearings via videoconferencing from the local courthouse in the village of Chegdomyn.\nSince December 2022, Vyaznikov, the father of four children (two of them minors), has been under recognizance agreement. Talking about the difficulties associated with the persecution, Valeriy says: \"The most difficult thing was to find out that I was put on the wanted list in absentia, and then to receive a summons. The message and the expectation of something unpleasant always weigh on the heart. My wife and children were very worried.\" The believer has health problems, during the criminal prosecution he underwent surgery.\nIn total, 58 Jehovah's Witnesses are being prosecuted on similar charges in Primorye Territory. Convictions for 25 of them have already entered into force, three are serving terms in penal colonies.\nSuch a number of criminal cases for faith in the region is bewildering for both Russian and foreign human rights activists. Willy Fautré, founder and director of the Brussels-based organization Human Rights Without Borders, said: \"Jehovah's Witnesses are the religious group that has been the most persecuted in Russia since their ban in 2017, thus they are deprived of freedom of communication, assembly, worship and preaching. Statistics on the magnitude of the repression are alarming. Freedom of religion or belief is the cornerstone of all freedoms.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-11-15T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/11/030949/image_hu_b995a1e467f9b948.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/11/030949/image_hu_f05a5618fff002d7.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/11/030949/image_hu_fa5b523885d0b820.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/11/030949/image_hu_d5844e4d5ed9b158.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/11/030949.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","282.2-2","suspended"],"title":"In Primorye, Valery Vyaznikov, a retired miner, received a suspended term for his faith in Jehovah God","type":"news"},{"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_8e65ea830d23305d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/referee%27s%20hammer2.jpg","webp":"/news/common/referee%27s%20hammer2_hu_bd25408061f40e20.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/referee%27s%20hammer2_hu_1dd92405d6c2c02a.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":"On October 31, 2023, the Eighth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Kemerovo upheld the verdict against 47-year-old Aleksandr Kalistratov — a 6.5-year suspended sentence — for his faith.\nEarlier, in 2010, the Supreme Court of the Altai Republic fully acquitted Kalistratov under Article 282 of the RF CrC. In April 2023, the same court upheld the guilty verdict for peaceful conversations about God. The believer maintained his innocence. In his cassation appeal, he stated: \"My motive was not extremism, but the intention to exercise the right to practice and spread the faith in the ways common to Jehovah's Witnesses.\"\nThe defense believes that these judicial acts were issued in violation of the law and international treaties of the Russian Federation. The defendant emphasized: \"When the case against me was initiated, the investigation had no information of any action that could be considered a crime. Therefore, the investigation lacked the grounds for initiating a criminal case.\"\nKalistratov also pointed out that the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation did not prohibit either the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses or the methods of practicing it. \"Accordingly,\" continued Aleksandr, \"the followers of this religion were not required to renounce their faith, or to stop expressing it ... (by holding joint meetings for worship, spreading teachings or meeting with fellow believers).\"\nThe European Court of Human Rights has emphasized that \"legal formalities should not be used to impede the freedom of association of groups disliked by the authorities or advocating ideas that the authorities would like to suppress\" (§ 243).\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-10-31T16:45:49+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/10/311645/image_hu_4aa750e446064014.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/10/311645/image_hu_416df5d6cafffe17.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/10/311645/image_hu_aa4a498b1ea5934.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/10/311645/image_hu_4cd51cc9bcf58e3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/10/311645.html","regions":["altai"],"subtitle":"He Will Continue to Serve a 6.5-Year Suspended Sentence for his Faith in Jehovah God","tags":["cassation","282.2-1","suspended"],"title":"Court of Cassation Did Not Change the Verdict Against Aleksandr Kalistratov.","type":"news"},{"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_67746f0027cca803.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/10/231553/image_hu_ef713093b5ea55f8.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/10/231553/image_hu_f8ce20aa04a30987.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/10/231553/image_hu_542158d7cae5084c.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":"On October 18, 2023, the Ninth Court of Cassation of Vladivostok upheld the verdict and decision of the court of appeal against Svetlana Monis, 46, — a 2.5-year suspended sentence.\nThis is already the second hearing in the Ninth Court of Cassation in Vladivostok. In 2019, Monis was accused of extremism for reading the Bible, singing religious songs, and praying with friends. The court of first instance imposed a fine. The court of appeal toughened the sentence, but the court of cassation overturned this decision.\nThen the court of cassation directed that the court of appeal reconsider the case and take into account explanation No.11 of the RF Supreme Court Plenum, freedom of religion as guaranteed within the RF Constitution (Article 28), as well as Comment 2 to Article 282.1 of the RF CrC, according to which extremism means, in particular, a crime \"committed on the grounds of... religious hatred or enmity.\" No evidence of such actions on the part of Svetlana Monis was presented during the investigation or trial. Also, her activity does not correspond to the description of extremism stated in Article 1 of the Federal Law \"On Counteracting Extremist Activity\".\nDespite this, the court of appeal returned the case to the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region, which gave the believer a 2.5-year suspended sentence. At the third appeal hearing this decision was upheld.\nAlready 23 Jehovah's Witnesses from the Jewish Autonomous Region have been prosecuted simply for their faith. Four of them, including Svetlana's husband, Alam Aliyev, are serving their sentences in a penal colony.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-10-18T09:53:02+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/10/200953/image_hu_5e69afa63597ae19.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/10/200953/image_hu_a449a7ba8e49aa6c.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/10/200953/image_hu_bdffb98124da43b4.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/10/200953/image_hu_c1ed9885242780ca.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/10/200953.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":"She Will Continue to Serve Her Suspended Sentence","tags":["2-appeal","282.2-2","suspended"],"title":"Court of Cassation Again Rejected the Appeal Against the Verdict of Svetlana Monis From Birobidzhan.","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 19, 2023, by the decision of a panel of judges of the Krasnoyarsk Regional Territorial Court chaired by Diana Davydenko, the sentence against Ivan Shulyuk, 47, a Jehovah's Witness from Siberia, entered into force.\nIn May 2023, the court imposed a 7-year suspended sentence on Shulyuk with a 4-year probation period. They viewed discussing the Bible, praying and singing religious songs with friends as organizing the activity of an extremist organization. The believer does not agree with the verdict that entered into force. In his final statement to the court of appeal, he said that the investigation is confusing concepts, as it \"deliberately interprets legitimate religious activity as being the activity of a banned legal entity.\"\nIn the Krasnoyarsk Territory, 30 Jehovah's Witnesses have already faced prosecution for their faith and 10 of them have been convicted. Human 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... have been facing 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":"2023-09-19T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/09/211338/image_hu_3696972bd38397f7.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/09/211338/image_hu_633fa34d0e26cc45.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/09/211338/image_hu_e633b72a5b68649b.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/09/211338/image_hu_2212cd8ccccc2c0d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/09/211338.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","282.2-1","suspended"],"title":"Court of Appeal in Krasnoyarsk Upheld Ivan Shulyuk's Verdict: 7-Year Suspended Sentence for His Beliefs","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 12, 2023, the Ninth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Vladivostok upheld the verdict against Konstantin Bazhenov and his wife Snezhana, as well as Vera Zolotova — a 2-year suspended sentence for their beliefs.\nThe court proceedings in the case against the believers from Yelizovo have been going on for 4 years already. In September 2020, Yuliya Piskun, judge of the Yelizovskiy District Court, handed down a guilty verdict to all three, which was upheld by the court of appeal, but in November 2021, the court of cassation overturned this decision and returned the case to the appeal stage. In January 2022, the believers were acquitted after a second appeal. However, the prosecutor's office, succeeded in having this decision overturned through the Supreme Court. As a result, the case was sent for a new appeal consideration, the believers were found guilty of extremism and given suspended sentences. The believers filed a cassation appeal.\nIn the Kamchatka Territory, another 10 Jehovah's Witnesses are being repressed for their religious beliefs. Six of them were given suspended sentences of various lengths, and two were ordered to pay fines.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-09-15T09:10:23+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/09/150910/image_hu_25f323dfc8021144.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/09/150910/image_hu_cf9e09aba622527e.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/09/150910/image_hu_ea9770318f8141a6.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/09/150910/image_hu_f4a152bafb7df8e2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/09/150910.html","regions":["kamchatka"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["2-cassation","suspended"],"title":"Court of Cassation in Vladivostok Upheld the Verdict Against Believers From Yelizovo","type":"news"},{"body":"The court satisfies the petition of the penitentiary inspectorate for parole. The prosecutor does not object. A believer is considered to have served a suspended sentence.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yavushkin and Bondarchuk in Kemerovo","date":"2023-09-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kemerovo/index.html#20230915","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["parole","suspended","282.3-1","282.2-2"],"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_d44559edec9186f0.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/09/081349/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/09/081349/image_hu_e0da47d217a835df.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/09/081349/image_hu_d7a6effbd61e8f2d.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":"On September 5, 2023, Sergey Kamenov, judge of the Nizhnekamsk City Court of the Republic of Tatarstan gave a 6-year suspended sentence to Denis Filatov, Stanislav Klyuchnikov and Dmitriy Yarchak, who has had a disability since childhood. The court deemed praying and singing religious songs to be extremism.\nThe verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed. The believers maintain their complete innocence.\nIn November 2020, the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Republic of Tatarstan initiated a criminal case and conducted a series of searches in Nizhnekamsk. An investigation was launched against the three men, which lasted 14 months. In January 2022, the case went to court, where it was considered for a further 19 months. All this time, the believers were under a recognizance agreement. Several witnesses summoned to court for questioning stated that they gave testimony to the investigator under pressure and threats from law enforcement officers, and one woman reported that the investigator arbitrarily added words to the protocol that she did not say. The main part of the charges is based on the testimony of a secret witness.\nSpeaking in court, the believers explained that the RF Supreme Court did not ban the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Klyuchnikov said: \"I think that the preliminary investigation agencies are incorrectly and arbitrarily interpreting the decision of the Supreme Court. And the reason I am on trial today, is their misinterpretation, and not the crime I allegedly I committed.\" Denis Filatov added: \"The episodes of participating in meetings for worship imputed to me can only indicate exercising the right to practice my religion and use methods of expressing faith that were not prohibited.\" Dmitriy Yarchak also said: \"While being peaceful and observing the law, I use the right guaranteed by Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.\"\nIn Tatarstan, 13 more people have faced prosecution for their faith in Jehovah God. One of them, Konstantin Sannikov, has been sentenced to 6.5 years imprisonment.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-09-05T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/09/061348/image_hu_79fd63216177be1c.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/09/061348/image_hu_5dbafb43e3ab5e03.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/09/061348/image_hu_c831c324eae6e89c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/09/061348/image_hu_ff618fc682ee1aea.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/09/061348.html","regions":["tatarstan"],"subtitle":"The Court Found Them Guilty of Extremism for Their Faith in God ","tags":["282.2-1","sentence","fabrications","disability","secret-witness","suspended"],"title":"In Tatarstan, Three of Jehovah's Witnesses Were Given Long Suspended Sentences.","type":"news"},{"body":"Judge of the Vyazemsky District Court of the Khabarovsk Territory Tatyana Chistova convicts Ilya Degtyarenko and sentences him to 2,5 years of suspended imprisonment with a probationary period of 3 years and restriction of liberty for 6 months. The judge also decided to confiscate the seized equipment.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Degtyarenko in Vyazemsky","date":"2023-08-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy2/index.html#20230828","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["sentence","suspended"],"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_fe9a79057d5e2c95.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/08/281535/image_hu_23322cbbc921613f.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/08/281535/image_hu_85a24e2f9e7bd981.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/08/281535/image_hu_e804f630c184034.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":"On August 22, 2023, Marina Borzitskaya, judge of the Oktyabrskiy District Court of Novosibirsk, gave pensioner Tatyana Oleynik a 4-year suspended sentence for meetings with fellow believers, considering them \"participating in the activity of an extremist organization.\"\nTatyana Oleynik first experienced prosecution for her faith back in April 2019. Then, Tatyana's home was searched as part of a criminal case against several Jehovah's Witnesses from Novosibirsk. In November 2021, the Investigative Department of the FSB of Russia for the Novosibirsk Region initiated a case against Oleynik under Article 282.2(2) of the RF CrC. At the end of 2022, the case went to court. The hearings continued for 8 months.\nAddressing the court at one of the hearings, Tatyana explained that she \"never carried out extremist activity and never committed actions aimed at inciting hatred or enmity\". According to the believer, all her \"actions were peaceful and were determined solely by the motive of fulfilling the commands recorded in the Bible and exercising the right to practice and share her faith in the ways characteristic of Jehovah's Witnesses\". The verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed.\nAleksandr Seredkin, from whose case the case against Tatyana Oleynik was separated, was sentenced to 6 years imprisonment and is currently serving this term in a penal colony. The cases against two other fellow believers of Tatyana, Valeriy Maletskov and Marina Chaplykina, were also made into separate proceedings and are still under consideration in another court in Novosibirsk.\nIn Novosibirsk, eight Jehovah's Witnesses have faced criminal prosecution for their faith. One of them, Yuriy Savelyev, was recently released after serving his sentence in full.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-08-22T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/08/230915/image_hu_d9f24b0f77e7cd49.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/08/230915/image_hu_ae0659a2186e5653.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/08/230915/image_hu_6d78955fb0af6489.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/08/230915/image_hu_7fcd68b35af24bc4.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/08/230915.html","regions":["novosibirsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["suspended","282.2-2","sentence"],"title":"Court in Novosibirsk Gave 71-year-old Tatyana Oleynik a 4-Year Suspended Sentence for Her Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"According to the decision of the panel of judges of the Rostov Regional Court, on August 22, 2023, the verdict against Aleksandr Skvortsov, Vladimir Moiseyenko and Valeriy Tibiy entered into force: 7 and 6 years in a penal colony, and a 6-year suspended sentence, respectively. They maintain their innocence and have the right to appeal the verdict in cassation proceedings.\nThe believers were convicted, for practicing their Bible-based beliefs. In the appeal it was noted that \"singing songs praising God, turning to God in prayer, discussing the Bible together\" — actions for which believers were charged of continuing the activity of an extremist organization — are \"a way of practicing religion, guaranteed by both national and international law\" and \"does not depend on the presence or absence of a legal entity.\" The lawyer stressed that the court did not provide any evidence that the defendants had a motive of religious enmity or hatred.\nThe defense pointed to a miscarriage of justice: \"Being one of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia is not a crime... The RF Constitution allows the convicted person to be a believer. Also, the RF Supreme Court did not ban the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. The RF Government publicly declares that the believers in Russia after April 20, 2017 have the right to practice the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\"\nIn the Rostov Region, prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses on religious grounds has been going on for many years. Back in 2009, in Taganrog the local religious organization was banned. In 2011, a wave of searches in the homes of believers swept through the city. One of those who then became one of the defendants in the \"Case of 16\" was Aleksandr Skvortsov. Subsequently, the believers were given suspended sentences and fines. In 2020, Skvortsov served his sentence in full, but he has now been imprisoned based on similar charges. In June 2022, the European Court of Human Rights considered an application of a group of applicants, including those convicted in the \"Case of 16\". The ECHR concluded that the accusations against Jehovah's Witnesses were groundless, and Russia should take \"all necessary measures to stop the criminal prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses and release imprisoned Jehovah's Witnesses.\"\nTo this date, 13 believers have been imprisoned in the Rostov Region, including 1 woman.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-08-22T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/08/230917/image_hu_2455600141d7181f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/08/230917/image_hu_dbeeb8332ce739e.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/08/230917/image_hu_e21cb3418104ad5c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/08/230917/image_hu_3d5b1592b6b47e1a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/08/230917.html","regions":["rostov"],"subtitle":"Aleksandr Skvortsov Became a Prisoner of Conscience for a Second Time for His Religious Beliefs","tags":["appeal","liberty-deprivation","suspended","282.2-1"],"title":"Court of Appeal Upheld the Verdict Against Jehovah's Witnesses from Taganrog.","type":"news"},{"body":"On August 23, 2023, the Birobidzhanskiy District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region completed the retrial of the case of Oleg and Agnessa Postnikov, who were charged with extremism for discussing Bible teachings. As a result, they were given suspended sentences of 5.5 and 4.5 years with a 5-year probation period.\n\"Judge Olga Klyuchnikova actually duplicated the previous sentence — earlier her colleague Mariya Tsimarno gave them suspended sentences: Oleg 5.5 years, and Agnessa Postnikova 5 years. In October 2022, a panel of judges of the Birobidzhan Regional Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region overturned this verdict and sent the case for a new trial. Despite the lack of evidence of the defendants' guilt, the prosecutor again requested the previous punishment for the Postnikovs.\"\nAgnessa stressed that not a single piece of evidence was presented at the trial of her or her husband, verbally or otherwise, humiliating someone or calling for any illegal actions. \"The covert video footage provided by the prosecutor's office, most clearly demonstrates the absence of a hateful motive,\" said Agnessa and continued: \"[One of the witnesses] assured the court that neither my husband nor I used offensive or degrading words, nor did we call for genocide or repression. And the main witness — I appeared before court because of having conversations with her — repeatedly confirmed that I did not try to involve her in the organization. Nevertheless, the prosecution continues to insist that this is what we did.\" Oleg Postnikov noted in his final statement: \"Jehovah's Witnesses are not criminals. We are simply following Jesus Christ's clear commandment to 'love one another.'\"\nThe charges against the Postnikovs were based on the testimony of police officer Zvereva and another resident of Birobidzhan, who pretended to be interested in the Bible, as well as on hidden video recordings of their conversations. Zvereva testified in almost all criminal cases of Jehovah's Witnesses from Birobidzhan.\nThe Jewish Autonomous Region is one of the regions with the largest number of criminal cases against Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, where 21 believers have already received various sentences. Four of them are serving sentences in penal colonies.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-08-18T09:08:55+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/08/180908/image_hu_673466c12f195768.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/08/180908/image_hu_6ec2d4e71ec5c6ec.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/08/180908/image_hu_812cbaebe38aeb17.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/08/180908/image_hu_54b394c9ab19fd25.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/08/180908.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["families","retrial","282.2-2","282.2-1.1","suspended"],"title":"Court in Birobidzhan Again Gave the Postnikovs Suspended Sentences for Reading the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"On August 18, 2023, the Altai Territory Court granted the prosecutor's appeal against the verdict against Pavel Kazadaev, replacing the 3-year suspended sentence with 3 years in a penal colony for talking about the Bible. The believer was taken into custody in the courtroom. He has pleaded not guilty and can appeal the verdict.\nBefore the appeal ruling was issued, Pavel said: “I did not continue the activity of a banned organization. I wanted and still want to peacefully practice my faith together with friends, worship God, praise him, and learn his commandments and principles. If I stop doing this, then, in fact, I stop believing. I did not have extremist motives; I do not feel hatred or enmity towards other people, including people of other religions, therefore, my actions could not harm them. There are no victims in my case, and all my friends and relatives described me favorably.”\nPavel Kazadaev, 26, is the youngest Jehovah's Witness prosecuted in the Altai Territory. The European Court of Human Rights clearly stated in its decision: “The forced liquidation of all religious organisations of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia... indicates a policy of intolerance by the Russian authorities towards the religious practices of Jehovah's Witnesses designed to cause them to abandon their faith and to prevent others from joining it.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-08-18T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/08/171051/image_hu_429a864773d30391.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/08/171051/image_hu_188d9fa4aae1c682.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/08/171051/image_hu_ebf934972d74d24d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/08/171051/image_hu_7f2451fb31e228f2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/08/171051.html","regions":["altaisky"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","suspended","282.2-2","liberty-deprivation"],"title":"Court of Appeal in Barnaul Sentenced Pavel Kazadaev to Penal Colony for 3 Years","type":"news"},{"body":"On August 3, 2023, Irina Vlasova, judge of the Dzerzhinskiy District Court of Yaroslavl, found 4 Jehovah's Witnesses guilty of extremism: 47-year-old Andrey Vyushin and 57-year-old Petr Filiznov were given a 6.5-year suspended sentence; 40-year-old Aleksandr and 35-year-old Mariya Kuznetsova were given a 2.5-year suspended sentence.\nThe court imposed as additional punishment a 6-month restriction of freedom on the Kuznetsovs. Filiznov and Vyushin were given restriction of freedom for 1 year with deprivation of the right to hold leading positions in public and religious organizations for 4.5 years.\nIn the spring of 2021, a series of searches took place in the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in Yaroslavl. Andrey Vyushin, the father of a young child, as well as Petr Filiznov and the Kuznetsovs were detained. For discussing the Bible, praying and singing religious songs, Vyushin and Filiznov were charged with organizing the activity of an extremist organization, and the Kuznetsovs — of participating in its activity. All four believers spent 3 months in a detention center, and then another 2 years under a ban on certain actions.\nThe criminal case against the residents of Yaroslavl was investigated by the Investigative Committee for more than a year; it went to court in August 2022. Judge Irina Vlasova heard the case for over 10 months with short breaks due to the illness of Aleksandr Kuznetsov, who was fighting cancer. The prosecution used the testimony of secret witnesses, but the defendants pointed out that their statements did not correspond with the facts. Other witnesses said that they had not heard from the defendants calls for the overthrow of the state system, the breakup of families or other extremist statements.\nThe verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed, as the believers maintain their innocence. They emphasize that thanks to the Bible they have become useful members of society. Thus, Mariya Kuznetsova said: “Only love for God and people moves Jehovah’s Witnesses to meet together, read his Word, the Bible, meditate, discuss Bible questions, pray, sing spiritual songs and change for the better.” According to her husband Aleksandr Kuznetsov, the charge is completely contrary to the explanation of the Plenum of the Supreme Court, which states that a religious event in itself is not an illegal activity. “The RF Supreme Court did not forbid me to be a believer, one of Jehovah’s Witnesses… Faith in the living God Jehovah and worshiping him are not evil acts or extremism,” he stressed.\nAccording to the ruling of the ECHR, “only religious expressions and actions that contain or call for violence, hate or discrimination may serve as grounds for suppressing them as ‘extremist’.” Despite the absence of signs of extremism in the actions of believers, the authorities continue the mass prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-08-03T13:44:52+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/08/041344/image_hu_8fe144edb1493178.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/08/041344/image_hu_7ef69b504cbf58df.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/08/041344/image_hu_bca20e7ea412598b.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/08/041344/image_hu_3b098ce0b963610d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/08/041344.html","regions":["yaroslavl"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["282.2-1","282.2-2","sentence","suspended","families","minors","disability","secret-witness"],"title":"Court in Yaroslavl Punished Three Men and a Woman With Suspended Sentences of 2.5 and 6.5 Years For Their Beliefs","type":"news"},{"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_8f28f0da119c2ab5.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/08/020828/image_hu_fa911acb381c219.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/08/020828/image_hu_fc0085e3d069cf18.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/08/020828/image_hu_e0093879bf4d5dc2.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":"Prosecutor Aleksandr Demenkov asks for punishment for Irina Perefilieva. He takes into account the absence of aggravating circumstances in the case and asks the court to impose a 4-year suspended sentence on the believer.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Perefileva in Mednogorskiy","date":"2023-07-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy2/index.html#20230731","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["punishment-request","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"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_ef8853b846e7f059.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/07/131626/image_hu_c80dff60ef5b9333.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/07/131626/image_hu_1dc62603001b138a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/07/131626/image_hu_4c0c45732d2742a4.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":"On June 30, 2023, the Chelyabinsk Regional Court upheld the verdict against Olga Zhelavskaya, 61 — a 2-year suspended sentence for reading the Bible and it has entered into force. The believer has the right to appeal the verdict in the cassation procedure.\nIn her final statement before the court of appeal, Zhelavskaya drew attention to the lack of grounds for this court decision: “In the court of first instance, the prosecution never mentioned any actions of extremist nature on my part... No quotes, no facts, no records, no casualties\".\nVyacheslav Lebedev,chairman of the RF Supreme Court, said at a meeting of judges of general jurisdiction and arbitration courts: “The increased standards for protecting the constitutional rights of citizens are provided by the explanations of the Supreme Court 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 performance of religious rites and ceremonies, do not constitute a crime.”\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-06-30T10:28:45+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/07/031028/image_hu_20e54432bf2221e2.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/07/031028/image_hu_5a2336133e44cc08.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/07/031028/image_hu_9e3636249fcd5c3d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/07/031028/image_hu_9e546cbf4689c504.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/07/031028.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["282.2-2","appeal","suspended"],"title":"Court of Appeal Upheld the Verdict Against Olga Zhelavskaya from Chelyabinsk — 2-Year Suspended Sentence for Her Faith in Jehovah God","type":"news"},{"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_748e5279dc8a0794.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/06/220938/image_hu_b2c43fadbb5d7a01.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/06/220938/image_hu_79b017913aacb945.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/06/220938/image_hu_8f0fa710ff4ba65a.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 20, 2023, Georgiy Serebryanikov, judge of the Taganrog City Court, sentenced Aleksandr Skvortsov, formerly one of the defendants in the \"Case of 16\", to 7 years in a penal colony for his faith. Another Jehovah's Witness, Valeriy Tibiy, received a 6-year suspended sentence and was released in the courtroom. The court also sentenced Vladimir Moiseyenko to 6 years in a penal colony.\nThis is the second time Aleksandr Skvortsov has become a prisoner of conscience because of his religious beliefs. Back in August 2011, the believer faced criminal prosecution on charges of extremism and his house was searched. As a result, in November 2015, Skvortsov was given a 5.5-year suspended sentence. At that time, 15 other believers received suspended sentences and fines; they were convicted because they did not stop meeting for worship after the local legal entity had been banned.\nThe law enforcement officers again ransacked the house of Aleksandr and his wife, Larisa, in March 2021, just 3 months after his suspended sentence had expired. On the eve of the invasion, the believer found tapping equipment in his home. In December of the same year, the homes of Skvortsov, Tibiy and about 30 other people were searched. Aleksandr was sent to a detention center, where he remained until the verdict was passed. His wife was only allowed to visit him after 1 year, and that was only for 10 minutes. By then, the believer had been transferred from cell to cell more than 13 times.\nValeriy Tibiy became a defendant in the criminal case in March 2022. Two months later, he was placed in the same pretrial detention center where Skvortsov was kept. The court ruled to arrest Valeriy without taking into account his condition: the believer needed daily medication, because shortly before the search he had undergone heart surgery and had completed documents confirming his disability. He was held in custody until the verdict was passed. The prosecutor requested a long term for the believer — 6.5 years in a penal colony.\nIn November 2022, the case went to court. During the criminal prosecution of the believers, they along with their wives, were supported by fellow believers. Larisa Skvortsova said: \"[Friends] come to court in any weather, take me in the car to deliver parcels\". According to her, Aleksandr, despite his difficult circumstances, finds a way to support her emotionally. Also, all four are strengthened by letters from Jehovah's Witnesses from different countries.\nAleksandr Skvortsov has already been convicted in the case of the local religious organization \"Taganrog\", regarding which the ECHR overturned the conviction and ruled that compensation be paid to the affected believers. The Russian authorities not only do not comply with this decision, but subject the believers to prosecution again.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-06-20T14:54:17+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/06/201454/image_hu_62f0af8be1605452.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/06/201454/image_hu_548345ca0f48acff.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/06/201454/image_hu_ac46650084d2026a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/06/201454/image_hu_9b6129744c7045b0.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/06/201454.html","regions":["rostov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["suspended","liberty-deprivation","sentence","282.2-1"],"title":"Jehovah's Witnesses from Taganrog Given Prison and Suspended Terms, One of Them — A Second Time","type":"news"},{"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_7485d284189f8bb.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/06/141434/image_hu_63c2f6a4314c1f8a.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/06/141434/image_hu_35d14e2b609d84eb.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/06/141434/image_hu_aabc87f318767b87.webp"},"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":"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_5f6c0d13ad3bf4e0.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/06/091638/image_hu_3fd5e5bf9c4f4e93.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/06/091638/image_hu_c024ea5f01a68422.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/06/091638/image_hu_9d0acd07573a7319.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":"On June 8, 2023, the Supreme Court of the Republic of Tuva upheld the basic punishment for Anatoliy Senin, one of Jehovah's Witnesses, a 6-year suspended sentence, but removed restrictions on his attending mass events from the verdict.\nOn January 12, 2023, the Kyzylsky City Court found the believer guilty of organizing the activity of an extremist organization. Senin's \"guilt\" comes down to the fact that he \"broadcasted video recordings of a religious content, encouraged the audience to pray, sing religious songs and study the Bible\".\nThe verdict has been appealed. According to the defense, the trial at the first instance court was conducted with violations. For example, the court indicated “propaganda of superiority” as the motive for committing the “crime”, but the Criminal Code does not actually provide for such a motive. A religious scholar questioned in court confirmed that Jehovah's Witnesses are tolerant towards members of other religions.\nIn turn, prosecutor V.V. Khovalyg considered the suspended sentence too lenient and filed an appeal.\nHearings in the Supreme Court of Tuva were held in the presence of 8 listeners. The prosecutor asked the court to cancel Anatoliy Senin's suspended sentence and send him to a penal colony for 7 years. Then the convicted person and the defense presented their closing arguments. The believer could not complete his final statement because the court interrupted him. After a break, the court announced the appeal ruling, finding the believer guilty of extremism but upheld the suspended sentence. The verdict has entered into force, but Anatoly maintains his innocence. He has the right to appeal the verdict in the cassation procedure.\nThe criminal prosecution of Anatoliy Senin has been ongoing since January 2021, despite the fact that the believer’s mere participation in meetings for worship should not become grounds for accusations of extremism. On October 28, 2021, the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation ruled that the religious services of Jehovah's Witnesses, their joint performance of rites and ceremonies, in themselves do not constitute a crime under Art. 282.2 of the RF Criminal Code.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-06-08T16:12:40+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/06/091612/image_hu_daade0a0c5b517a7.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/06/091612/image_hu_9be4782b9a86ded0.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/06/091612/image_hu_98ea21fe6e845c4a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/06/091612/image_hu_dc731d4a68ca9c93.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/06/091612.html","regions":["tyva"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","suspended","282.2-1","282.2-2"],"title":"The Court of Appeal in Tuva Upheld the Verdict Against Anatoliy Senin, One of Jehovah's Witnesses — a 6-Year Suspended Sentence","type":"news"},{"body":"Dmitry Vinogradov served the main sentence - a term of 2 years of suspended imprisonment.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Vinogradov in Chelyabinsk","date":"2023-06-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk2/index.html#20230607","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On June 6, 2023, Darya Didur, judge of the Partizansk City Court of the Primorye Territory, found Irina Buglak guilty of participating in the activity of a banned association and gave her a 2.5-year suspended sentence.\nThe prosecutor requested the court impose a 6-year and 5-month suspended sentence on the believer, with a 6-year deprivation of the right to engage in any activity related to leading and participating in the work of religious and public organizations and a 4-year probabtion period. The verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed. The believer maintains her innocence.\nThe case was initiated on April 19, 2019. On the same day, the apartment of an 80-year-old woman, whom Buglak visited, was searched. Due to the stress, Irina’s left arm became numb. Nevertheless, the believer was arrested and she spent a day in the local temporary detention facility. During the interrogation, she learned that the law enforcement agencies had been collecting information about her since 2018: they were spying on her social media and listening to telephone conversations. The next day, the court imposed a preventive measure of detention on Irina. She spent 6 months in a detention center and 3.5 months under house arrest.\nIn January 2020, the case went to court, but a year later it was returned to the prosecutor. The retrial of the case began in October 2021. Two months prior to this, judge Mariya Sundyukova was recused — she was the one who ruled to arrest Irina Buglak in 2019. Gross violations committed during the investigation were revealed at the trial. For example, entire paragraphs of witness testimonies corresponded word for word and contained the same errors. It was also revealed that during the interrogation, which lasted until the morning, the investigator had put pressure on the believer, demanding she sign the protocol which included wording he had added.\nIn her final statement, Irina stated: “The prosecutor is not finding any signs of extremist activity, but only how I express my faith. Tell me specifically what extremist actions did I commit? What was my intent? Once again I emphasize: I am not on trial for extremist actions, but for my faith in God.” She added: “Extremism is when people believe that members of other religions should be killed, beaten or otherwise persecuted. But such views contradict my beliefs. I live by the principle ‘you must love your neighbor as yourself’ and the well-known golden rule ‘all things, that you want people to do to you, you also must do to them’”.\nThe verdict against Irina Buglak is not the first against Jehovah's Witnesses from Partizansk. In September 2022, Liya Maltseva was convicted on similar charges — she was given a 2-year and 3-month suspended sentence. In total, 48 of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Primorye Territory are being prosecuted for their faith.\nThe European Court of Human Rights, in its recent judgment concerning Jehovah's Witnesses, emphasized that legal formalities should not be used to hinder the freedom of association of groups disliked by the authorities or advocating ideas that the authorities would like to suppress (§ 243).\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-06-06T16:39:41+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/06/061639/image_hu_8ddac3f9859b3d7e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/06/061639/image_hu_cf19c2f3f49d6883.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/06/061639/image_hu_2774484efbe3e5ef.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/06/061639/image_hu_9ae5570fc9126d49.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/06/061639.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":"Jehovah's Witness Irina Buglak Given 2.5-Year Suspended Sentence","tags":["282.2-1","282.2-2","sentence","suspended"],"title":"Another Guilty Verdict for Faith in Primorye Territory.","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 31, 2023, the Judicial Chamber of the Penza Regional Court upheld the verdict against Viktor Shayapov — a 2-year suspended sentence. The verdict has entered into force and the believer has the right to appeal in cassation procedure.\nThe Nikolskiy District Court of the Penza Region ruled in November 2022 that the believer was guilty of the activity of an extremist organization. Shayapov disagrees: “I did not engage in extremist or other unlawful activity. I lead a peaceful life, respect the authorities and obey the law because I believe in God”. The defense also argues that the court had no convincing reasons for the guilty verdict: no evidence of criminal actions by Viktor, no eyewitness testimonies, no victims.\nIn his final statement, Viktor Shayapov stated: \"Jehovah's Witnesses have not committed any crime. However, there are those who try to label the actions of ordinary believers - reading the Bible, preaching, joint meetings, praying and singing spiritual songs — as a crime that undermines the order and security of the state.\" The judges did not allow Viktor to complete his statement and decided to uphold the verdict.\nDespite the fact that the European Court of Human Rights has exonerated Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, local law enforcement officers and courts continue to repress believers solely for their religious views.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-05-31T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/06/051533/image_hu_e66d8845da03be27.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/06/051533/image_hu_52bffda761ffe2b8.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/06/051533/image_hu_24dfed60123e9f48.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/06/051533/image_hu_5c20c0b85733022a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/06/051533.html","regions":["penza"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["282.2-2","appeal","suspended"],"title":"Court of Appeal in Penza Upheld Suspended Sentence Against Viktor Shayapov","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 31, 2023, the Seventh Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Chelyabinsk upheld the verdict against Pavel Popov, a Jehovah's Witness from Yemanzhelinsk. The believer will continue to serve his 6-year suspended sentence.\nIn May 2022, the court found Pavel guilty of organizing the activity of an extremist organization for participating in a meeting for worship of Jehovah's Witnesses. The court of appeal excluded several pieces of evidence from the case, but the verdict essentially remained the same, so the believer filed a cassation appeal.\nSpeaking before the judicial chamber of the court of cassation, Popov stated: “I was found guilty... for just one short talk to my friends based on the Bible. That talk did not contain any statements for which one could accuse me of extremism.”\nIn the Chelyabinsk Region, a total of 13 Jehovah's Witnesses are being prosecuted for their faith. For eight of them, the verdict has already entered into force: the believers received suspended sentences or fines.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-05-31T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/05/311430/image_hu_a04e598567646e99.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/05/311430/image_hu_6c509630e81f540.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/05/311430/image_hu_15febbba956e96cb.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/05/311430/image_hu_da07c045f2741740.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/05/311430.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"subtitle":"The Believer Was Declared an Extremist for Giving a Bible Talk","tags":["282.2-1","cassation","suspended"],"title":"In Chelyabinsk, the Court of Cassation Upheld the Verdict Against Pavel Popov.","type":"news"},{"body":"Gaukhar Bektemirova served the main sentence in the form of suspended imprisonment for a period of 2 years and 3 months.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Polyakovs and Others in Omsk","date":"2023-05-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/omsk2/index.html#20230530","regions":["omsk"],"tags":["suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On May 26, 2023, Dmitriy Malikov, judge of the Industrial District Court of Barnaul, gave Pavel Kazadaev, 26, a 3-year suspended sentence with restriction of freedom for 6 months and a 2-year probation period for participating in the peaceful meetings for worship of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nThe Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against the believer in May 2021. Two weeks later, law enforcement officers conducted mass searches at the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Altai Territory, calling the special operation \"Armageddon\". Law enforcement officers also searched the house of Kazadaev's parents in the village of Lugovoye and the apartment in Novokuznetsk (Kemerovo Region), where he lived with his wife. The believer was taken to Barnaul and placed in a temporary detention facility, and later under a recognizance agreement.\nAbout a year later, the case of Pavel Kazadaev went to court. The prosecutor requested 3 years in a penal colony and 1 year restriction of freedom for him. Commenting on the charges against him, Pavel stated: “The prosecution does not indicate the date, time, place, specific persons in whose presence I made any statements promoting the superiority of Jehovah’s Witnesses over other persons, and does not cite such statements”. The investigation considered Kazadaev guilty for participating in meetings for worship. Regarding these meetings he explained: “We discussed why it is important to be attentive and show empathy to people and how to practice this”.\nThe criminal prosecution caused many difficulties in the life of the Kazadaev family. Their fellow believers have become a great support for them. Pavel said: “Our friends are constantly interested in how we are doing. For example, after the searches they helped us materially. We also really appreciate their emotional support: they send us cards and messages, small gifts and simply invite us over. Friends come to court to support me; some travel more than 100 kilometers”.\nAs a result of operation “Armageddon”, a total of 4 criminal cases were initiated against 6 believers in the Altai Territory. One of them, Andrey Danielyan, was sentenced to 6 years in a penal colony.\nThe Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation ruled that Jehovah's Witnesses, despite the liquidation of their legal entities, can exercise the right to freedom of conscience and religion, including through individual or joint practice of religion, worship or other religious rites and ceremonies, if they do not contain signs of extremism (p. 20).\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-05-26T13:15:27+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/05/261315/image_hu_736dbd9ff46a95ec.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/05/261315/image_hu_e31bc1d4f6d5aeb8.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/05/261315/image_hu_3a7e97260a439637.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/05/261315/image_hu_6e6fab3aac99d727.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/05/261315.html","regions":["altaisky"],"subtitle":"Court in Barnaul Gave Pavel Kazadaev a 3-Year Suspended Sentence","tags":["suspended","sentence","282.2-2"],"title":"Another Jehovah's Witness Convicted for His Faith in the Altai Territory.","type":"news"},{"body":"Zinaida Krutyakova, Konstantin Zherebtsov and Vitaliy Nikiforov served their main sentences - 2 years and 3 months, 2 years and 2 months, 2 years of suspended sentence, respectively.\nZinaida's husband Yuriy Krutyakov will continue to serve his suspended sentence.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Nikiforov and Others in Chekhov","date":"2023-05-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chekhov/index.html#20230524","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["suspended","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"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_12ffa3c369c85b39.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/05/250915/image_hu_8e327720b0409140.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/05/250915/image_hu_8485c9fb84e9965a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/05/250915/image_hu_6340f459ff22e72c.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":"On May 22, 2023, the court of the Jewish Autonomous Region held the third hearing in the case of Nataliya Kriger on an appeal — this time against a new guilty verdict for her faith issued after previous decisions had been overturned. The 2.5-year suspended sentence entered into force.\nNataliya does not consider herself guilty and has been defending her constitutional right to freedom of religion in courts for 2 years and 8 months already. In her appeal, she stated that the court of first instance had not taken into account her right to remain a believer after the liquidation of the legal entity of the religious organization. In addition, she stated that she was convicted under an article for extremism without citing specific extremist actions. According to Nataliya, the court ignored her arguments and explanations regarding her peaceful religious beliefs. She said: “The expression of hatred or enmity, or the division of people along class or social lines is alien to me. My religious views are based on the Bible. They are expressed in two basic commandments: love God and love people”.\nThe believer faced criminal prosecution in May 2018 when her home was raided as part of the \"Judgement Day” operation. In February 2020, a criminal case was initiated against her. After 6 months of investigation and 11 months of litigation, in July 2021, Nataliya was given her first guilty verdict. Later, the court of appeal upheld it, and then the court of cassation returned the case to the stage of appeal, which, in turn, sent it for a new trial to the court of first instance.\nIn March 2023, the Birobidzhanskiy District Court again found Nataliya Kriger guilty of participating in the activity of an extremist organization, imposing a 2.5-year suspended sentence with a 2-year probation period and restriction of freedom for 1 year.\nIn December 2022, the same Birobidzhanskiy District Court sent Nataliya's husband Valeriy to a penal colony for 7 years on similar charges. He is awaiting an appeal hearing in his criminal case.\nRussian human rights activists and the global community condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. The ECHR recognized these actions as illegal and called on the Russian Federation to the believers.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-05-22T10:11:55+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/05/231011/image_hu_92ea803f884e36a9.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/05/231011/image_hu_62d038b859892612.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/05/231011/image_hu_c2d1c4810ae02d60.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/05/231011/image_hu_ef55e046df06cd64.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/05/231011.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":"After Court Reconsidered her Case, She was Given a 2.5-Year Suspended Sentence for Her Faith in God","tags":["suspended","2-appeal","282.2-2","families"],"title":"Court of Appeal in Birobidzhan Reaffirmed Verdict Against Nataliya Kriger.","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 18, 2023, the Primorye Territory Court refused to grant the appeal of Sergey Korolchuk, Anton Chermnykh and Dmitriy Tishchenko against the guilty verdict that imposed a 6-year suspended sentence. The decision has entered into force, but the believers have the right to appeal it in cassation procedure.\nThe court considered the following to be evidence of extremist activity: the defendants continued to “follow the teachings” of Jehovah’s Witnesses by participating in meetings for worship, “listening to talks,\" and “singing religious songs.” As noted in the appeal, these actions are not prohibited by the RF CrC as socially dangerous acts, but are guaranteed by the RF Constitution as fundamental human rights and freedoms.\nA friendly meeting of fellow believers in a cafe was construed by law enforcement officers as “actions to organize the recruitment of new members, intended to continue the illegal activity of a banned religious organization.” In 2019, a criminal case was initiated against Korolchuk, Chermnykh and Tishchenko, and searches were conducted. Later, all three defendants signed a recognizance agreement, which was in place for almost 3 years. Rosfinmonitoring blocked their bank accounts.\nOn November 30, 2022, Dmitriy Babushkin, judge of the Ussuriysk District Court of the Primorye Territory, gave Sergey Korolchuk, Anton Chermnykh, and Dmitriy Tishchenko a 6-year suspended sentence with a 4-year probation period and 1 year restriction of freedom.\nIn their appeal the believers stated that as a result of a miscarriage of justice, they were convicted merely for peacefully practicing beliefs based on the Bible. They confirmed their intention to defend their innocence. Dmitriy Tishchenko observed: “Neither the investigator nor the public prosecutor said what harm or damage I caused to the State or which of my words or deeds incited hatred between people. Not a single person has ever come to court to claim that they have been harmed by my actions.” Sergey Korolchuk explained: “The only motive for all my actions was love for God and neighbor. This has nothing to do with extremism, which I am being charged with.” Anton Chermnykh emphasized: “In Russia you don't need permission to believe in God!”\nIn Primorye, 57 of Jehovah's Witnesses have been prosecuted for their faith, of which 25 have already been sentenced to various punishments, and 16 are defending their right to worship in court. Fourteen believers are serving suspended sentences.\nThe court in the city of Ussuriysk ignored the clarification of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, which emphasized that the liquidation of legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses does not impose a ban on their worship.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-05-18T17:11:36+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/05/181711/image_hu_4f957bdd92ebe7a4.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/05/181711/image_hu_2a3c7af5070b93df.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/05/181711/image_hu_a0db2dd3a52d8d2e.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/05/181711/image_hu_7a420b92dd02ae24.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/05/181711.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":"Verdict Entered Into Force — 6-year Suspended Sentence","tags":["appeal","suspended","282.2-1"],"title":"Court in Primorye Refused to Acquit Three Jehovah's Witnesses from Ussuriysk.","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 10, 2023, Lev Afanasyev, judge of the Nazarovsky City Court of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, gave Ivan Shulyuk a 7-year suspended sentence with 4-year probation. The court deemed discussing the Bible, praying and singing religious songs among friends as organizing the activity of an extremist organization.\nThe prosecution of Ivan Shulyuk for his faith began on June 18, 2020, when law enforcement officers raided the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in Nazarovo. He said: “I was subjected to a degrading procedure of search, arrest and confinement in a detention center. I was repeatedly transported in a tiny metal chamber within the prison van in the heat, kept and moved about in handcuffs, although I do not pose any threat to society. My personal data was added to the Rosfinmonitoring list, and I was put among those involved in terrorism and extremism, which is an outrageous injustice”. According to Ivan, the month he spent in the detention center was not an easy one, but faith in God, prayer, letters, parcels with food and flowers from friends and fellow believers, as well as the support of his wife Yuliya, helped him cope with the difficulties.\nThe investigation lasted a year and two months; it was conducted by the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee for the Nazarovsky District of the Krasnoyarsk Territory and the Republic of Khakassia. The case went to court in August 2021. In his final statement, Shulyuk said: “In the indictment against me, it is written in bold letters: ‘no information on victims, nature or extent of harm.’ It is logical that if there is no such information, if there is no evidence, then there is no guilt. This is not a search for my non-existent crime, but a deliberate discrimination and prosecution of me on religious grounds.” Witnesses in their testimonies confirmed that they had not heard calls for extremism from Shulyuk.\nIvan is not the first of his family to face repression for his faith. In 1942, his grandfather was shot down for being one of Jehovah's Witnesses and buried in a mass grave. In 1997 he was rehabilitated posthumously. Ivan mentioned this story at one of the hearings. “Having rehabilitated my relatives, the authorities confirmed that they were wrong at the time. So why repeat history?” the believer asked. Shulyuk has the right to defend his innocence in the court of appeal.\nIn the Krasnoyarsk Territory, three peaceful believers are already serving terms in a penal colony for reading the Bible: Anatoliy Gorbunov, Yevgeniy Zinich and Andrey Stupnikov. In total, law enforcement officers have initiated criminal cases against 30 Jehovah's Witnesses from this region. The persecution continues despite the decision of the Plenum of the Supreme Court, as well as the decision of the European Court of Human Rights of June 7, 2022, which fully exonerated Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-05-10T09:22:31+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/05/100922/image_hu_5d242655ee1334d9.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/05/100922/image_hu_1e74dbaa26cfab5d.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/05/100922/image_hu_2844412724c6329e.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/05/100922/image_hu_aa1814c813eef3e9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/05/100922.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":"Court Sentences Ivan Shulyuk, One of Jehovah's Witnesses from Nazarovo","tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-1"],"title":"Seven-Year Suspended Sentence for Reading the Bible with Friends.","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 28, 2023, the Asha City Court of the Chelyabinsk Region gave one of Jehovah's Witnesses, Vadim Fedorov, a 6-year suspended sentence for holding meetings for worship not prohibited by law. Judge Aleksey Rustamshin deemed discussing the Bible to be \"organizing the activity of an extremist organization\".\nVadim Fedorov, the father of five children, insists on his innocence. In his final statement, he said: “My conscience is clear both before God and before the state. I did nothing wrong for which I could be punished or called an extremist. The prosecution did not prove what they accuse me of ... I try to live according to the norms and commandments that are set out in the Bible, and for me this is sacred”.\nIn June 2021, while Vadim Fedorov was not there, his home was searched as part of the case against Andrey Perminov. A year later, criminal proceedings also started against Vadim. His home was searched one more time, again in his absence. It turned out that in April 2022, Aleksandr Chepenko, an investigator for especially important cases of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Chelyabinsk Region, initiated a criminal case against a 52-year-old believer on suspicion of extremism. The investigation lasted for about six months. From June 2022, Vadim Fedorov was under a recognizance agreement. He was added to the Rosfinmonitoring list of extremists and his bank accounts were blocked.\nThe case went to court in October 2022. At the request of the prosecutor, after 2 months it was transferred to another judge, and the proceedings started over. The prosecutor had requested 6.5 years in a penal colony for the believer. The verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed.\nDefending his good name, Vadim Fedorov reminded the court of the decision of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of October 28, 2021, according to which the investigation should not initiate criminal cases, searches and arrests only on the basis that a person adheres to the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-04-28T11:36:06+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/04/281136/image_hu_b5954b6995753f8c.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/04/281136/image_hu_3f70cbc09b4a8a5d.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/04/281136/image_hu_b1845f38bdc81630.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/04/281136/image_hu_8d468212ecc0d08.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/04/281136.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-1"],"title":"In the City of Asha, Chelyabinsk Region, a Court Gave Vadim Fedorov, the Father of Many Children, a 6-Year Suspended Sentence for His Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"Galina Parkova served the main sentence — a suspended sentence of 2 years and 3 months.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Parkova in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2023-04-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don5/index.html#20230426","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On April 20, 2023, the Supreme Court of the Altai Republic, chaired by Judge Irina Barsukova, upheld the sentence against Aleksandr Kalistratov, who two months earlier had been given a 6.5-year suspended sentence for his faith. The believer still does not admit his guilt for extremism.\nIn 2010, Aleksandr already appeared twice before the Supreme Court of the Altai Republic, defending his convictions. He became one of the first Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia to face charges under an article for extremism. Then the court fully acquitted the believer, recognizing his criminal prosecution as unlawful. He was given the right to rehabilitation. But in 2021, a criminal case was initiated against him again.\nAleksandr Kalistratov was one of the applicants in the case of Taganrog LRO and Others v. Russia (application No. 32401/10) before the European Court of Human Rights. On June 7, 2022, the court concluded that in relation to the religious activity of Jehovah’s Witnesses, Russia had shown “indications of a policy of intolerance... 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":"2023-04-20T08:22:44+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/04/210822/image_hu_eb82fdc1f3a5ee6f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/04/210822/image_hu_e73ecefaf2cee8fd.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/04/210822/image_hu_ae9b63799e7c4646.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/04/210822/image_hu_85e663eeec3ec329.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/04/210822.html","regions":["altai"],"subtitle":"12 Years ago He Had Been Under Trial at the Same Court","tags":["appeal","suspended","sentence","282.2-1"],"title":"The Court of Appeal in Gorno-Altaisk Upheld 6.5-Year Suspended Sentence for Aleksandr Kalistratov.","type":"news"},{"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_e171fc9058ba923b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/04/200832/image_hu_1559946fd14b32ac.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/04/200832/image_hu_a24f5106d356e97d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/04/200832/image_hu_178aeb1e118ec017.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":"On March 18, 2023, the panel of judges of the Khabarovsk Regional Court approved the sentence for Sergey Kuznetsov for his faith - 2 years and 5 months suspended with a 2-year probationary period. The believer still insists on his innocence.\nThree months earlier, the Vyazemsky District Court found Kuznetsov guilty of participating in the activity of an extremist organization. Sergey did not deny that he is one of Jehovah's Witnesses, and that he prayed and discussed the Bible with his friends. But, as the believer emphasized at the hearings in the court of first instance, he only worshipped God peacefully, and did not continue the activity of a liquidated legal entity.\nIn his appeal, Sergey Kuznetsov commented on the verdict as follows: “The court did not take into account that the right to be a believer does not depend on the existence of a legal entity or its liquidation, and also did not substantiate in the verdict why a peaceful way of expressing faith in God was regarded by it as a way of committing a crime\".\nIn total, 30 Jehovah's Witnesses have faced criminal prosecution for their faith in the Khabarovsk Territory. Three of them have already been given suspended sentences of various lengths.\nOn June 7, 2022, the European Court of Human Rights fully exonerated Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. The court's decision states that \"the imposition of criminal sanctions for manifestation of religious beliefs amounts to an interference with the exercise of the right to freedom of religion\" (§ 264).\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-04-18T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/04/200829/image_hu_405bcc0150d7ff83.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/04/200829/image_hu_1fbd5a1d594d304a.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/04/200829/image_hu_cc2c969f4ef03bae.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/04/200829/image_hu_16003ebe4db95963.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/04/200829.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","282.2-2","suspended"],"title":"The Court of Appeal Upheld the Sentence Against Sergey Kuznetsov From Vyazemsky – 2 Years and 5 Months Suspended for Reading the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 14, 2023, the judge of the Metallurgicheskiy District Court of Chelyabinsk, Aleksandr Shatsky, gave Olga Zhelavskaya a 2-year suspended sentence for participating in “joint meetings for worship... singing and praying.” The verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed. The believer insists on her complete innocence.\nOlga Zhelavskaya faced persecution for her faith in March 2019, when her apartment was searched as part of a case against Vladimir Suvorov. In August 2021, Alexander Chepenko, investigator of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, who had initiated 10 cases against Jehovah's Witnesses in the region, also initiated a criminal case against Zhelavskaya. The accusation was based on the testimony of an infiltrated agent, Ruzaeva, who, on the instructions of the Center for Combating Extremism, pretended to be interested in the Bible and made audio and video recordings of religious meetings.\nThe investigation lasted a little over a year. It negatively affected Olga’s health and her life in general—during the criminal prosecution, the believer suffered a stroke, she was fired from her job and her bank cards were blocked. According to Zhelavskaya, she was greatly supported by fellow believers: “They immediately came to my aid, brought food and money, and strengthened me.”\nIn August 2022, the case went to court. In her final statement, the believer pointed out that the accusation against her was unproven and unjustified: “The interrogation of both witnesses showed that neither during a friendly meeting with fellow believers, nor at any other time, did I make calls to overthrow the political system, break up families or any other extremist statements. No quotes, no facts, no records, no victims”.\nTo date, 12 Jehovah's Witnesses have been prosecuted in the Chelyabinsk Region, 8 of them have been given suspended sentences and fined for their faith in God.\nIn June 2022, the European Court of Human Rights concluded that regarding the activity of Jehovah's Witnesses, Russia has shown “indications of a policy of intolerance... designed to cause Jehovah’s Witnesses to abandon their faith and prevent others from joining it” (§ 254).\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-04-14T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/04/171401/image_hu_f1a8df100ba4db6e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/04/171401/image_hu_c78b417f8e70d7b4.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/04/171401/image_hu_efbc90206eacb42e.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/04/171401/image_hu_62b7c9de465888d3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/04/171401.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["282.2-2","sentence","suspended"],"title":"Court in Chelyabinsk Gave Olga Zhelavskaya, 61, a 2-Year Suspended Sentence for Reading the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 11, 2023, the Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region upheld the guilty verdict and the suspended sentence against Yevgeniy Yegorov for his faith.\nEarlier, in February 2023, the Birobidzhan District Court resentenced the believer to two and a half years of suspended imprisonment. At the first trial, which ended in June 2021, the court rendered an identical decision. The appellate court upheld it, but the believer did not agree with the verdict and filed a cassation appeal. The cassation court called the decision of the appellate court \"essentially unmotivated\" and pointed out a number of procedural violations. As a result, the case was returned to the court of first instance. The criminal prosecution of Yegorov has been going on for almost four years.\nYevgeniy's mother, Larisa Artamonova, also received a two-and-a-half-year suspended sentence on similar charges. In total, 23 of Jehovah's Witnesses in the region have been prosecuted for their faith. Four of them were sentenced to actual imprisonment.\nThe world human rights community and the European Court of Human Rights consider the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses unlawful. However, Russian courts continue to ignore the position of the ECHR, which stated: “It [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":"verdict","date":"2023-04-11T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/04/120937/image_hu_37068a1043575ab4.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/04/120937/image_hu_60bb81f94a3c4f6f.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/04/120937/image_hu_572980c46e88886a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/04/120937/image_hu_86454de8200fdfcd.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/04/120937.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":"The Appellate Court in Birobidzhan Upheld the Verdict Against the Believer","tags":["282.2-2","appeal","suspended"],"title":"A Two-and-a-Half-Year Suspended Sentence—The Outcome of Yevgeniy Yegorov's Long Trial.","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_fe7eaf1f3b1fad8.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/04/031040/image_hu_5e8b1f38982de7c1.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/04/031040/image_hu_1c9202a50150ebb4.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/04/031040/image_hu_af61427d493b631f.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":"The retrial of the case of Nataliya Kriger in the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region ended in a guilty verdict: on March 28, 2023, Judge Aleksandr Kulikov imposed a two-and-a-half-year suspended sentence on the believer for participating in peaceful worship services of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nThe court rendered the same verdict when the case was first considered in July 2021, although the prosecutor requested that the believer be sent to a penal colony for four years. The verdict came into force after an appeal, but the court of cassation did not agree with this decision. As noted by the panel of judges, the appellate court did not evaluate the believer's argument that she was found guilty of extremism despite the absence of any motive of hostility or hatred. Also, the court did not indicate which specific actions of Kriger contained signs of extremism. The appellate court during its second consideration of the case did not eliminate these errors, and it sent the case to the district court. This time, the prosecutor asked for a two-and-a-half-year suspended sentence.\nThe criminal prosecution of Nataliya Kriger has been going on for more than three years. The woman still believes that this is an injustice and that the accusations are groundless. “For 25 years [as one of Jehovah's Witnesses] I have tried to be a good citizen of my country, and now the prosecution is proposing that I be declared an extremist,” she said. “But I didn’t commit any extremist actions.” The testimonies of witnesses and the examined evidence indicated only Nataliya's religious affiliation and did not reveal any corpus delicti.\nThe criminal case is based on recordings of peaceful worship. Although the recordings contained no signs of extremism, the investigation considered Nataliya's attendance at meetings of believers to be participation in illegal activities. Kriger drew attention to this in court: “The meeting, on which the charges against me are based, encouraged me to display good qualities and to do good deeds for the benefit of others ... All I learned at this event is to increase my love for God and for other people. And I am trying to do this. I sincerely cannot understand what I am guilty of.”\nIn December 2022, the same district court in Birobidzhan sent Nataliya's husband to a penal colony for seven years on similar charges. He is currently in a pre-trial detention center pending appeal.\nAddressing the court in her final statement, Nataliya Kriger emphasized: “As one of Jehovah's Witnesses, I am not an extremist and never have been. No one forbade practicing one's religion in Russia, and being one of Jehovah's Witnesses is not a crime under Russian law. For me personally, being one of Jehovah's Witnesses is a great honor!”\nThe global human rights community considers the prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses unlawful. In particular the European Court of Human Rights has stated: “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":"verdict","date":"2023-03-28T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/03/290846/image_hu_e9de814066e6feed.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/03/290846/image_hu_e4e4af2c3d5bdf37.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/03/290846/image_hu_b857d1fab91e06d3.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/03/290846/image_hu_8cf3f7727ef92589.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/03/290846.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["282.2-2","suspended","sentence","retrial"],"title":"A Court in the City of Birobidzhan Resentenced Nataliya Kriger, Giving Her a Two-and-a-Half-Year Suspended Sentence for Reading the Bible and Believing in Jehovah","type":"news"},{"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_b2320b7f4dbc1615.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/03/231358/image_hu_95eebeaab248975a.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/03/231358/image_hu_66e9b22f8a749ff2.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/03/231358/image_hu_cb2d4ed81569c43f.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":"On March 23, 2023, Judge Natalya Kazymova of the Central District Court of the city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur gave Tatyana Svoboda, Tatyana Bondarenko and Elena Nesterova five-year suspended prison sentences with probationary terms of two years. The verdict has not entered into force. The believers can appeal.\nThe court viewed the women's conversations about God and the Bible with one of the local residents as extremism. According to the investigation, Bondarenko, age 62, Svoboda, age 63, and Nesterova, age 55, “influenced V. N. Demina to participate in the activities of a religious organization . . . persuading her and using other means to involve her in the activities of this extremist organization by lyingly convincing her of the correctness of its teachings.” The prosecution did not give a single example of such \"persuasions.\"\nIn the autumn of 2021, the Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against pensioner Tatyana Svoboda. A month later, her home was searched, as were the homes of Elena Nesterova and Tatyana Bondarenko. In November of the following year, the case went to court, and a decision was rendered after six court sessions. According to the defense, the assessment by specialist D.·V. Galyamov was made from the standpoint of his religion and his personal judgments and was not based on scientific or other objective data, and expert M.·B. Serdyuk gave a legal rather than religious assessment to religious conversations, which does not meet the criteria of a scientific examination.\nThe testimony of Demina, who discussed Bible teachings with believers, did not indicate the presence of any signs of extremism in the actions of the women. The defendants reminded the participants in the process of an excerpt from the Plenum of the Supreme Court, according to which “the joint confession of religion and the performance of worship . . . in themselves, if they do not contain signs of extremism, do not constitute a crime under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.”\nDespite this, the state prosecutor requested this sentence for the believers: seven years of imprisonment, suspended, with a five-year probation term and restriction of freedom for one year and six months without the right to engage in activities related to posting materials on the Internet for a year and a half.\nDuring the judicial arguments, the defendants asked the court: “If the Supreme Court and the Government of the Russian Federation publicly declare that citizens in Russia have the right to continue to profess the religion of Jehovah’s Witnesses, then on what basis do the investigating authorities consider it a crime to profess this faith?”\nSince 2018, 30 of Jehovah's Witnesses in this region have been subjected to criminal prosecution for their faith. Four of them were given suspended sentences; another four have served their sentences. Seventeen people have cases at the trial stage. As the European Court noted in the summer of 2022, “bearing Christian witness ... [is] an essential mission and a responsibility of every Christian and every Church ... There is nothing to indicate that non-religious people were forced to talk to them [Jehovah's Witnesses].” (§ 183)\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-03-23T11:46:53+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/03/241146/image_hu_28f771a55b99f0ae.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/03/241146/image_hu_f306bac982ecdcfd.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/03/241146/image_hu_465c5d10f15b0d8c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/03/241146/image_hu_ce61ca0d0ebb3758.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/03/241146.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["suspended","282.2-1.1","sentence"],"title":"A Court in the City of Komsomolsk-on-Amur Gave Three Women Five-Year Suspended Sentences for Talking About the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 21, 2023, the Nizhny Novgorod Regional Court dismissed Gevorg Gevorkyan's appeal against the verdict of the court of first instance, which found him guilty of organizing the activities of an extremist organization and gave him a six-year suspended sentence.\nAddressing the Court of Appeal in his final statement, Gevorkyan noted that the criminal prosecution ruined his health and had a negative impact on his wife's health. In addition, according to the believer, the “humiliating search accompanied by verbal and physical insults” carried out at his workplace tarnished his reputation in the eyes of his colleagues. Gevorg expressed his feelings in the following words: “Does a person deserve all this, a person whose so-called fault consists only of believing in God not merely in words but also in deeds, striving, not for enmity, but for peace?”\nIn the summer of 2019, Gevorg Gevorkyan and his family experienced two searches in one day and interrogations that lasted many hours. According to the believer, an audio recording device was installed in his home. Nizhny Novgorod law enforcement officers accused Gevorg of conducting joint religious services of Jehovah's Witnesses, which served as the basis for his prosecution.\nOn January 17, 2022, the Avtozavodsky District Court of Nizhny Novgorod found Gevorg Gevorkyan guilty of committing a crime under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The prosecutor then requested that he serve eight years in a penal colony, but the court gave him a suspended sentence. With the decision of the appellate court, the verdict came into force, but the believer still insists on his innocence and has the right to appeal the decision in the cassation court.\nInitially, the criminal case against Gevorg Gevorkyan was separated from the case of Sergey Malyanov and others. It is still at the trial stage. Guilty verdicts have already been handed down in the Nizhny Novgorod region against eight of Jehovah's Witnesses. Not one of the criminal cases against Jehovah's Witnesses provided a single piece of evidence that the believers' actions undermined the foundations of the constitutional order, destroyed marriages, or caused any other harm to the state or the individual.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-03-21T09:42:28+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/03/240942/image_hu_6b0c873c8d3da0c0.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/03/240942/image_hu_1eacab2353dd7a21.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/03/240942/image_hu_9406ad304303a938.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/03/240942/image_hu_d61aa7dd665a5022.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/03/240942.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["282.2-1","appeal","suspended"],"title":"An Appeal in the City of Nizhny Novgorod Upheld the Six-Year Suspended Sentence Imposed on Gevorg Gevorkyan, One of Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 3, 2023, the Chelyabinsk Regional Court upheld the verdict against Andrey Perminov who is severely disabled — a 6-year suspended sentence. Judge Marina Klyushina agreed with the ruling of the court of first instance to deem peaceful religious services and discussions of the Bible to be extremism.\nThe verdict has entered into force. Although the legislation of the Russian Federation does not classify the dissemination and practice of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses as extremism, the courts interpreted the believer's actions as organizing the activity of an extremist organization. The prosecutor's office found the ruling of the court of first instance to be too lenient and appealed it.\nSpeaking at the appeal hearing, Andrey Perminov said: “Punishment is carried out for a specific purpose, namely, to correct the offender. I don't understand how exactly I should correct myself. During the course of the trial, it only was “revealed” that I am one of Jehovah's Witnesses. My only “guilt” was that I studied the Bible, sang songs, discussed Bible thoughts with friends and shared knowledge with others... I have a feeling that the investigation and the prosecution want me to change my faith, renounce God, my heavenly Father... In fact, the prosecution suggests that I become an ungrateful son. This will never happen!”\nAndrey Perminov has been subjected to criminal prosecution for the second year. He says: “The searches leave a scar. Headlights, cars stopping under the windows made us nervous for a long time”. He adds: “We have a small budget and there are expenses for issuing powers of attorney for my wife, because I am disabled and cannot go to the various authorities... I was added on the list of Rosfinmonitoring as an extremist, and all my bank accounts and cards were blocked... I am very glad that my employer did not terminate my contract when he found out about the criminal case. It is a lifesaver that the post office employees deliver the disability pension to my door”.\nAccording to Andrey, like-minded people have become a huge support for him. “Friends have been constantly sending messages that they love us and pray fervently for us,” he says and adds –– “With the support of God, we will endure everything and he will restore everything - both reputation and inner peace.”\nIn a recent decision, the European Court emphasized the unlawfulness of the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia: “Legal formalities should not be used to hinder the freedom of association of groups disliked by the authorities or advocating ideas that the authorities would like to suppress” (§ 243). Eric Patterson, executive vice president of the Religious Freedom Institute and former dean of Regent University’s Robertson School of Government, also noted, “Russia’s continuing persecution of Jehovah’s Witnesses as ‘extremists’ who threaten Russia’s national security is unfair and unwise.”\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-03-03T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/03/060938/image_hu_af45a111cde5f886.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/03/060938/image_hu_facc2fcf765fc3d5.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/03/060938/image_hu_90aff68e4b96d41.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/03/060938/image_hu_d03f51618174f19c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/03/060938.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"subtitle":"Disabled Person Will Serve a 6-Year Suspended Sentence","tags":["appeal","282.2-1","disability","suspended"],"title":"Court of Appeal in Chelyabinsk Upheld the Verdict Against Andrey Perminov, One of Jehovah's Witnesses.","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 1, 2023, the Khabarovsk Territorial Court reduced Yegor Baranov's suspended sentenceby six months—now the believer will have to serve a four-and-a-half-year suspended sentence for talking about the Bible. The decision has entered into force. It can be appealed in the cassation procedure.\nThe basis of the accusations of extremism was the testimonies of witnesses, which either totally or partially did not correspond to reality. Other witnesses were subjected to psychological pressure. Also, during the investigation, the facts were falsified more than once. While considering evidence of Baranov's guilt in court, passages from the Bible were read on how to build relationships with others, how to strengthen the family and how to show respect for the authorities.\nThe ruling of the ECHR dated June 7, 2022, which fully justified Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia, states that “the right to freedom of religion as guaranteed under the Convention excludes any discretion on the part of the State to determine whether religious beliefs or the means used to express such beliefs are legitimate”.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-03-01T17:18:15+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/03/021718/image_hu_4741e84f4530512b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/03/021718/image_hu_c3871dab31f28785.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/03/021718/image_hu_91f33ba23343cb2e.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/03/021718/image_hu_8aa266bd1f81a1b6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/03/021718.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":"The Believer Was Given a Four-and-a-Half-Year Suspended Sentence\u003cbr\u003e","tags":["mitigation","appeal","282.2-2","282.2-1.1","suspended"],"title":"An Appeal in Khabarovsk Reduced Yegor Baranov's Term by Six Months.","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 1, 2023, the Stavropol Regional Court changed Viktor Zimovskiy's 6-year and 2-month prison sentence to a suspended sentence; he was released from the detention center. Instead of 4 years and 2 months of forced labor, Anatoliy Gezik received a suspended sentence. The sentence for his wife, Irina Gezik, - 4 years and 2 months suspended - remained unchanged.\nThe court of first instance announced the verdict against three Jehovah's Witnesses from Georgievsk in November 2022. They were found guilty of organizing and participating in extremist activity for meeting with their fellow believers for joint worship and Bible reading. When filing an appeal against the verdict, they drew the court's attention to the absence of evidence of an actual crime in their actions. So, Viktor Zimovskiy was convicted only because he “gave talks, read religious literature, organized religious services for followers of the teaching of Jehovah's Witnesses.” “These actions,” as noted in the appeal, “are guaranteed by the Constitution of the Russian Federation as the fundamental rights and freedoms of a person that belong to him from birth.”\nIn 2019, the homes of the Gezik couple and Viktor Zimovskiy were searched, when, according to believers, the security forces planted flash drives of unknown content. During the search, Viktor Zimovskiy, who is disabled, fell ill. Nevertheless, he and ten other people were taken for interrogation. The investigator arrested Viktor after a second interrogation in January 2020. He spent 2 months in a detention center, and then another 1.5 months under house arrest. After the verdict was passed, Zimovskiy was again placed in the detention center, where he spent 3.5 months.\nAccording to Viktor Zimovskiy, during the criminal prosecution, it was especially hard to be separated from his children and his pregnant wife. And the difficult conditions of detention did not contribute to his optimism. However, as Viktor says, difficulties are easier to endure, thanks to the support of friends: “I was calm... that my family had everything they needed and were surrounded by care.”\nRussian courts continue to ignore the position of the European Court of Justice, which, in a judgment dated June 7, 2022, stated: “By holding [Jehovah’s Witnesses] criminally liable simply for continuing religious services, the Russian authorities imposed a disproportionate and unjustifiable burden on the exercise of their freedom of religion and association” (§ 260).\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-03-01T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/03/080818/image_hu_a69bbd1ef11e6899.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/03/080818/image_hu_394994ceaeccf0f8.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/03/080818/image_hu_e0e85dce53ec0947.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/03/080818/image_hu_6a68ed1a78e6b75.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/03/080818.html","regions":["stavropol"],"subtitle":"In The Stavropol Region, the Court of Appeal Changed the Sentence of the Gezik Couple and Viktor Zimovskiy","tags":["282.2-1","282.2-2","suspended","appeal","mitigation"],"title":"Suspended Sentences Instead of a Penal Colony and Forced Labor.","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 28, 2023, the Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region considered the case of Svetlana Monis, one of Jehovah's Witnesses, for the third time. The appeals panel approved the decision of the lower court: for her faith she was found guilty of participating in extremist activity and given a 2.5-year suspended sentence.\nIn May 2021, the Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region replaced the fine imposed on Monis with a 2.5-year suspended imprisonment. Later, the court of cassation overturned this decision. In March 2022, after a second appeal the case was returned to the Birobidzhan District Court for a new trial. This time, the court of first instance imposed a 2.5-year suspended sentence. The prosecutor again requested 4 years imprisonment for the woman. At the same time, the text of his closing argument was identical to what he read out at the first consideration of the case two years earlier. One of the main pieces of evidence of Svetlana's guilt mentioned by the state prosecutor was using the name Jehovah. However, no court has ever forbidden the use of this name; it is found in many translations of the Bible and works of literature.\nSvetlana's case is being heard in the courts for the past three years. At the same time, Svetlana's husband, Alam Aliyev, as well as three other believers, are subjected to criminal prosecution. In December 2022, Alam was sentenced to 6.5 years in a penal colony. He also was found guilty of extremism only for his peaceful religious beliefs. Now Aliyev is in the Birobidzhan detention center awaiting an appeal decision.\nSvetlana says that from the very beginning of the prosecution in 2018, she and her husband felt the constant support of fellow believers: “[Friends] from other cities were worried, prayed for us, passed letters with words of support, were interested, and through our relatives passed on material assistance.”\nIn June 2022, the European Court of Human Rights declared the prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia unlawful. In its decision, the court ruled that “imposition of criminal sanctions for manifestation of religious beliefs amounts to an interference with the exercise of the right to freedom of religion” (§ 264).\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-02-28T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/03/020856/image_hu_414cabf5c912d3d2.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/03/020856/image_hu_a0c4e6a288a0abb.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/03/020856/image_hu_649b8a722d40d8f7.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/03/020856/image_hu_a9b4360d706475be.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/03/020856.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":" A 2.5-Year Suspended Sentence For Her Faith","tags":["282.2-2","suspended","2-appeal"],"title":"Court of Appeal in Birobidzhan Upheld the Verdict For Svetlana Monis.","type":"news"},{"body":" Текст обновлен 14 марта 2023 года On February 27, 2023, Vladimir Romanenko, judge of the Yalta City Court, sentenced Taras Kuzo to 6.5 years in a penal colony, Petr Zhiltsov to 6 years and 1 month in a penal colony, Sergey Lyulin to 6 years in prison, and Darya Kuzo to 3 years of suspended sentence. The basis for such punishment was their religious beliefs.\nThe prosecutor requested 7.5 years in a penal colony for Taras Kuzo, the father of two, 7 years for Petr Zhiltsov and Sergey Lyulin, and 3.5 years for Darya Kuzo with a reprieve until her youngest child reaches 14 years of age. Now he is 8 years old.\nOn March 20, 2019, law enforcement officers arrived at the believers' home for the first search. In March 2021, after the third search, the investigation initiated a criminal case against Taras Kuzo for “financing the activity of an extremist organization” (part 3, Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation), and four months later the investigator added a charge of “organizing the activity of an extremist organization\" (part 1, Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). At the same time, Taras's wife, Darya, as well as Sergey Lyulin and Petr Zhiltsov, became defendants in the case. During the searches, communication equipment belonging not only to adults, but also to children, and personal savings were confiscated from the believers. Also their bank accounts were blocked.\nThe investigation lasted 2 years. From the moment of detention, Sergey Lyulin spent almost 7 months in a detention center. “There were 12 beds in the cell, but there were always more people, we had to sleep in turns. It was very stuffy, things practically did not dry, there was a huge number of flies, everyone smoked and they used obscene language,” said the believer about the conditions of his detention. He was later placed under house arrest for 4.5 months. Taras and Petr were also under house arrest—16 and 11.5 months respectively. “Because of the house arrest, I didn’t live with my wife and children, and as it was impossible to use the telephone and the Internet, I didn’t know for several days what was happening with my family,” Taras shared.\nTaras Kuzo noted that identical testimonies of three secret witnesses appear in the case—Ivanov, Petrov and Volodin. Lyulin said that these witnesses for the prosecution did not remember anyone except the defendants, although they had attended meetings for worship, according to them, for more than a year. They also claimed that they \"adhered to the ideology of Jehovah's Witnesses\", but could not explain what the teachings of this religion were, and could not pronounce the name of God correctly. The believers think that they were infiltrators from the FSB.\nThe support provided by friends and fellow believers throughout the investigation and trial helped the believers to survive all the difficulties. “They wrote me a lot of letters with words of encouragement and Bible verses,” Taras said. “It was very strengthening that friends mentioned specific situations of when and how I had helped them. Their gratitude is a great example for me.” According to Petr, \"there is no such support anywhere else.\"\nThe verdict has not entered into force. The believers still insist on their innocence and can appeal against it.\nOn June 7, 2022, the ECHR emphasized that “only religious statements and actions involving or calling for violence, hatred or discrimination, may warrant suppression as being ‘extremist’. The courts did not identify any word, deed or action by the applicants which would be motivated or tainted by violence, hatred or discrimination” (§ 271).\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-02-27T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/02/280844/image_hu_99e20b76b96e391.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/02/280844/image_hu_12490f53c87d99e8.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/02/280844/image_hu_1590bc01bb866bd3.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/02/280844/image_hu_c1b9032d6b10a9ea.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/02/280844.html","regions":["crimea"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-1"],"title":"Court in Yalta Gave Four Jehovah's Witnesses, Including a Woman, From 3 Years Suspended Sentence to 6.5 Years in Penal Colony for Believing in God","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 20, 2023, the Vakhitovsky District Court of Kazan found Tatyana Obizhestvit and the Bochkarevs guilty of organizing the activities of an extremist organization. None of those convicted pleaded guilty.\nTatyana Obizhestvit and Leysan Bochkareva received suspended sentences of two years and two and a half years respectively. Andrey Bochkarev was sentenced to three years and one month of actual imprisonment but was released in the courtroom because he already served this term in a pre-trial detention center.\nFor three believers from Kazan, it all started in January 2020, when Tatyana had guests at her home. An unexpected visit of security forces interrupted the friendly gathering. After the search, law enforcement officers took the detainees—more than 10 people—to the Department for Combating Organized Crime, where they were subjected to aggresive interrogation.\nThe criminal case was initiated by the Ministry of Internal Affairs in December 2019. The investigation lasted almost a year and a half. This whole time, including during the trial, Andrey was in a pre-trial detention center and the women were under house arrest. Thus, for more than three years, they were deprived of liberty without mitigation of the preventive measures, as if they were dangerous criminals.\nIn court, it became obvious that the case was based on false testimonies of secret witnesses and provocateurs. Witnesses for the prosecution contradicted each other and were confused about dates and events.\nAndrey Bochkarev expressed his feelings about what was happening: “The Supreme Court of the Russian Federation made it clear that its decision of April 20, 2017, does not in any way prohibit the constitutional rights of citizens, including mine. I continue to have the right to 'freely choose, hold, profess and act in accordance with religious and other beliefs.' I think that the preliminary investigation agencies are incorrectly and arbitrarily interpreting the decision of the Supreme Court. And I sit on the court bench today, not because of a crime I allegedly committed, but because of their misinterpretation.”\nTatyana Obizhestvit expressed her firm belief that “this criminal case is the political repression of a religious minority—Jehovah's Witnesses. Unfortunately, in Russia anti-extremist legislation is being misused to persecute Jehovah's Witnesses for their faith.”\nThis situation is causing alarm in the global community. For example, the judgment of the ECHR dated June 7, 2022, states: “Considering the above elements and the sequence of events, the Court finds that 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":"2023-02-20T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/02/210917/image_hu_f4fdc04ab93c3ab2.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/02/210917/image_hu_a4d5f587fd6632b2.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/02/210917/image_hu_72698d15fa8455f6.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/02/210917/image_hu_998a4fefea005ccc.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/02/210917.html","regions":["tatarstan"],"subtitle":"The Believers Received Various Terms of Imprisonment","tags":["liberty-deprivation","sentence","suspended","282.2-1","secret-witness"],"title":"Three of Jehovah's Witnesses Sentenced in Kazan.","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 17, 2023, the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region, after a retrial of the case, sentenced one of Jehovah's Witnesses, Yevgeniy Yegorov, again to 2 years and 6 months suspended with a 1-year restriction of liberty.\n“The respected prosecutor believes that I need to reform. To do this, I must first at least understand in what way, - Yevgeniy expressed his bewilderment to the court. “The reason for the investigation was peaceful Bible discussion, and not a single law of the state and not a single court decision prohibited this.”\n“The investigator said that if I prayed to God at home, believed in him only in my soul and did not express my faith in any way, then I would not be persecuted as an extremist. But such a position contradicts the very essence of faith, ” said Yevgeniy.\nThe criminal prosecution of this peaceful Christian has been going on for almost 5 years now. In 2018, Birobidzhan law enforcement officers searched his house, and a year later they accused the believer of extremism. The first court hearing began in the winter of 2020. Within two years, the case reached the Ninth Court of Cassation in Vladivostok, which sent it for a second appeal, which, in turn, sent it for a new consideration.\nDuring these years, Yegorov faced a number of difficulties. On the very day of Yevgeniy's wedding, the FSB charged his mother and several friends with extremism. Then the believer himself was under a recognizance agreement. “Because of this, my wife and I faced serious financial problems from the start of family life. But we did not lose heart,” said Yevgeniy. Soon the newlyweds learned that they were expecting a baby. The believer recalls: “Friends came to our aid. After the birth of our son, we received parcels with children's goods. And the words of support from fellow believers were very reassuring.”\nThe June 7, 2022 judgement of the European Court of Human Rights emphasizes that the behavior of the Russian authorities towards Jehovah's Witnesses contains \"indications of a policy of intolerance ... designed to cause [believers] to abandon their faith and prevent others from joining it\" (§254).\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-02-17T19:20:47+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/02/171920/image_hu_90d428b05e6eef46.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/02/171920/image_hu_cf0ce460a1aef30f.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/02/171920/image_hu_a2fd21a6e4516b6f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/02/171920/image_hu_9bccaf4634a5cc7e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/02/171920.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":"He is Considered an Extremist for Continuing to Talk About the Bible","tags":["suspended","sentence","retrial","282.2-2"],"title":"In Birobidzhan, the Court Again Imposed a 2.5-Year Suspended Sentence on Yevgeniy Yegorov.","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 17, 2023, the Gorno-Altaisk City Court of the Altai Republic found one of Jehovah's Witness, Aleksandr Kalistratov, guilty of extremism. Aleksandr has already won two trials for his faith. But this time, the judge supported the prosecution and punished the believer with a six-and-a-half year suspended sentence.\nOne more criminal case against Aleksandr Kalistratov was initiated on December 16, 2021. And a month later, security forces came to search his apartment. They confiscated electronic devices, documents, bank cards and personal notes from the believer. After being interrogated at the Investigative Committee, Aleksandr signed a recognizance agreement. The investigation accused the believer of extremism with the following wording: “For the purpose of secrecy, I determined the places and methods of holding [worship] services using software for video calls via the Internet.”\nIn August 2022, the case went to court. During the hearing, it was discovered that the courtroom testimony of witnesses for the prosecution contradicted their own testimony given during the preliminary investigation, which they had signed off on. One of the witnesses said that the investigator added information to the protocol that she did not agree with. Another witness stated that the investigator threatened her with detention if she did not sign the protocol. Another man who was questioned in court explained that he signed the protocol without reading it after experiencing severe stress because of the search, during which the FSB officer threatened to shoot his dogs.\nAleksandr Kalistratov told the court: “I have been one of Jehovah's Witness for 29 years. And our government did not suffer from this, and the constitutional order was not destroyed. On the contrary, I try to be a law-abiding person because the Bible encourages me to do so. I don't steal, I don't use violence against anyone, I don't even insult anyone. And I want all people on earth to live in peace and harmony. I regularly read the Bible, meditate on what I read, and discuss with my fellow believers and others what I have learned from the Bible. I do this because I am sure that the Bible can help millions of people become kinder and happier. Is it possible to call such actions unlawful? I'm sure it is not.\"\nThe European Court has come to a similar conclusion with respect to Jehovah's Witnesses. The ruling dated June 7, 2022 states: \"By seeking to suppress the religious activities of Jehovah’s Witnesses as they did, the Russian authorities failed to act in good faith and breached the State’s duty of neutrality and impartiality vis‑à‑vis the religion of Jehovah’s Witnesses.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-02-17T16:25:35+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/02/171625/image_hu_5b8017a8bff9da0e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/02/171625/image_hu_b890ae7a61479281.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/02/171625/image_hu_28a0214b60d2a041.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/02/171625/image_hu_60129fdb7346482b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/02/171625.html","regions":["altai"],"subtitle":"Participation in Peaceful Religious Meetings Is Viewed as Extremism","tags":["282.2-1","sentence","suspended"],"title":"In Gorno-Altaisk, One of Jehovah's Witnesses, Aleksandr Kalistratov, Was Given a Six-and-a-Half Year Suspended Sentence.","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 14, 2023, the Kamchatka Territorial Court considered the appeal of Dmitriy and Nadezhda Semenov against the guilty verdict of a lower court, which gave them a four-year suspended sentence for their faith in God. The appellate court upheld the verdict, and it has entered into force.\nThe Semenovs learned that they were being criminally prosecuted in September 2021 when a search was conducted in their home. The believers were interrogated and released under a recognizance agreement. Three days earlier, the Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against the Semenovs under Article 282.2, part 1.1, of of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (involving others in the activities of an extremist organization). The charges were based on a letter written by the Semenovs to local resident Yelena Turova that included Bible advice on how to treat others kindly. Afterwards the family experienced regular interrogations and the stress of expecting more searches. Dmitriy explained what helped them cope with anxiety and discouragment: “When we are scared and anxious, prayer helps us find inner peace.”\nAfter 10 months of investigation, the criminal case was submitted to the Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy City Court. On November 8, 2022, Judge Vladimir Bykov found the Semenovs guilty of extremism. The prosecutor requested that they be sent to a penal colony for four years, but the court gave them only a suspended sentence.\nIn the submission to the appellate panel, Dmitriy Semenov drew attention to the complete absence of any evidence of his or his wife’s guilt. The prosecution presented secretly recorded conversations of the believers, but they did not contain even signs of hatred or hostility toward representatives of other religions. No evidence was presented to indicate that the constitutional order of the Russian Federation had been undermined. “There is not a single piece of evidence, only empty, groundless accusations,” said Dmitriy Semenov, adding: “We register our business, we pay taxes ... I respect the state, I am aware of its importance, and I try to follow the laws of our country.”\nNadezhda Semenova also declared her absolute innocence at the appeal hearing and asked the court to use common sense: “Extremists promote violence and incite mass riots. But we did nothing of the kind, and we did not encourage anything like that. I have never been motivated by hatred or enmity. On the contrary, I love people ... I don’t understand what the crime is here and why my husband and I should be sentenced—albeit suspended—for several years.\"\nThe judgment of the European Court of Human Rights dated June 7, 2022, declared unreasonable and unjust the prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses by the Russian authorities on charges of extremism. The ECHR emphasized that the right to \"try to convince one's neighbor\" is an essential element of religious freedom (§ 168). In addition, the European Court reiterated that the imposition of criminal sanctions for the exercise of religious beliefs is an interference with the right to freedom of religion (§ 264).\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-02-14T09:42:37+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/02/170942/image_hu_4e0565f76dd3c8c3.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/02/170942/image_hu_f0c59d71ed7909cf.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/02/170942/image_hu_19deadc0c96ea155.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/02/170942/image_hu_e531921011d5caf0.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/02/170942.html","regions":["kamchatka"],"subtitle":"The Semenovs Were Given a Four-Year Suspended Sentence for Their Faith in God","tags":["appeal","suspended","282.2-1.1","families"],"title":"The Appellate Court Upheld the Verdict Against Jehovah's Witnesses From Kamchatka.","type":"news"},{"body":"Text updated on February 14, 2023.\nOn February 13, 2023, the Supreme Court of the Chuvash Republic upheld the verdict of four Jehovah's Witnesses from Alatyr, mitigating the sentence for two of them. Instead of fines of 350,000 rubles, Nina Martynova and Zoya Pavlova will pay 80,000 rubles each. The 6-year suspended sentences for Andrey Martynov and Mikhail Yermakov were left unchanged by the court.\nAll four have been peacefully practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses since the 1990s. However, in December 2022, in violation of the constitutional right to freely choose, have and disseminate religious beliefs, the Alatyr District Court declared them guilty of extremism.\nThe believers commented on this in their appeal as follows: “We have not denied that we are Jehovah's Witnesses and that together with our loved ones and friends we sang songs praising God, prayed and discussed the Bible. But our goal was not to continue the activity of a liquidated legal entity, but to carry out peaceful worship of God.” They added: \"The actual purpose of the verdict is to force us, under fear of criminal prosecution, to change our religion or leave the Russian Federation.\" The believers can appeal to the court of cassation.\nMikhail Yermakov named examples of the endurance of repressed fellow believers during the Soviet era as a source of support. “Even the investigator was sometimes surprised at my calmness and sense of humor,” the believer said.\nThe European Court of Human Rights held that the Russian Federation violated the right of Jehovah's Witnesses to freedom of religion: “By holding the applicants criminally liable, simply for continuing religious services, the Russian authorities imposed a disproportionate and unjustifiable burden on the exercise of their freedom of religion and association” (§ 260).\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-02-13T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/02/141019/image_hu_97c6d044e1c723e8.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/02/141019/image_hu_937aea6dd55dd871.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/02/141019/image_hu_2e6d0513a5b836cb.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/02/141019/image_hu_a49bb556fadda011.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/02/141019.html","regions":["chuvashia"],"subtitle":"Large Fines and Lengthy Suspended Sentences Given for Reading the Bible","tags":["appeal","suspended","fine","mitigation","282.2-1.1","282.2-1","282.2-2"],"title":"Court of Appeal in Cheboksary Upheld the Verdict for Four Believers.","type":"news"},{"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_46c4e006821ce7c5.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/02/101539/image_hu_55cc14e11cb9bde0.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/02/101539/image_hu_84448e85a8929f99.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/02/101539/image_hu_1d4c94bb6903b96d.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":"On February 6, 2023, the Chelyabinsk Regional Court upheld the sentence for 54-year-old Vadim Gizatulin: 2 years of suspended imprisonment. The verdict has entered into force, but the believer has the right to appeal against it in the cassation process.\nVadim insists on his innocence and considers the accusation groundless: “I have never denied that I am one of Jehovah's Witnesses. But I never belonged to any of the organizations liquidated by the Supreme Court. I did not participate in the continuation of the activity of an extremist organization, but in the religious services of believers, which were not banned by the court.”\nMoreover, not a single piece of evidence of the believer's guilt in actions of an extremist nature was presented in court. “It is not clear which passages from my speech exactly and on what grounds they were considered by the prosecution as extremist,” emphasizes Vadim.\nIn his final statement in the court of appeal, the believer stated that he had done nothing wrong against the state and its citizens. He believes that he is being tried only for his religious beliefs. “I saw how evil and cruel people became kind and humble,” he said at the hearings. “I have seen some families falling apart and thanks to the Bible they have been able to stay together. And today I am not being judged because I have done something bad, but because I am one of Jehovah's Witnesses and because I faithfully serve my God.”\nDue to the stress suffered during the search, the chronic illnesses of Vadim's wife were aggravated, and soon she even ended up in intensive care. Vadim himself lost his job, the only source of income for the family.\nIn June 2022, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that the prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia is illegal: “Only religious statements and actions involving or calling for violence, hatred or discrimination may warrant suppression as being ‘extremist’.” (§271) Despite the lack of such grounds, courts in Russia continue to prosecute Jehovah's Witnesses throughout the country.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-02-06T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/02/081408/image_hu_aacfda708a294052.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/02/081408/image_hu_3aca64ec06016031.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/02/081408/image_hu_3f9fd39e40c7ca74.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/02/081408/image_hu_1a413be603d7ee8b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/02/081408.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"subtitle":"His Case Contains No Evidence of Extremist Activity","tags":["appeal","282.2-2","suspended"],"title":"The Court of Appeal in Chelyabinsk Upheld the Guilty Verdict Against Believer Vadim Gizatulin.","type":"news"},{"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_5a357b9f413563a8.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/02/031733/image_hu_79d1255d022aaa31.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/02/031733/image_hu_90f56bca66be26c0.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/02/031733/image_hu_fbf6a93e0196d3ac.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 February 2, 2023, the Krasnoyarsk Territorial Court upheld the judgment against 59-year-old Ildar Urazbakhtin—one of Jehovah's Witnesses from Kodinsk, who received a six-year suspended sentence for his faith.\nIldar faced criminal prosecution in July 2021 when his home was searched. Rosfinmonitoring put him on the list of extremists and blocked all of his financial accounts, which caused a serious hardship for the family because Ildar is the sole breadwinner, and his wife has a stage-three disability. After the search, Urazbakhtin was placed in a temporary detention center for a day and then placed under house arrest for two months.\nThe Investigative Committee considered Ildar's videoconferences, during which he \"encouraged a deep study of the Bible and inspired others to support their brothers and sisters\", to be organization of the activities of an extremist organization. The court of first instance and the appeal court ignored the position of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, the Government of the RF and the ECHR by considering such an interpretation lawful.\n“It is clear to me that I am being persecuted and punished only because I am a Christian who is one of Jehovah's Witnesses,” said Urazbakhtin at the appeal hearing. He insists on his complete innocence and can appeal the decisions of the courts in cassation court.\nIn a recent decision, the European Court reiterated that “only religious statements and actions involving or calling for violence, hatred or discrimination” (§ 271) can serve as a basis for conviction for extremism. Despite this, the Russian authorities continue to persecute Jehovah's Witnesses for nothing more than peaceful worship and discussions about the Bible.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-02-02T14:28:36+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/02/021428/image_hu_e8d4698803a81f29.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/02/021428/image_hu_e66b7c85b65241.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/02/021428/image_hu_dc26188d25b66c7d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/02/021428/image_hu_6dc0b4256aaa8f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/02/021428.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":"He Was Convicted as an Extremist for Discussing the Bible","tags":["appeal","suspended","282.2-1"],"title":"The Krasnoyarsk Territorial Court Upheld the Suspended Sentence Imposed on Ildar Urazbakhtin from Kodinsk.","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_bce6a61e9de9168a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/01/311602/image_hu_2ef67f73454383f.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/01/311602/image_hu_f8ffc1d21dba82bf.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/01/311602/image_hu_5d1212928051577b.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":"On January 24, 2023, Anton Iordan, judge of the Kuznetsk District Court of Novokuznetsk (Kemerovo Region) found the 65-year-old guilty of extremism because of his religious views.\nSergey Sushilnikov and his wife have been living in Novokuznetsk for over 40 years. During this time, he repeatedly received certificates of honor and awards from the city administration and his employers. He has the title of veteran of labor\nIn the summer of 2021, the Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against Sergey for his faith. On June 8, OMON officers with machine guns, wearing masks and bulletproof vests broke into the apartment of the Sushilnikov couple. Shouting \"Everyone lie down on the floor!\" they knocked Sergey down, and pressed his wife against the wall.\nThe believer does not admit guilt. In court, he told a story that happened to his 6-year-old grandson. “Once my grandson was walking with his friend in the playground, and they found a wallet with money. The friend immediately thouhgt what to do — divide the money between themselves. But my grandson said that Jehovah does not like those who take what is not theirs. And they returned the wallet to the owner. So can people whose children behave this way, do something bad to others?” he asked rhetorically.\nAbout 120 people went to the district court building to support Sergey Sushilnikov. During the closing arguments, the believer and his lawyer reiterated that the denomination of Jehovah's Witnesses is not prohibited in Russia; in the case there is no damage caused, none of the witnesses confirmed the guilt of the defendant, there is no extremist literature and the expert study did not confirm any extremist activity.\nSince July 2018, already 16 people have been prosecuted for their faith in the Kemerovo Region. The European Court of Human Rights, in its judgment on the prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, reiterates: “… only religious statements and actions involving or calling for violence, hatred or discrimination may warrant suppression as being 'extremist' […] The courts did not identify any word, deed or action by the applicants which would be motivated or tainted by violence, hatred or discrimination against others”.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-01-24T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/01/251425/image_hu_8664246de667b39f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/01/251425/image_hu_b7fdc08a82a7041c.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/01/251425/image_hu_ea7d1476df53d4e0.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/01/251425/image_hu_562d5c411b345999.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/01/251425.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-1","families"],"title":"A Court in the Kemerovo Region Gave a Veteran of Labor a 6-Year Suspended Sentence For Reading the Bible With Friends","type":"news"},{"body":"On January 17, 2022, Maksim Sirotkin, a judge of the Avtozavodsky District Court of Nizhny Novgorod, found Gevorg Gevorkyan, 51, guilty of organizing the activity of a banned religious association. The court sentenced him to a six-year suspended sentence for practising his faith.\nThe verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed. The believer insists on his complete innocence: \"My views are absolutely opposite to what I am accused of, and fully confirm that religious strife and hatred of people professing other religions are alien to me.\" There is not a single victim in the case, but the prosecutor asked the court to sentence Gevorkyan to 8 years in a penal colony.\nIn the summer of 2019, the security forces searched the believer’s apartment, and the next day he was detained at his workplace and taken for many hours of interrogation. According to Gevorkyan, a listening device was installed in his apartment. Gevorg was named as a witness in the case of Malyanov and others. After 2.5 years, the investigator of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Nizhny Novgorod Region, Marina Korzunova, made his criminal case into a separate proceeding. In December 2021, it went to court, but was returned to the prosecutor's office due to significant violations. After 7 months, another judge began to consider the case. For more than a year, Gevorg was under a recognizance agreement.\nGiving evidence in court, the believer noted that, without grounds, the prosecution tried to link the Christian congregation, that is, the canonical structure, with the liquidated legal entity, which gave the activity of believers an illegal character. Since the term \"congregation\" is repeatedly used in the charge, Gevorg spoke about the modern congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses, which exists to \"study the Bible, pray together and support each other.\" Gevorkyan noted: “It seems that those who wrote this [charge] deliberately tried to create a certain negative image of narrow-minded, fanatical people who reject all the joys of life and are not interested in anything other than their religion! It's absurd.\"\nDespite the fact that Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation grants believers the right to freely practice their religion, sixteen Jehovah's Witnesses in the Nizhny Novgorod Region are already being prosecuted for their faith in God, eight of them have already been sentenced.\nIn a ruling dated July 7, 2022, the European Court of Human Rights criticized the actions of the Russian authorities against believers and stated that “criminal prosecution and criminal liability for the peaceful practice of the religion of Jehovah’s Witnesses, together with others, was based on an unacceptably broad formulation and arbitrary application anti-extremism legislation” (§272).\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-01-17T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/01/191115/image_hu_6e1577f42e6e166d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/01/191115/image_hu_d42d58db805a3f59.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/01/191115/image_hu_105b1a8ee0f92ed9.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/01/191115/image_hu_8c0f1126f9e49b5c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/01/191115.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["282.2-1","sentence","suspended"],"title":"In Nizhny Novgorod, Gevorg Gevorkyan Was Given a Six-Year Suspended Sentence for Reading the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"Six-year suspended sentence—that is the sentence with which the consideration of the case of Anatoliy Senin in the Kyzyl City Court ended on January 12, 2023. Judge Vyacheslav Kyzyl-ool considered the discussion of the Bible among fellow believers to be organizing extremist activity.\nThe starting point for the criminal prosecution of the believer was the searches in Kyzyl in January 2021. Then Anatoliy Senin was detained, and then placed under house arrest for 56 days. The believer was accused of organizing the activity of an extremist organization. Olcha Okhemchik, investigator of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation considered broadcasting religious video recordings, encouraging to pray, sing religious songs and study the Bible as extremist actions.\nRecalling those events, Senin noted: “The most difficult for me were two days in the temporary detention center. I was frightened by the uncertainty and not knowing what will happen next. I was very afraid to displease God and asked him for wisdom to do the right thing. And then it was already much easier to cope with my emotions and changes in my life”. During house arrest, Anatoliy could not provide for his family, so caring for the material needs fell on the shoulders of his wife. Both spouses have heart disease which was exacerbated. Relatives, friends and fellow believers of Anatoliy supported him and his wife Anastasiya. The believer said: “They prayed for me, sent cards, assured me of their love and came to court hearings.”\nAfter a year of investigation, in February 2022, the case went to court. Witnesses for the prosecution confirmed that there were no calls of an extremist nature in the words of the defendant. Despite this, the prosecutor requested to impose on the believer 7 years imprisonment. Addressing the court with his final statement, Senin emphasized: “The prosecution, consciously or not, again and again ignores all the collected facts and evidence of my innocence, categorizing the ordinary practice of faith as the continuation of the activity of an extremist organization.” Nevertheless, the court issued a guilty verdict, which has not entered into force and can be appealed.\nRussian and foreign human rights activists have repeatedly expressed concern about what is happening, and called sentences against Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia under extremist articles a gross violation of human rights. The operative part of the judgment of the ECHR dated June 7, 2022 states that Russia “must take all necessary measures to stop the criminal prosecution of Jehovah’s Witnesses”. Despite this, the prosecution of the followers of this religion does not stop—the past year has surpassed several anti-records.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-01-12T09:35:26+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/01/120935/image_hu_7b0c0f19e1b61d4d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/01/120935/image_hu_c1e4f7a1dc48d042.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/01/120935/image_hu_995e2ae8d0bc8af2.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/01/120935/image_hu_9879cd592c3a84b7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/01/120935.html","regions":["tyva"],"subtitle":"This Is the First Verdict in Tuva Against One of Jehovah's Witnesse","tags":["282.2-1","sentence","suspended"],"title":"A Court in Kyzyl Gave Anatoliy Senin a Six-Year Suspended Sentence for His Faith.","type":"news"},{"body":"On January 10, 2023, the Eighth Cassation Court of General Jurisdiction in Kemerovo upheld the conviction of Aleksandr Bondarchuk and Sergey Yavushkin - 4 years of suspended sentence. The hearing was held in person and was attended by 12 of the defendants' relatives and friends.\nThe court of first instance passed its sentence in June 2021, and in February 2022, the appeal left it unchanged. Aleksandr Bondarchuk and Sergey Yavushkin still do not agree with the charges against them, as they reported in their appeals: \"Neither the verdict nor the appellate ruling provides clear criteria by which we can clearly see what specific actions we took were a continuation of illegal activities of a liquidated legal entity.\"\n\"I was sentenced,\" commented Bondarchuk, \"only for worshiping Jehovah God, calling it an extremist, illegal action. And this is absurd!\"\nYavushkin also explained to the court that Jehovah's Witnesses can in no way be connected with extremism: \"Believing in Jehovah God and at the same time feeling hatred towards people are incompatible concepts. That is why I cannot be called an extremist in any way. Loving and respecting people is my way of life.\nIn June 2022, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia is illegal: \"Only religious statements and actions containing or calling for violence, hatred or discrimination can constitute grounds for suppression as 'extremist'. [...] The courts have not found any of the petitioners' words, acts or actions to be motivated by violence, hatred or discrimination against others or to have connotations of violence, hatred or discrimination\" (§271).\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-01-10T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/01/111049/image_hu_ed9980fa93ac4e22.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/01/111049/image_hu_aa157dfbb89f5783.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/01/111049/image_hu_69279623f2782de7.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/01/111049/image_hu_63d8b5020cda6ed4.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/01/111049.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["cassation","suspended","282.2-2","282.3-1"],"title":"The Kemerovo Court of Cassation Upheld the Conviction of Aleksandr Bondarchuk and Sergey Yavushkin—Four Years Suspended","type":"news"},{"body":"Updated January 24, 2023. All data updated as of December 31, 2022.\nIn 2022, the ECHR declared the 2017 ban on Jehovah's Witnesses illegal. However, the repression not only did not weaken, but also updated records: in 2022, the courts sentenced 44 believers to a total of 244 years in prison (a year earlier, the figure was 160 years in prison). Other sad records were also recorded: the number of convictions, as well as the number of believers who are simultaneously in colonies and pre-trial detention centers.\nHow many people were repressed for their faith in 2022? As of December 31, 2022, 674 followers of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses are officially in the status of accused, suspected, indicted, convicted, or acquitted. Of these, 77 learned about the criminal prosecution in 2022. (In 2019, this figure was 213, in 2020 146, and in 2021 - 142.) The total number of criminal cases reached 319 (most often 2 or more defendants in one case).\nWhat is the geographical scope of repression for faith? Criminal cases against Jehovah's Witnesses have already been initiated in 72 regions of Russia. In 2022, cases were initiated in 2 new regions of Russia - Altai and Buryatia. (In 2019, criminal prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses was initiated in 21 new regions of Russia, in 2020 in 8 new regions, and in 2021 in 10.)\nHow many convictions for faith were handed down in 2022, and how many have gone into effect? During 2022, 119 believers were found guilty under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and sentenced by the courts of first instance to various punishments. (In 2019, this figure was 18, and in 2020 it was 39, in 2021 it was 111.) Of these, 57 people are still awaiting the decision of the appeal. With regard to 108 believers, appeals were held during 2022 and the sentences entered into force. In some cases, the punishment was mitigated or toughened, but most often it remained unchanged.\nIn total, as of December 31, 2022, 284 male and female Jehovah's Witnesses have been convicted for their faith in the past 5 years.\nWhat sentences were handed down to Jehovah's Witnesses in 2022? In total, during 2022, 44 believers were sentenced to real imprisonment, which is a sad record (in 2021, 32 believers were sentenced to real imprisonment). The duration of the punishment has also been toughened: in 2022, the average term in a colony imposed on believers was 5.5 years, while in 2021 this average figure was 5.0 years. For 6 years or more, 35 out of 44 believers were sent to a penal colony. In addition, 62 believers were conditionally sentenced to imprisonment (68 in 2021), 12 people were fined (10 in 2021) and 1 person was sentenced to 4 years of correctional labor. The most inhuman is the sentence of 7 years in prison imposed on Andrei Vlasov, a disabled person who cannot do without assistance. Due to strict restrictions in one of the correctional facilities, he developed soft tissue necrosis (bedsores), which he tries to cure.\nIn 2022, the acquittal of the believer handed down in 2021 was overturned on appeal. In addition, during 2022, 3 acquittals were issued – to three believers in the case of the Bazhenovs and others in Yelizovo (however, this verdict was overturned at the stage of the 2nd cassation in the Supreme Court of Russia), one believer in the case of Khabarov in Porkhov (however, this sentence was overturned on appeal) and three believers in the case of Pryanikov and others in Karpinsk (however, these believers are heard in court another criminal case for faith).\nHow many Jehovah's Witnesses have passed through temporary detention facilities, pre-trial detention centers or colonies, and how many are still being held there. In 2022, the number of Jehovah's Witnesses who are simultaneously in Russian colonies and pre-trial detention exceeded 100 for the first time. As of December 31, 2022, 113 people remain behind bars. (A year ago, this figure was 76 people; in December 2020, 44 people; in December 2019, exactly the same number was in jail - 44 people.)\nA total of 368 believers have been or remain behind bars since May 2017. In 2022, having served his sentence in full, having actually spent 5 years in a pre-trial detention center and a colony, the first convicted Jehovah's Witness, Dennis Christensen, was released and expelled from the country . In addition, Valentina Baranovskaya, the oldest believer at that time, who was sentenced to real imprisonment, was released from the colony on parole. While under investigation, the woman suffered a stroke. Her son, who was convicted for his faith with her, remains behind bars. As of December 31, 2022, there are still 19 Jehovah's Witnesses over the age of 60 in prisons. The oldest of them, 71-year-old Boris Andreev from the village of Yaroslavsky (Primorye Territory), was sent to a pre-trial detention center in July 2022. 70-year-old Vilen Avanesov has been behind bars for more than 3.5 years.\nHow many searches have been conducted in the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses? Since the decision to liquidate registered Jehovah's Witnesses organizations came into force, at least 1876 searches have been conducted in their homes. Of these, 203 searches were carried out in 40 settlements of Russia in 2022. (In 2019, the number of searches was 489 in 75 settlements, in 2020 - 447 in 81 settlements, in 2021 - 382 in 82 settlements.) The largest special operations against Jehovah's Witnesses in 2022 were carried out in Novorossiysk and 5 nearby villages (30 searches in 1 day), in Rybinsk (16), in Simferopol (16), in Chelyabinsk (13), in Novocherkassk (10). A search is a significant restriction of a person's constitutional right to privacy, personal and family secrets, honor, and good name.\nChronicle of the incursions into the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in 2022:\n16.01.2022 Gorno-Altaisk (Altai Republic): 5 searches carried out 01/28/2022 Krasnodar (Krasnodar Territory): 3 searches carried out 06.02.2022 Moskvoretskaya Sloboda (Moscow Region): 1 search was conducted 13.02.2022 Vyselki (Krasnodar Territory): 13 searches carried out 13.02.2022 Novorossiysk (Krasnodar Territory): 9 searches carried out 13.02.2022 Zhuravskaya (Krasnodar Territory): 2 searches carried out 13.02.2022 Berezanskaya (Krasnodar Territory): 4 searches carried out 13.02.2022 Buzinovskaya (Krasnodar Territory): 1 search was conducted 02/13/2022 Novodonetska (Krasnodar Territory): 1 search was conducted 18.02.2022 Vyselki (Krasnodar Territory): 1 search was conducted 25.02.2022 Pregradnaya (Karachay-Cherkess Republic): 1 search was conducted 04.03.2022 Tolyatti (Samara Region): 2 searches carried out 15.03.2022 Kostroma (Kostroma region): 4 searches carried out 16.03.2022 Kazan (Republic of Tatarstan): 1 search was conducted 03/18/2022 Kazan (Republic of Tatarstan): 3 searches conducted 22.03.2022 Maikop (Republic of Adygea): 1 search was conducted 03/23/2022 Balakovo (Saratov Region): 8 searches carried out 23.03.2022 Chelyabinsk (Chelyabinsk Region): 1 search was conducted 29.03.2022 Sosnovoborsk (Krasnoyarsk Territory): 4 searches carried out 06.04.2022 Kazan (Republic of Tatarstan): 2 searches conducted 15.04.2022 Yoshkar-Ola (Republic of Mari El): 8 searches carried out 15.04.2022 Nizhny Novgorod (Nizhny Novgorod Region): 1 search was conducted 19.04.2022 Maikop (Republic of Adygea): 1 search was conducted 04/25/2022 Maikop (Republic of Adygea): 1 search was conducted 26.04.2022 Maikop (Republic of Adygea): 3 searches carried out 05/19/2022 Yaroslavl (Yaroslavl Region): 2 searches carried out 05/24/2022 Komsomolsk-on-Amur (Khabarovsk Territory): 1 search was conducted 29.05.2022 Sharypovo (Krasnoyarsk Territory): 4 searches carried out 06/07/2022 Asha (Chelyabinsk Region): 1 search was conducted 14.06.2022 Baley (Trans-Baikal Territory): 4 searches carried out 16.06.2022 Kopeysk (Chelyabinsk Region): 1 search was conducted 07.07.2022 Surgut (Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug): 5 searches carried out 13.07.2022 Rybinsk (Yaroslavl Region): 16 searches carried out 07/27/2022 Rybinsk (Yaroslavl Region): 1 search was conducted 05.08.2022 Sevastopol (Sevastopol): 1 search was conducted 11.08.2022 Novocherkassk (Rostov Region): 10 searches carried out 11.08.2022 Unecha (Bryansk region): 2 searches carried out 24.08.2022 Sevastopol (Sevastopol): 2 searches carried out 08.09.2022 Chelyabinsk (Chelyabinsk Region): 13 searches carried out 21.09.2022 Tolyatti (Samara Region): 2 searches carried out 28.09.2022 Krasnogvardeyskoye (Crimea): 11 searches carried out 06.10.2022 Yaroslavsky (Primorye Territory): 12 searches carried out 10/14/2022 Rybinsk (Yaroslavl Region): 1 search was conducted 17.10.2022 Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky (Kamchatka Territory): 4 searches carried out 20.10.2022 Maikop (Republic of Adygea): 3 searches carried out 10/27/2022 Krasnoznamensk (Moscow Region): 1 search was conducted 09.11.2022 Ivanovo (Ivanovo Region): 3 searches carried out 11/18/2022 Tavrichanka (Primorye Territory): 1 search was conducted 06.12.2022 Feodosiya (Crimea): 1 search was conducted 08.12.2022 Simferopol (Crimea): 16 searches carried out 14.12.2022 Izhevsk (Udmurt Republic): 2 searches carried out 26.12.2022 Ussuriysk (Primorye Territory): 1 search was conducted What steps did the authorities take in 2022 to end the repression of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia? On February 22, 2022, the European Court of Human Rights published judgments in the cases of Cheprunov and Others v. Russia (74320/10) and Zharinova v. Russia (17715/12), in which it found that Russian authorities had violated the right to freedom of religion of Jehovah's Witnesses when they detained them while talking about the Bible or searched their homes.\nOn June 7, 2022, the ECHR declared illegal the liquidation of all 396 legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia in 2017, the ban on their activities and the seizure of property; ban on printed publications and the official website. The judgment was made in the case of \"MRO Taganrog and Others v. Russia\" (No. 32401/10). Russia is obliged to pay the applicants 3 million euros for non-material damage, as well as to return the seized property or pay 59 million euros for it. Although Russia ceased to be a member of the Council of Europe in March 2022, in terms of international law, it is obliged to comply with the decisions of the ECHR issued before September 16, 2022, as the Secretary General of the Council of Europe reminded the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia in a letter dated December 9, 2022.\n","category":"analytics","date":"2022-12-23T10:57:06+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/12/231054/image_hu_4115e55caface6d1.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/12/231054/image_hu_ff56bb181df39e59.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/12/231054/image_hu_7172027fc39bb12.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/12/231054/image_hu_90ddfd148d6458f3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/12/231054.html","regions":[],"subtitle":null,"tags":["analytics","review","statistics","echr","new-case","282.2-2","liberty-deprivation","acquittal","sizo","search","suspended","fine","labor","appeal"],"title":"Jehovah's Witnesses are under the yoke of repression. Results of 2022","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 22, 2022, the judge of the Alatyrskiy District Court of Chuvash Republic, Ivan Konchulizov, found four believers guilty of extremism and imposed on Zoya Pavlova and Nina Martynova to a fine of 350,000 rubles, and on Mikhail Yermakov and Andrey Martynov a 6-year of suspended sentence with a probationary period of 3 years.\nOn behalf of all the defendants, 58-year-old Andrey Martynov said: “There are no victims in this case, the state has not suffered in any way, and in fact there is no crime what so ever. But we are the victims; the defendants are husbands, wives, mothers, exemplary workers”. Nina, 64, has worked all her life as a kindergarten teacher; Andrey has been a driver and stoker in a boiler room for the last 25 years; Zoya, 57, has worked at a mechanical plant and in the housing and communal services sector, and Mikhail, 60, has been a janitor.\nThe persecution of believers began in June 2021, when searches were carried out in the city of Alatyr and a criminal case was opened. It took the Investigative Department of the Federal Security Service of Russia for Chuvash Republic a little more than a year to conduct an investigation, and in July 2022 the case went to court. The prosecutor requested that the believers be sent to a penal colony: Andrey Martynov and Mikhail Yermakov—6 years each, Nina Martynova—5 years and Zoya Pavlova—4.5 years.\nDefending her right to freedom of religion, Zoya Pavlova said at the trial: “Any believer will share what he has learned and meet with his friends for discussion and association. If this is not done, then the meaning of faith simply disappears”. Nina Martynova added: “If someone reads the Bible, believes in Jehovah God, loves his neighbor, sings religious songs, it cannot harm anyone. How can this undermine the foundations of the security of the state?”\nThe verdict has not entered into force. Believers insist on their complete innocence and they intend to appeal the court's decision.\nIn Chuvash Republic, three more Jehovah's Witnesses faced persecution for their faith. In January 2022, heavy fines were imposed on them.\nIn a ruling dated June 7, 2022, the European Court of Human Rights criticized the actions of the Russian authorities against believers and stated that “criminal prosecution and criminal liability for the peaceful practice of the religion of Jehovah’s Witnesses, together with others, was based on an unacceptably broad formulation and arbitrary application of anti-extremism legislation” (§ 272).\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-12-22T16:37:30+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/12/221637/image_hu_fabad3742eeace4f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/12/221637/image_hu_b3aa5b8357d2ceca.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/12/221637/image_hu_443cd9d499d2df34.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/12/221637/image_hu_1275903d83192253.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/12/221637.html","regions":["chuvashia"],"subtitle":"Jehovah's Witnesses Sentenced in Chuvashia","tags":["282.2-1","282.2-1.1","282.2-2","sentence","suspended","fine"],"title":"Fines for Two Women and Suspended Sentences for Two Men.","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 22, 2022, the First Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Saratov considered the appeals of Aleksandr Vavilov, Aleksey Oreshkov and Aleksandr Rakovskiy, but did not change the verdict—3-year suspended sentence each.\nAll three disagree with the court decision court and consider themselves not guilty. In their appeals, they stated: \"We were convicted not of a crime, but for expressing our faith in ways typical of Christianity and permitted by law.\" The believers noted that, it became clear from the hearings in the court of first instance, that \"in order to pass a guilty verdict, the court did not need any facts or evidence\" of guilt .\nThe verdict in the case of Vavilov, Oreshkov and Rakovskiy was handed down in October 2021 and entered into force after an appeal in January 2022. The courts of all three instances considered that conducting religious meetings and services by Jehovah's Witnesses could be equated with extremism, without specific facts of illegal activity.\nSuch a position of the courts contradicts both the decisions of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation and the recent ruling of the ECHR regarding Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. In particular, the European Court emphasized that “only religious expressions and actions containing violence, manifestations of hatred or discrimination, or calling for them, can serve as a basis for suppressing them as 'extremist' . . . The courts did not identify a single word, deed or action of the applicants, which would be motivated by violence, hatred or discrimination against others, or which would be tainted by violence, hatred or discrimination” (§271).\nAt the moment, in the Nizhny Novgorod Region two more similar criminal cases against Jehovah's Witnesses are being considered in courts.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-12-22T14:19:31+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/12/221419/image_hu_fecbe7f03b2dc0e0.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/12/221419/image_hu_98e5dad25c0c7b69.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/12/221419/image_hu_715da03dd8f510c6.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/12/221419/image_hu_1df2175b9e9089ae.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/12/221419.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"subtitle":"They continue to serve suspended sentences for practicing their religion","tags":["282.2-2","cassation","suspended"],"title":"The Court of Cassation in Saratov Did Not Change the Sentence of Three Jehovah's Witnesses From Pavlovo.","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 22, 2022, Ksenia Ostanina, a judge of the Vyazemskiy District Court of the Khabarovsk Territory, imposed a suspended prison senctence of 2 years and 5 months on 31-year-old Sergey Kuznetsov, with a probationary period of 2 years for participating in the activity of an extremist organization, basically, for his religion.\n\"I believe that calling me an extremist is a big mistake, as hatred towards people is something alien to Jehovah's Witnesses because they follow the commandments of Jesus Christ to love people,\" the believer stressed , addressing the court in his final statement.\nPersecution of Sergey Kuznetsov for his faith began in September 2020 - his house was searched. This happened four months after the search in the home of his relative, Yegor Baranov. In March 2021 criminal proceedings under Part 2 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation were initiated against Sergey; a repeat search was conducted at his home, and the believer was added to the Rosfinmonitoring's list of extremists. The investigation, which lasted six months, was led by D. S. Pozdnyakov, senior criminal investigator with the Khabarovsk Region branch of the FSB.\nIn the fall of 2021, the criminal case went to court. None of the witnesses could confirm that the believer committed the crime, and one woman confessed that during the interrogation the investigator put pressure on her. There were no victims in the case, but that did not stop the prosecutor from requesting that Kuznetsov be sentenced to three years in a penal colony and one year of restricted freedom.\nThe verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed. The believer insists on his complete innocence.\nThe case against another Witness of Jehovah from Vyazemsky is being considered by another court in the Khabarovsk Region: 69-year-old Aleksandr Shutov is also accused of participation in the activity of an extremist organization.\nIn a ruling dated June 7, 2022, the European Court of Human Rights called the criminal prosecution of believers in Russia unlawful: “The forced liquidation of all religious organizations of Jehovah’s Witnesses in the Russian Federation… revealed signs of a policy of intolerance on the part of the Russian authorities aimed at forcing Jehovah's Witnesses to renounce their faith and prevent others from joining it” (§ 254).\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-12-22T11:46:20+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/12/231146/image_hu_f23b797305cd5f8d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/12/231146/image_hu_ac52249bed609ff9.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/12/231146/image_hu_909474a4d7388ae3.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/12/231146/image_hu_b4fb0afef98a6ac3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/12/231146.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","282.2-2","suspended","rosfinmonitoring"],"title":"In Vyazemskiy, the Court Gave Sergey Kuznetsov a 2 Years and 5 Months Suspended Sentence for His Peaceful Beliefs","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 22, 2022, the board of judges of the Khabarovsk Regional court chaired by Maksim Vergasov approved the sentence of Boris Yagovitov—5 years suspended with a probationary period of 3 years and restriction of freedom for 1 year and 7 months. The court considered it extremism to have conversations about the Bible.\nThe decision of the court of first instance was generally left unchanged, the court only made a small technical clarification to the operative part on the appeal of the prosecutor—the sentence of imprisonment is considered suspended, and the sentence of restriction of freedom is not suspended.\nYagovitov filed an appeal against the verdict; he does not agree with the verdict. He stated: “In fact, I was convicted for my faith in Jehovah God and for attending meetings for worship; I am judged because I love to read the Bible and discuss it with friends, because I love God and people, do good deeds and have lived this way for half of my life. And I will continue to live this way because it's my choice, my personal beliefs, and it is my faith.”\nOfficers for the Center for Combating Extremism began operational search measures against Yagovitov back in 2018. In May 2021, the Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against the believer. Boris Yagovitov and his wife, Natalya, were detained and taken for interrogation while they were walking in the city park in Komsomolsk-on-Amur. As a result, the believer spent 7 months under house arrest and 9 months in detention. In December 2021, the case went to court. As evidence of Yagovitov's \"crime\", the prosecution cited the testimony of a certain Baleichuk, who, after several conversations with the believer, approached the FSB and the Ministry of Internal Affairs and agreed to inform them about the activities of the believers. The court found the believer guilty of extremism only because he had met with his friends to read the Bible.\nThe ruling of the European Court of Human Rights in the case of Taganrog LRO and Others v. Russia of June 7, 2022 states: “Respect for religious diversity is undoubtedly one of the most important problems that one has to face today; for this reason, authorities should perceive religious diversity not as a threat, but as a source of enrichment of experience. In an effort to suppress the religious activity of Jehovah's Witnesses in this way, the Russian authorities did not act in good faith and violated the duty of the state to observe neutrality and impartiality in relation to the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses”.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-12-22T11:25:02+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/12/221125/image_hu_31d54a7c8bc26251.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/12/221125/image_hu_98861fe856650db5.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/12/221125/image_hu_814b5c96d2fa6045.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/12/221125/image_hu_414728488dcc8c0d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/12/221125.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":"An Appeal in the Khabarovsk Territory Approved the Verdict Against Boris Yagovitov","tags":["282.2-1.1","282.2-2","appeal","suspended"],"title":"“I Was Convicted for My Faith in Jehovah God.”","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_b8fd5ccc2f68d11c.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/12/221429/image_hu_fda577e85be9ac26.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/12/221429/image_hu_fb6e8032d1640bbb.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/12/221429/image_hu_4a6877c4ddd80468.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":"On December 15, 2022, the Judicial Panel for Criminal Cases of the Russian Supreme Court reversed the acquittal of three of Jehovah's Witnesses and sent their case for a new appeal hearing. The court contradicted the Supreme Court Plenum's explanationsdated October 28, 2021, which stated that religious meetings do not constitute a crime under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\nThe case was considered by Supreme Court Judges Aleksey Shamov, Vasiliy Zykin, and Sergey Zelenin. Around twenty people attended, including the media and representatives of diplomatic missions from at least six countries. \"We are saddened that the judges departed from the fundamental position of the Supreme Court,\" says Yaroslav Sivulskiy of the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses. \"The reason for the widespread persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia is that the ordinary religious practice of believers is being wrongly interpreted as the continuation of the activity of an organization that was banned in 2017. The criminal prosecution of our dear fellow believers from Kamchatka is also based on this misunderstanding. To clear up this misunderstanding, the Supreme Court Plenum issued a clarification a year ago that is binding on all courts. Our believers are not guilty of anything.\"\nFrom left to right: Viktor Shipilov (lawyer), Konstantin and Snezhana Bazhenov, Vera Zolotova, Viktor Zhenkov (lawyer), Maxim Novakov (lawyer) Lawyers and defendants from Kamchatka in the Supreme Court of Russia (December 2022) The case against Konstantin and Snezhana Bazhenov and their friend Vera Zolotova (born in 1946) was initiated in 2018. All three spent some time behind bars, and their homes were searched. In September 2020, a court found them guilty of participating in the activities of a banned organization and gave them two-year suspended sentences. The Kamchatka Territorial Court upheld the conviction on appeal, but in November 2021 the Ninth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Vladivostok, citing the decision of the Supreme Court Plenum of the Russian Federation of 28 October 2021, sent the case for a new appellate hearing. On January 18, 2022, the Kamchatka Territorial Court issued an acquittal, which went into effect immediately. The cassational court upheld that decision, but the Deputy Prosecutor General of Russia asked the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to send the case for a new appellate hearing.\nNotably, in terms of international law, the believers are innocent and are subject to rehabilitation because in June 2022 the European Court of Human Rights in its judgment in the case LRO Taganrog and Others v. Russia (32401/10) ruled that the 2017 decision to liquidate all legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, to ban their activities and seize property and to ban printed publications and the official website is illegal; it also ordered Russia to end the criminal prosecution of believers and to release prisoners. In June 2022, the Russian Federation stopped implementing ECHR judgments.\nAt this time, the case of the Bazhenovs and Vera Zolotova is being returned to the appeal stage; their conviction will be reexamined by the Kamchatka Territorial Court. They are considered convicted, but their sentence has not entered into force.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-12-15T16:46:43+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/12/151646/image_hu_82e4b45c2fd6ec07.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/12/151646/image_hu_c7f134c2c7b824e7.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/12/151646/image_hu_b8b069f18854b082.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/12/151646/image_hu_b5139a442c21939e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/12/151646.html","regions":["moscow","kamchatka"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["supreme-court","families","282.2-2","suspended"],"title":"The Russian Supreme Court Failed To Uphold Justice for Innocent Believers From Kamchatka","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 7, 2022, the judge of the Metallurgical District Court of the city of Chelyabinsk, Vitaly Sirotin, found Vadim Gizatulin guilty of participating in extremist activity. The court gave an electrician who professes the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses a suspended sentence of 2 years.\nThe verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed.\nVadim Gizatulin faced persecution for his faith in February 2018. Then the security forces of the Chelyabinsk Region initiated operational-search measures against local believers. A year later, Gizatulin was searched as part of the Vladimir Suvorov case , in which he was a witness. Vadim himself became a defendant in a criminal case in August 2021. After 2 months, they came to the believer for a second search. Since July 2022, Gizatulin has been under a recognizance agreement.\nThe case was conducted by the third department for the investigation of especially important cases of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Chelyabinsk Region. After almost a year of investigation, the case went to court. The charge was based on the testimony of an informant, Lilia Ruzayeva, who made audio and video recordings of religious meetings on the instructions of D. A. Myzgin, an officer of the Center for Combating Extrimism. The indictment stated: “At every meeting, Gizatulin V.R. gave talks, made comments, answered questions on topics that were discussed and studied.”\nVadim Gizatulin insists on his complete innocence. “The indictment does not contain any statements of an extremist nature by me,” he said at one of the hearings. “I did not call on anyone to fight against the authorities, and I did not make any degrading remarks towards followers of other religions.”\nThe statements of the believer are also confirmed by the psychological-linguistic forensic examination attached to the case. It gives the following conclusion: “In the conversations recorded in the materials provided, there were no signs of incitement to hostility or hatred (discord) towards a group of persons based on gender, race, nationality, language, origin, religious views or belonging to any social group. Despite all this, the prosecutor asked the court to sentence the believer to 4 years in prison.\nAlready 12 Jehovah's Witnesses in the Chelyabinsk Region are being prosecuted for their faith. Six of them were given suspended sentences, one believer was fined.\nIn July 2022, the European Court of Human Rights issued a judgment that rendered groundless the prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia on charges of extremism. In particular, it noted that “In the absence of expressions that seek to incite or justify violence or hatred based on religious intolerance, any religious entity or individual believers have the right to proclaim and defend their doctrine as the true and superior one and to engage in religious disputes and criticism seeking to prove the truth of one’s own and the falsity of others’ dogmas or beliefs” (§ 153).\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-12-07T15:26:09+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/12/071526/image_hu_3a320d1807a11af0.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/12/071526/image_hu_bbd8020f8ea02a36.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/12/071526/image_hu_bd4d6ce561f4120f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/12/071526/image_hu_ecdb6c3fdafa2d2a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/12/071526.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"subtitle":"The court considered discussion of the Bible and prayers to Jehovah God to be extremism","tags":["282.2-2","sentence","suspended"],"title":"Resident of Chelyabinsk Vadim Gizatulin received a suspended sentence for his faith.","type":"news"},{"body":"The court sentences Vadim Gizatulin to 2 years of suspended imprisonment.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Gizatulin in Chelyabinsk","date":"2022-12-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk5/index.html#20221207","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["defense-arguments","final-statement","sentence","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On December 5, 2022, the Nizhny Novgorod Regional Court approved the sentence of Maksim Zavrazhnov—6-year suspended sentence for reading the Bible. The believer still insists on his innocence and has the right to appeal this decision in the cassation procedure.\nMaksim Zavrazhnov never denied that he was one of Jehovah's Witnesses and along with his friends he read the Bible and prayed to God. In court, he stressed: \"My goal was not to continue the activity of the liquidated legal entity, but to worship God.\"\nDuring the appeal hearing, the believer drew attention to the fact that the decision of the Moscow District Court in Nizhny Novgorod violated at least 5 articles of the European Convention. As the defendant noted, the guilty verdict vividly demonstrated to him that if he does not renounce his religious views as one of Jehovah's Witnesses, then he will continue to be prosecuted. \"The actual purpose of the court verdict is to violate [my] rights and force [me] to change my religion under pain of criminal prosecution,\" Maksim Zavrazhnov concluded.\nIn the Nizhny Novgorod region, 16 Jehovah's Witnesses faced persecution for their faith. Seven of them have already been given suspended sentences.\nThe judgment of the ECtHR of 7 June 2022, which fully acquitted Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, states: \"The European Court concludes that the applicants were punished for acts that constituted the exercise of their right to freedom to practice their religion together with others\" (§ 269).\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-12-05T15:31:26+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/12/051531/image_hu_6876d5c3b9335b6e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/12/051531/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/12/051531/image_hu_77b263812b1a47e6.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/12/051531/image_hu_91464fb0b6f4ab0a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/12/051531.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"subtitle":"Maksim Zavrazhnov, 41, Was Given a Six Year Suspended Sentence","tags":["282.2-1","appeal","suspended"],"title":"An Appeal in Nizhny Novgorod Upheld Another Guilty Verdict for Faith.","type":"news"},{"body":"Judge of the Ussuriysk District Court of Primorsky Krai Dmitry Babushkin finds Sergey Korolchuk, Anton Chermnykh and Dmitry Tishchenko guilty and sentenced to 6 years of suspended imprisonment, 4 years of probation and 1 year of restriction of freedom.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Korolchuk in Ussuriysk","date":"2022-11-30T13:40:07+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/ussuriysk2/index.html#20221130","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["sentence","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On November 30, 2022, Dmitriy Babushkin, judge of the Ussuriysk District Court of Primorye Territory, found Sergey Korolchuk, Anton Chermnykh and Dmitriy Tishchenko guilty of \"continuing the illegal activity of a banned religious organization\". That is how the authorities interpret the peaceful conversations of Jehovah's Witnesses about the Bible.\nAll believers received the same sentence: 6 years' suspended term, 4 years' probation, and 1 year restriction of liberty. The verdict has not yet entered into force and can be appealed.\nThe Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the city of Ussuriysk considered it a crime that Korolchuk, Chermnykh and Tishchenko gathered with friends in a café where they “listened to talks”, “answered questions” and “sang religious songs”. On June 18, 2019, Investigator E. Marvaniuk opened a criminal case under Part 1 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. On the same day, the homes of two believers were searched.\nSergey Korolchuk was taken to the Investigative Committee, seemingly to receive copies of the search protocol, but in the end, he was detained and placed in detention for 2 days. Later, all three defendants were put under a recognizance agreement, which was in place for almost 3 years. The Federal Financial Monitoring Service of the Russian Federation blocked their bank accounts.\nOn August 11, 2020, the case was received by the Ussuriysk District Court. The key witness for the prosecution was K. Rusakov, an FSB officer. During 2017–18, he tracked the believers and arranged for their telephone conversations to be wiretapped. However, in court he could not answer most of the questions, as he “does not remember much”. Another witness was unable to confirm that she was interrogated in May 2019, although the documents bear her signature.\nThe criminal prosecution has become a test for the believers' families. Dmitriy Tishchenko said: “My wife and I began to appreciate the opportunity to be together even more, as we understand that we can lose it at any moment.”\nIn Primorye, 41 of Jehovah's Witnesses have already been prosecuted for their faith, 19 of them are women, the oldest of whom will soon be 88 years old. Five believers are serving a suspended sentence.\nOn June 7, 2022, the European Court of Human Rights ruled to end the repression of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-11-30T13:32:57+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/11/301332/image_hu_937cddd4fac66846.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/11/301332/image_hu_8d3476d7af8e347f.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/11/301332/image_hu_86f32e6c8a65ad27.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/11/301332/image_hu_5a67edc839f96a2c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/11/301332.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["282.2-1","sentence","suspended","rosfinmonitoring","minors"],"title":"In Ussuriysk Three Jehovah's Witnesses Were Given 6 Years of Suspended Sentence for Discussing the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 25, 2022, Judge Amir Amirov of the Kirovskiy District Court of Makhachkala gave Arsen Abdullaev, Marat Abdulgalimov and Anton Dergalev 6.5-year suspended sentences and gave Mariya Karpova a 6-year suspended sentence. The court considered participation in worship services of Jehovah's Witnesses to be extremism.\nIn June 2019, the investigative department of the FSB of Russia for the Republic of Dagestan conducted searches of the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in Makhachkala, Kaspiysk, Kizlyar, and Derbent. According to eyewitnesses, brochures on the list of extremist materials were planted in one apartment. The searches were based on a criminal case initiated in May 2019. Law enforcement officers accused Abdullaev, Dergalev, Abdulgalimov and Karpova of organizing the activities of an extremist organization. Additionally, the men were charged with financing a banned organization, and Mariya was charged with involving others in the organization's activity. All four Jehovah's Witnesses were included on the Rosfinmonitoring list of extremists and terrorists, and their bank accounts were frozen. For some time they could not visit public places or use the telephone.\nThe believers spent around 1 year in a pre-trial detention center and another 2.5 years—until the verdict was rendered—under house arrest. While Mariya Karpova was in custody, her father died; he was seriously ill. She was not allowed to attend the funeral. Thousands of letters from Russia and from 30 other countries helped those imprisoned for their faith in pre-trial detention centers to cope with the injustice. Mariya says: “I especially liked letters with photographs. I never felt lonely.\"\nIn January 2021, after more than a year and a half of investigation, the case went to court. “Hundreds of people came to the court,” recalls Marat Abdulgalimov, “Many people came from neighboring cities and republics.” Arsen Abdullaev added: “Some traveled 300-400 km just to shake hands with us, hug us and say a few words of encouragement ... I am so proud of my wife, Suat. When we saw each other in court, she did show how hard this was for her.\nThe prosecutor requested a prison sentence of 7.5 years for Arsen, Marat and Anton and 6.5 years for Mariya, but the court gave only suspended sentences. In addition, the court excluded the charge of involving others in extremist activities from Mariya Karpova's verdict.\nThe court verdict against the four Makhachkala residents has not yet entered into force. The believers pleaded not guilty to the crimes and have the right to file appeals.\nIn a July 7, 2022 ruling, the European Court of Human Rights called the criminal persecution of believers in Russia illegal: \"The forced liquidation of all religious organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Russian Federation... revealed signs of a policy of intolerance on the part of the Russian authorities to force Jehovah's Witnesses to abandon their faith and to prevent others from joining it\" (§ 254).\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-11-25T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/11/280921/image_hu_bc7b581f544e571f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/11/280921/image_hu_7aa99a784defba74.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/11/280921/image_hu_b3fa4c7e79d96641.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/11/280921/image_hu_5ad8ab7fdf4bafc5.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/11/280921.html","regions":["dagestan"],"subtitle":"They Prayed and Discussed the Bible","tags":["suspended","sentence","282.3-1","282.2-1.1","282.2-1","families","rosfinmonitoring"],"title":"A Court in Dagestan Gave Suspended Sentences to Four of Jehovah's Witnesses for \"Extremism.\"","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 21, 2022, the Moscow City Court rejected the appeals of Yuriy Temirbulatov, Aleksandr Serebryakov and their defense lawyers and did not change the sentence — 6 year suspended sentence each. The believers still insist on their complete innocence and can file a cassation appeal.\nIn August 2022, the Golovinsky District Court of Moscow found the believers guilty of organizing the activity of an extremist organization because they participated in religious services of Jehovah's Witnesses. Until the passing of this sentence—for a year and a half—the men were in detention. Yuriy Temirbulatov was not provided with treatment for a long time, despite the fact that he suffered from pain and needed urgent hospitalization in a specialized cancer prevention and treatment center. Aleksandr Serebryakov, contrary to the norms of the law, was for some time in a cell where relapsed prisoners were kept.\nCourts in Moscow are hearing 3 more criminal cases against 11 believers. In total, 13 Jehovah's Witnesses living in this region are undergoing criminal prosecution for their faith.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-11-21T19:19:05+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/11/211919/image_hu_8444d2261a65b14.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/11/211919/image_hu_ce988005994106c1.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/11/211919/image_hu_ae2b23680e3a7cae.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/11/211919/image_hu_b94a9aa8eaee463.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/11/211919.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":"Believers given a 6 year suspended sentence.","tags":["appeal","suspended","282.2-1"],"title":"The Appeal Court in Moscow Upheld the Verdict for Serebryakov and Temirbulatov.","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 21, 2022, Ravil Nusratov, judge of the Asha City Court of the Chelyabinsk Region, found Andrey Perminov, 50, who has been a wheelchair user from his youth, guilty of extremism because of his religion and gave him a 6 years' suspended sentence.\nAndrey Perminov is severely disabled. The criminal prosecution of the believer began in the summer of 2021, when investigator Yevgeniy Dolgaev opened a criminal case against him, and a series of searches took place in the Chelyabinsk Region in the homes of those whom the investigation considered to be Jehovah's Witnesses. The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Chelyabinsk Region investigated the case for almost a year, after which in May 2022 it was submitted to the Ashinsky City Court. During the court hearings, it turned out that a listening device had been installed in the Perminovs' apartment. However, neither the recordings from it nor the witnesses for the prosecution could prove a violation of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, but only confirmed that the accused is an ordinary believer.\nExpressing his opinion of the accusation, the believer said: “All the materials of the criminal case and the evidence presented by the prosecution essentially boil down to the fact that I was a believer and held services with fellow believers. In fact, this is discrimination based on religious affiliation.”\nThe verdict, which corresponded with the punishment requested by the prosecutor for Perminov, has not entered into force and can be appealed. The believer insists on his complete innocence.\nIn the Chelyabinsk Region, 11 more Jehovah's Witnesses were subjected to criminal prosecution for their faith, including 4 women. Two elderly women, Lyudmila Salikova and Valentina Suvorova, received suspended sentences.\nIn June 2022, the European Court of Human Rights issued a ruling in favor of Jehovah's Witnesses, in which it presented the result of analysis of all the logical and legal errors grossly committed by Russian courts, and came to the unequivocal conclusion that their persecution in Russia is illegal.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-11-21T14:41:46+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/11/211441/image_hu_574ac47a7a161f4.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/11/211441/image_hu_7477089bc4dc103.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/11/211441/image_hu_b84ab657f6c8dc9a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/11/211441/image_hu_a1534638b0a027a0.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/11/211441.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"subtitle":"severely disabled person sentenced to 6 years' probation for believing in Jehovah God","tags":["282.2-1","disability","sentence","suspended","hidden-surveillance"],"title":"The court in the Chelyabinsk Region issued a guilty verdict against Andrey Perminov;","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 14, 2022, the Georgievsk City Court of the Stavropol Territory found Viktor Zimovskiy and the couple Anatoliy and Irina Gezik guilty of extremism for professing their faith. This decision was made by judge Nina Anashkina.\nThe court sentenced Viktor Zimovskiy to 6 years and 2 months in a penal colony (he was taken into custody in the courtroom), Anatoliy Gezik received 4 years and 2 months of corrective labor, and Irina Gezik was given a suspended sentence of 4 years and 2 months. The decision of the court has not entered into force and can be appealed. The believers insist on their complete innocence.\nThe Investigation Department of the Stavropol Territory opened a criminal case against Zimovskiy and the Gezik couple in December 2019. They were accused of organizing and participating in the activity of an extremist organization. According to believers, when searches were carried out in their homes two months earlier, law enforcement officers planted flash drives in them. During the search, Viktor Zimovskiy, who has a disability, felt unwell. Nevertheless, he and 10 other people were taken for interrogation. At that time, there were no arrests.\nThe investigator arrested Viktor after a second interrogation in January 2020. He spent 2 months in jail. At first, Zimovskiy was in a four-bed cell, along with 10 other prisoners. The inmates had to either sleep in turns or lie right on the cold floor. Due to the poor conditions of detention, Viktor fell ill. “In addition, at that time my wife was pregnant, and I could not be around to take care of her,” he said.\nThe investigation took 2 years and 2 months and on February 15, 2022, the case was submitted to the Georgievsk City Court of the Stavropol Territory. The trial lasted 9 months.\nThe courts of the Stavropol Territory are considering 2 more criminal cases against 8 believers, 5 of which are women over 57 years old.\nRussian and international human rights activists have repeatedly emphasized that the ongoing persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Russian Federation is unjustified. However, the repressions do not slow down: hundreds of innocent believers have already become victims of criminal prosecution.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-11-14T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/11/161451/image_hu_61e20874bce2581d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/11/161451/image_hu_f7562e0e67db40c7.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/11/161451/image_hu_577ae11a1b6b7ca6.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/11/161451/image_hu_fa719243e35c9f82.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/11/161451.html","regions":["stavropol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["labor","liberty-deprivation","suspended","sentence","families","disability","plant","minors","282.2-1","282.2-2","health-risk"],"title":"Term in a Penal Colony, Suspended Sentence and Forced Labor—Three Jehovah's Witnesses Were Sentenced in Stavropol for Their Faith","type":"news"},{"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_e2a501c2de4aed3e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/11/101636/image_hu_d7f11eb823573bda.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/11/101636/image_hu_d42a1083c897747.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/11/101636/image_hu_c2902b0d708bdb5f.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, Vladimir Bykov, judge of the Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy City Court, found the couple Dmitriy and Nadezhda Semenov guilty of extremism and gave each of them 4 years suspended sentence. The verdict can be appealed.\nThe Semenovs learned about the criminal prosecution in September 2021 — a search was conducted in their home, the believers were interrogated and then released on a recognizance agreement. Three days earlier, Maxim Kudantsev, investigator of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Kamchatka Territory, opened a criminal case against the Semenov family under Part 1.1 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (involvement in the activity of an extremist organization). The case was based on a letter with biblical advice to treat others kindly, written by the Semenovs, which was received by local resident Elena Turova. The investigation saw in it “words and statements that encourage actions aimed at joining a confession”. After 10 months of investigation, the criminal case went to court.\nAt the hearing, Nadezhda Semyonova said: “[Turova] replied that her mother had died in the spring and that the situation was very difficult for her. Applying what I had learned from the Bible, namely to love my neighbor and lend a helping hand, I could not ignore her letter. I wanted to answer her and console her in the best way I could.” The woman herself expressed a desire to regularly communicate with the Semenovs on biblical topics. However, later she began to cooperate with the FSB and record these conversations on video.\nDuring interrogation, the key witness for the prosecution admitted that she enjoyed talking with the Semenovs and their friends and that \"it was interesting to study the Bible\". The woman did not hear any extremist statements or calls for violence from the believers. The testimony of the witness at the court session differed from her written ones, and she could not state which of them exactly corresponded to reality. Despite this, prosecutor Pavel Venin asked the court to sentence the couple to 4 years in a penal colony.\nThe believers do not admit their guilt. At one of the hearings, Dmitriy Semenov said: “The Bible taught me to love all people ... I am deeply convinced that if every person on earth tried to apply the principles set forth in the Bible, the world would become much better.”\nIn total, four criminal cases against 8 Jehovah's Witnesses for their faith were opened in the Kamchatka Territory. One of them resulted in acquittal.\nHuman rights organizations consider the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia to be groundless and unjust. In June of this year, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that the ban on legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia and the criminal prosecution of believers are illegal.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-11-08T16:53:57+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/11/081653/image_hu_7e65bd5b15068d7b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/11/081653/image_hu_5816a10a6eda535e.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/11/081653/image_hu_7c932e51ab364a78.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/11/081653/image_hu_5391e31b22812d38.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/11/081653.html","regions":["kamchatka"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","families","282.2-1.1"],"title":"In Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy, Dmitriy and Nadezhda Semyonov Were Given Four Years' Suspended Sentence for Sharing Bible Message","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_61819dfa0160a746.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/11/081642/image_hu_7d8292f36b1bd4c3.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/11/081642/image_hu_622324dc68676f44.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/11/081642/image_hu_d5b1588c03a5c00d.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 November 7, 2022, Nikolay Razdrogin, judge of the Nikolskiy District Court of the Penza Region, sentenced one of Jehovah's Witnesses, 32-year-old Viktor Shayapov, to 2 years' suspended sentence with 8 months' probation. The believer received such punishment for peacefully practicing his religion.\nViktor became a defendant in a criminal case for his faith in October 2020. At that time, a wave of searches took place in Nikolsk at the homes of local Jehovah's Witnesses, including the home of the Shayapov family. In February 2022, Shayapov was detained in the Moscow Region, taken to Penza and placed under house arrest. He spent almost 9 months in isolation from society with a location-tracking device on his leg. The believer was also added to the list of the Federal Financial Monitoring Service of the Russian Federation.\nShayapov was accused of participating in the activity of an extremist organization (Part 2 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). For almost a year and a half, the investigation was carried out by the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Penza Region. In March 2022, the case went to court. During the 7 months' hearing, the participants of the proceedings examinded at least 15 volumes of case materials.\nThere were no facts of any extremist actions or appeals presented in them, and the testimonies of witnesses in court differed from the preliminary statements. Nevertheless, the prosecutor demanded that the believer was given a 4 year suspended sentence.\n“Let me ask a question which was neither answered by the investigator nor the prosecution”, Viktor Shayapov addressed the court in his final statement, “how could I apply Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation—exercise my right to profess religion individually and jointly with others—and at the same time not be prosecuted? I simply profess religious views that are not prohibited by law.” The believer insists on his complete innocence. The verdict can be appealed.\nThe courts of Penza Region had previously convicted eight more Jehovah's Witnesses for their faith, including women over 60 years of age.\nRussian and foreign human rights institutions have repeatedly drawn the attention of the Russian authorities to the fact that the criminal prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses is unlawful. The authorities continue to ignore such statements, and as a result, the number of peaceful believers labeled as extremists is on the rise.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-11-07T16:47:32+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/11/081647/image_hu_3ae114069eb6f24d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/11/081647/image_hu_6eef97731b273e20.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/11/081647/image_hu_5d0fc45661359e57.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/11/081647/image_hu_bcbdcc30793c2580.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/11/081647.html","regions":["penza"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["282.2-2","sentence","suspended","fabrications"],"title":"A Court in Penza Region Sentenced Viktor Shayapov to Two Years Suspended Sentence for Believing in Jehovah God","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 1, 2022, the Primorye Territory Court in Vladivostok upheld the sentence for Liya Maltseva from the town of Partizansk. This 53-year-old woman with a group II disability was sentenced to 2 years and 3 months of suspended sentence for participating in the activities of an extremist organization. This is how the court regarded the peaceful profession of faith in Jehovah God.\nThe verdict has entered into force. The believer still insists on her innocence. She has the right to appeal the verdict in cassation.\nIn the Court of Appeal, Liya Maltseva drew attention to the fact that not a single statement or action of hers, in which hatred, violence or enmity was manifested, was presented to the court of lower instance. She stressed: \"The State Prosecution has not demonstrated that I participated in any socially dangerous activity. All the evidence examined in the trial court only shows that I discussed the Bible and its teachings with other people. I participated in a peaceful worship service, where I sang songs, listened to a Bible speech, studied a religious text that was not included in the federal list of extremist materials. All this was of an exclusively peaceful nature\".\nThe believer has been under house arrest since August 2020. Then a search was conducted in her apartment, and Maltseva herself was subjected to a psychiatric examination, for which she had to go to Ussuriysk, 200 km from home. The basis of the criminal case was the testimony of one of the participants in the religious service, who conducted covert videotaping of the meetings of believers.\nIn Primorye Territory, criminal cases were opened on similar charges against 44 other people. The sentences for 13 of them have already entered into force.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-11-01T15:25:12+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/11/011525/image_hu_16b5de4d247a289a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/11/011525/image_hu_1a8fed0cfa4fcb3b.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/11/011525/image_hu_5719572b2077351d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/11/011525/image_hu_aa235b9fdd59f514.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/11/011525.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","suspended","282.2-2","disability"],"title":"In Vladivostok, the Appeal Upheld Liya Maltseva's Sentence for Professing the Faith of Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 31, 2022, the retrial of the case of Svetlana Monis was completed in the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region. The result was a suspended sentence of 2.5 years for believing in Jehovah God — the same sentence was given by the regional court at the first appeal.\nSvetlana Monis' sentence includes a two-year probationary period, as well as a one-year restriction of freedom. The believer insists on her complete innocence, which she stated at the stage of the debate of the parties. She has the right to appeal the verdict again in the court of appeals.\nThe starting point of the criminal prosecution of Monis was Operation Doomsday, which took place in May 2018 in Birobidzhan. A year and a half later, the believer was accused of participating in the activities of an extremist organization for practicing her religion. Monis' legal battle has been ongoing since March 2020. First, Svetlana was fined, later the regional court toughened the sentence. The cassation returned the case to the stage of appeal, which, in turn, sent it to a new consideration in the court of first instance. The hearings began in the spring of 2022. After seven months, the prosecutor again requested four years of imprisonment in a colony for the believer.\nThe Birobidzhan District Court is also considering the case of Svetlana's husband, Alam Aliyev. It is expected that it will enter the stage of debates in November 2022.\nIn June 2022, the European Court of Human Rights concluded that the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses unleashed in Russia is groundless.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-10-31T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/11/011521/image_hu_568b36d5d9b9c74.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/11/011521/image_hu_51de52748a6406e9.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/11/011521/image_hu_8c00ca79885872bb.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/11/011521/image_hu_610e692bcd33f530.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/11/011521.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","families","282.2-2","suspended"],"title":"The Birobidzhan District Court Again Issued a Verdict in the Case of the Believer Svetlana Monis — 2.5 Years Suspended Sentence","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_3565eb1c7fa02276.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/10/210939/image_hu_9f4c789041b61f47.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/10/210939/image_hu_2faaff8c34628381.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/10/210939/image_hu_fc331b4bb452246b.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_916ed9bdad18cd77.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/10/211620/image_hu_4bcdf058cc5cb3ff.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/10/211620/image_hu_164a76fd806b6b25.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/10/211620/image_hu_26306797f31c3253.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":"On October 10, 2022, the judge of the Kezhemskiy District Court of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, Grigoriy Garbuz, sentenced Ildar Urazbakhtin to 6 years suspended sentence, equating the study of the Bible with extremist activity. The verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed. The believer insists on his complete innocence.\nIn July 2021, the Urazbakhtins were searched. They had three minor granddaughters visiting them, the youngest of whom at that time was five. A day earlier a criminal case was initiated against Ildar on suspicion of “committing a grave crime” under Part 1 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation for discussing Bible teachings with friends.\nAfter the search, Ildar Urazbakhtin was detained, placed in a temporary detention center for a day, and then spent two months under house arrest. The believer recalls: “My life abruptly ‘gave up on the brakes.’ I couldn’t leave the apartment, I couldn’t communicate with anyone except my wife.” Later, Ildar was under a recognizance agreement, which prevented him from freely leaving his district.\nIldar is the only breadwinner in the family, his wife is a disabled person of group III. The believer says: \"Rosfinmonitoring has blacklisted me, and all my accounts have been blocked. Therefore, the budget built in our family collapsed. Ildar and his wife were able to pay for the services of a lawyer, as well as a trip to Krasnoyarsk for a medical examination, only thanks to the financial assistance of friends. The Urazbakhtins received emotional help from letters of support.\nThe investigation lasted six months. The trial began in January 2022 and lasted over 8 months. Although there is not a single victim in the case, prosecutor Dmitriy Vladimirov asked the court to sentence the believer to 7 years in a penal colony.\nIn the Krasnoyarsk Territory, 27 Jehovah's Witnesses are being prosecuted for their faith. Five were sentenced to various types of punishment—a fine, suspended sentences, real imprisonment. Among them is Andrey Stupnikov, who is serving a 6-year sentence in a penal colony.\nThe Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, whose rulings are binding on all courts, clarified that worship services of Jehovah's Witnesses do not fall under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Nevertheless, criminal persecution of believers in Russia continues.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-10-10T16:27:52+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/10/101627/image_hu_328f5ee13fa137e4.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/10/101627/image_hu_e0f0f3be3d36174c.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/10/101627/image_hu_6de335bc794ee098.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/10/101627/image_hu_b77184285d744c0b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/10/101627.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["suspended","sentence","282.2-1","rosfinmonitoring"],"title":"In Kodinsk, Krasnoyarsk Territory, Ildar Urazbakhtin, 59, Was Given a Six-Year Suspended Sentence for Talking About the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 10, 2022, the Solnechniy District Court of the Khabarovsk Territory sentenced Boris Yagovitov to 5 years suspended sentence. It was only because of his faith that he was found guilty of participating in the activities of an extremist organization and being involved in it. Yagovitov was released from custody in the courtroom. He spent more than 9 months in the pre-trial detention center.\nA criminal case against Boris Yagovitov was opened in May 2021. The believer was suspected of a crime under Part 1.1 and Part 2 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. A few weeks later, the Yagovitovs were detained in Komsomolsk-on-Amur and taken for interrogation to the village of Solnechniy. The place of residence of Boris and Nataliya was searched in their absence. In June 2021, the believer was placed under house arrest, and in December of the same year, he was placed in a pre-trial detention center.\nThe imprisonment of Boris added to the hardships of the Yagovitov family. Boris's wife, Nataliya, said: \"Difficulties for me are connected with emotional stress: you need to voluntarily go to a place where it is not entirely comfortable to stay, and at the same time be in a good mood in order to be a source of support for my Boris.\" In addition, Yagovitov's elderly mother was left for a long time without the necessary care of her son and his wife, as she lives 6700 km from them.\nThe investigation considered the testimony of Pavel Baleychuk to be the main evidence of Yagovitov's guilt, who, after several conversations with Boris, turned to the FSB and the Ministry of Internal Affairs and agreed to participate in operational-search activities. The case file contains audio recordings of his personal conversations with Yagovitov, as well as divine services attended by the informant.\nConsideration of the case in the Solnechniy District Court began in December 2021. Three months later, Judge Pavel Nesterov returned the case to the prosecutor's office to eliminate the violations committed at the preliminary investigation stage. The case returned to court in May 2022, and this time he was appointed to judge Alyona Stolyarova. The prosecutor asked the court to sentence the believer to 5 years in a penal colony, as well as 2 years and 11 months of restriction of freedom, but the judge assigned 50-year-old Boris Yagovitov a suspended sentence with a probationary period of 3 years and restriction of freedom for 1 year and 7 months. The believer insists on his complete innocence. The verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed.\nIn the Khabarovsk Territory, 25 Jehovah's Witnesses are already being persecuted for their faith. Four of them served their sentences. Most human rights structures in Russia condemn the actions of the authorities.\nIn October 2021, the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation clarified that worship services of Jehovah's Witnesses do not fall under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Nevertheless, the intensity of criminal prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia is not decreasing.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-10-10T16:23:18+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/10/101623/image_hu_ae2e465823ae18d8.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/10/101623/image_hu_dde09cfe1ed97367.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/10/101623/image_hu_76b81abc1327b576.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/10/101623/image_hu_1ef0ff95fee23e3d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/10/101623.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-2","282.2-1.1","retrial"],"title":"In Khabarovsk Territory, a Court Sentenced Boris Yagovitov to Five Years Suspended Sentence for Believing in Jehovah God And Released After Nine Months in a Pre-Trial Detention Center","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 4, 2022, the Kirov Regional Court, chaired by Aleksandr Kulguskin, denied the appeal of six local believers. The verdict of the first instance — 2.5 to 6.5 years of suspended imprisonment — came into force.\nAndrzej Oniszczuk, Yevgeniy and Andrey Suvorkov, Maksim Khalturin, Vladimir Korobeynikov and Vladimir Vasilyev insist on their innocence because they practiced their religion legally. They have the right to appeal the verdict in cassation.\nSpeaking with his last word in the Court of Appeal, Andrzej Oniszczuk noted that he had been a Jehovah's Witness for more than 30 years and lived according to Biblical principles. He said: \"As a believer, I never even thought about extremism ... Inner convictions do not allow me to oppose the state system.\" Vladimir Vasilyev also noted: “I profess religious views that are not prohibited by law. I have never had anything to do with extremism.\"\nVladimir Korobeynikov said: “I love my family very much and take care of them. My wife and daughter, who lives with us, have disability of I and II degree. My relations with neighbors are friendly, and they know me as a person who is always ready to help. There is also a characteristic in the case file confirming this. Do extremists have such qualities?”\nMaksim Khalturin emphasized: “My parents, due to their age and illnesses, depend on my help, which is unrealistic for social services to provide. They have no other relatives who can help them. Therefore, if I am deprived of their liberty, they will be put on the brink of survival and will not last long.”\nThe peace-loving views of Andrey and Yevgeniy Suvorkov (stepson and stepfather) had prompted them to do alternative civilian service instead of military service, but in court they were forced to prove that they were not extremists.\nEarlier, four other of Jehovah's Witnesses from Kirov were convicted. For practicing their peaceful religion, they received fines ranging from 200 to 500 thousand rubles.\nDespite the fact that the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation issued a ruling in defense of the rights of Jehovah's Witnesses to hold worship services and joint religious rites and ceremonies, the persecution of believers in the country does not stop.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-10-04T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/10/060947/image_hu_87ce803a516d1bc1.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/10/060947/image_hu_ea9ff580be5037bc.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/10/060947/image_hu_8b0abd816dd75bd4.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/10/060947/image_hu_3eac32f83fd18de8.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/10/060947.html","regions":["kirov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","282.2-1","282.2-2","282.3-1","suspended","families"],"title":"Appeal in Kirov Upheld the Verdict Against 6 of Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 3, 2022, the Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region, chaired by Dmitriy Dobrobabin, considered Yevgeniy Yegorov’s appeal against the verdict and decided to return the criminal case for a new trial to the Birobidzhanskiy District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region.\nSpeaking with his last word in the court of appeal, the believer said: \"Four years of criminal prosecution undermined my emotional and physical health, I acquired an incurable disease, with which I now need to somehow survive. How else have I been hurt? Instead of devoting time to caring for my family and raising my little son, I am forced to defend my violated honor and restore my good name.\"\nYevgeniy Yegorov was convicted in June 2021 for meetings with fellow believers. In November of the same year, the appeal left the sentence unchanged—2.5 years of suspended sentence. However, later the Ninth Cassation Court in Vladivostok sent the case back for a second appeal, which now, in turn, initiated a new trial of the case.\nSimilar criminal cases have been opened in the Jewish Autonomous Region against 23 Jehovah's Witnesses, and 18 believers have already been sentenced.\n","category":"trial","date":"2022-10-03T16:09:54+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/10/031609/image_hu_7741842f6e07e6ab.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/10/031609/image_hu_d0f7ce43db4c7143.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/10/031609/image_hu_f7afcc81f8deb51e.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/10/031609/image_hu_1936df758af8a3b4.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/10/031609.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["2-appeal","282.2-2","health-risk","suspended"],"title":"A Second Appeal in Birobidzhan Returned the Case of Yevgeniy Yegorov for a New Trial","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_35eae64a4149b420.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/09/261622/image_hu_5c48bdaac0129680.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/09/261622/image_hu_a5c66f0195c50bdf.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/09/261622/image_hu_1821f5235772f9a7.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 21, 2022, the Ninth Cassation Court of General Jurisdiction in the city of Vladivostok upheld the sentence imposed on Anna Lokhvitskaya from Birobidzhan—a two-and-a-half-year suspended sentence for her belief in Jehovah God.\nThe criminal prosecution of the Lokhvitsky family began in May 2018 when searches were carried out in the home of Anna and her husband and in the home of her mother-in-law. Later, in 2019, the FSB initiated a case against Anna's husband, Artur Lokhvitsky, and about a year later, Anna herself and her mother-in-law, Irina, were accused of extremism.\nOn July 20, 2021, the Birobidzhansky District Court sentenced Anna Lokhvitskaya to a two-and-a-half-year suspended prison sentence. The believer filed an appeal, but the Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region did not grant it.\nIn her cassation appeal, Anna stated that she was a \"victim of discrimination\" and a \"victim of arbitrary criminal prosecution.\" She also pointed out that during the entire period of the investigation and trial, her rights guaranteed to her as a citizen of Russia, including freedom of religion and of expression and respect for personal life, family life, and home, were repeatedly violated.\nArtur Lokhvitsky and his mother, Irina Lokhvitskaya, were also given two-and-a-half-year suspended prison sentences. The cassation court upheld these judgments.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-09-21T09:37:03+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/09/230937/image_hu_1f99b756f49ae61e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/09/230937/image_hu_4e33df2fa2e28979.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/09/230937/image_hu_ca163e2fa1842b2d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/09/230937/image_hu_3a9dedbd9ab6a75a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/09/230937.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["cassation","families","suspended","282.2-2"],"title":"The Cassation Court Did Not Change the Sentence Imposed on Anna Lokhvitskaya from Birobidzhan for Her Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 20, 2022 the panel of judges of the Trans-Baikal Territory Court headed by Olga Dedyukhina confirmed the sentence to for four of Jehovah's Witnesses in Chita: Vladimir Ermolaev and Aleksandr Putintsev - 6.5 years of a penal colony, Igor Mamalimov - 6 years in a penal colony, Sergey Kirilyuk - 6 years suspended. The verdict of the lower court came into force.\nAll four still insist on their innocence. Addressing the court, Aleksandr Putintsev said: \"Expression of hatred, hostility and violence is incompatible with my views. I respect representatives of other religions and nationalities. I was convicted only for my belief in God. Igor Mamalimov expressed a similar thought: \"I exercise my constitutional right to believe in Jehovah God and live in harmony with my religious beliefs. And it is not a crime. Vladimir Ermolaev reminded that the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation did not ban the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, and Sergei Kirilyuk concluded: \"I am a victim of discrimination... There were no signs of extremism in my actions, which is confirmed by transcripts of audio recordings of worship services and expert conclusions. Moreover, this is confirmed by the witnesses for the prosecution who were questioned.\nThe Supreme Court of the Russian Federation did not require the followers of the Jehovah's Witnesses religion to renounce their faith. And according to Article 13 of the Russian Constitution, the state system of Russia is aimed at protecting the ideological diversity, the principle of secular state and, above all, human rights and freedoms, which are proclaimed as the highest value. However, law enforcement agencies continue to erroneously equate the peaceful religious activity of believers with extremism.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-09-20T16:40:19+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/09/201639/image_hu_a94a9fef05912e51.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/09/201639/image_hu_167495033cb808b0.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/09/201639/image_hu_55c7cfa21a8fa200.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/09/201639/image_hu_2dbddb4739e571e2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/09/201639.html","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","liberty-deprivation","suspended","282.2-1","families"],"title":"Appeal in Chita Affirms Harsh Sentence for Jehovah's Witnesses: Six Years in Prison for Three of Them and Six Years Suspended for One","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 20, 2022, Aleksandr Yagubkin, a judge of the Partizan City Court of Primorye Territory, found 53-year-old Liya Maltseva guilty of participating in the activities of an extremist organization. The believer was sentenced to 2 years and 3 months of suspended imprisonment and 7 months of restriction of liberty.\nThe verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed. Maltseva insists on her complete innocence. In her last statement in court, she said: \"It is unthinkable for me not only to commit a crime, but also to hate or even offend someone.\"\nIn July 2020, Liya Maltseva, a disabled person of group II, was surprised to find out that she was on the list of extremists of Rosfinmonitoring. As it turned out, a criminal case was initiated against her.\nCurrently, another trial is underway in Partizansk against believer Irina Buglak. The presiding judge is Darya Didur, who authorized the search at Liya Maltseva's house as well.\nAs Memorial Human Rights Center notes, the decisions of Russian courts, including the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, “contain not a single fact of violation of public order by believers, manifestations of aggression or violence on their part, evidence that their peaceful religious activities threatened the security of the Russian Federation [...] The foregoing allows us to speak about the obvious illegality of the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses, whose ‘crime’ is that they exercised the right to freedom of religion enshrined in the Constitution of the Russian Federation.”\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-09-20T15:01:52+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/09/211501/image_hu_cd81be14bdfb5045.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/09/211501/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/09/211501/image_hu_12246eeb66d2954.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/09/211501/image_hu_6bd23e7419205342.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/09/211501.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["disability","282.2-2","suspended","rosfinmonitoring","sentence"],"title":"Primorye Court Found Liya Maltseva, One of Jehovah's Witnesses with Disability, Guilty of Extremism for Believing in God","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 14, 2022, the Ninth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Vladivostok approved the sentence of 29-year-old Tatyana Sholner - 2.5 years of suspended imprisonment.\nSholner faced criminal prosecution for her faith in 2020, when FSB investigator Dmitriy Yankin opened 6 criminal cases for faith against women from Birobidzhan in one day. All of them were charged with participation in the activities of an extremist organization. The basis was the reading and discussion of the Bible, prayers and religious songs in the circle of friends.\nThe court of first instance ruled on June 25, 2021, then in December of the same year, the upheld the upheld the verdict. Tatyana Sholner still considers both of these decisions unjust, as she stated in her appeal: “Law enforcement agencies did not establish a single fact of my illegal activities … Not a single person has been identified who suffered from the activities of believers.” The decision of the court of cassation deprived Tatyana of the right to rehabilitation.\nIn total, the Ninth Cassation Court received complaints in 16 cases of Jehovah's Witnesses from the Jewish Autonomous Region. Four of them were sent for re-appeal.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-09-14T09:12:14+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/09/150912/image_hu_8001b85467a10483.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/09/150912/image_hu_36107428ddeba7f4.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/09/150912/image_hu_12b94eae06fcc779.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/09/150912/image_hu_772d7d2ca9c6737a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/09/150912.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["282.2-2","cassation","suspended"],"title":"An Appeals Court Left Unchanged Birobidzhan-Based Tatyana Sholner's Court Sentence","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_8674198a6a0277b2.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/09/061424/image_hu_47ebc02597cbae3c.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/09/061424/image_hu_ea95335375862ea6.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/09/061424/image_hu_51c401fa6f4b1675.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":"On September 2, 2022, the Supreme Court of the Republic of Tatarstan, chaired by Judge Olga Migunova, upheld the verdict against Vladimir Myakushin, Konstantin Matrashov, Ilham Karimov and Aydar Yulmetyev, but at the request of the prosecutor imposed a number of restrictions on believers.\nFor their peaceful beliefs, four believers will serve suspended sentences: Vladimir Myakushin—3 years and 1 month, Aydar Yulmetyev—2 years and 9 months, and Konstantin Matrashov and Ilham Karimov—2.5 years each. All of them were also placed on probation for 2 years. The judicial board of the appellate instance fully satisfied the appeal presentation of the prosecution and added the following restrictions to the main punishment: “do not change the permanent place of residence without notifying the specialized state body that monitors the behavior of probationers, appear once a month for registration.” All four still insist on their innocence and can appeal the verdict on cassation.\nFor the first time, believers were persecuted for their faith back in 2018. After a series of searches, they were arrested, each had to spend almost six months in a pre-trial detention center and from 2 to 3 months under house arrest.\nAt the appeal hearing, Ilham Karimov said: “I did not engage in extremist or other illegal activities. I lead a peaceful way of life, respect authority and keep the law, because I am a believer. The manifestation of hatred, enmity and violence is incompatible with my views.” A similar thought was expressed by Vladimir Myakushin: \"I did not do anything for which I would be ashamed and for which I could be held criminally liable.\" Aydar Yulmetiev drew the attention of the court to the fact that because of his peace-loving views, he used the right to alternative civilian service. And Konstantin Matrashov noted that the interrogated witnesses did not confirm a single accusation against him.\nThe Soviet and Russian religious scholar, Doctor of Philosophy Sergey Ivanenko commented on the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia: “Jehovah’s Witnesses . . . are quite consistently pursuing a line so as not to destroy social foundations . . . This is their conscious choice, and in this sense I would not blame them for any extremist encroachments.”\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-09-02T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/09/051623/image_hu_1268c4d8fce1c3fa.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/09/051623/image_hu_37686797f990842d.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/09/051623/image_hu_32e45c688f6bd1b4.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/09/051623/image_hu_f2966970b4cb09bb.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/09/051623.html","regions":["tatarstan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","suspended","282.2-1","282.3-1"],"title":"A Tatarstan Appeal Upheld Suspended Sentences for Four Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"On August 18, 2022, a panel of judges of the Chelyabinsk Regional Court, chaired by Andrey Averkin, upheld the verdict against Pavel Popov — a 6-year suspended sentence. The believer continues to insist on his innocence and has the right to appeal this decision in the cassation procedure.\nOn May 25, 2022, Mariya Melnikova, judge of the Metallurgichesky District Court of Chelyabinsk, found Pavel guilty of organizing the activity of an extremist organization. According to the believer, the charges against him were based on the testimony of agent Ruzaeva, who only told the court that she had heard his voice at the meeting for worship. Based on the facts presented in court, Popov concludes: “Evidence was considered in the court of first instance. This evidence does not prove any criminal activity by me, but only my faith in God. I did not commit any extremist actions”.\nDespite all the hardships associated with the trial and the unlawfulness of the accusations against him, Pavel tries not to lose strength and optimism. He said, “Friends stay until the end of the process and then they chat and give me support. Every time they give me and my family some gifts. All this is very encouraging and gives extra strength.” The believer is especially grateful for the support of his wife and daughter, who also courageously cope with the trials that have befallen them.\nIn recent years, 13 Jehovah's Witnesses have been prosecuted for their religious beliefs in the Chelyabinsk Region, 10 of whom have already been given various suspended sentences and fines.\nThe global human rights community considers the prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses unlawful. In particular the European Court of Human Rights has stated: “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":"verdict","date":"2022-08-18T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/05/260843/image_hu_d30b249aba02e3f9.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/05/260843/image_hu_e84712f1d936afd4.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/05/260843/image_hu_b071e71d4002eb69.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/05/260843/image_hu_5163ea04a7bd641a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/05/260843.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["282.2-1","appeal","suspended","help-providing"],"title":"The Court of Appeal in Chelyabinsk Upheld the Sentence of Pavel Popov","type":"news"},{"body":"On August 11, 2022, Nizhny Novgorod Regional Court presided by Judge Vyacheslav Chiginiev upheld the sentence of Galina Abrosimova - a 6-year suspended sentence for believing in Jehovah God.\nCriminal prosecution against Galina Abrosimova has lasted for more than three years: in July 2019 law enforcement officers came to her house with a search and reported that a criminal case was opened against her on suspicion of organizing the activities of an extremist organization. The believer insists on her innocence. Although the verdict came into force, she may appeal against the court decisions on appeal.\nA total of 16 Jehovah's Witnesses are being prosecuted for their beliefs in Nizhny Novgorod region, with sentences ranging from three to six years' probation already in effect for six of them.\nOn June 7, 2022, the European Court of Human Rights found the charges against Russian Jehovah's Witnesses unfounded and awarded the believers compensation for unfair criminal prosecution.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-08-11T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/08/121313/image_hu_9f1d77478786e274.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/08/121313/image_hu_89fcdf2156187c38.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/08/121313/image_hu_e68dc5e0da00ff76.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/08/121313/image_hu_43c2c1331104b0e9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/08/121313.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["282.2-1","appeal","suspended"],"title":"Appeal in Nizhny Novgorod Upheld the Conviction of Galina Abrosimova","type":"news"},{"body":"On August 9, 2022, a panel of judges of the Second Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction, chaired by Judge Komarova, upheld the verdict and appeal decision regarding the spouses Rayman, Sergey and Valeria.\nEarlier, on October 9, 2020, the Sverdlovsk District Court of Kostroma found the believers guilty of organizing the activities of an extremist organization and participating in it and sentenced them to 8 and 7 years of probation. In February 2021, the Kostroma Regional Court mitigated this punishment, and then the cassation sent the case back for re-appeal.\nOn March 30, 2022, a panel of judges of the Kostroma Regional Court excluded Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation from the verdict, and also recalculated the sentence taking into account the 9 and 6 months of restriction of liberty served by Sergey and Valeria. As a result, the Ryman spouses were given 7 and 6.5 years of probation with a probation period of 2 years.\nBased on the results of the cassation, this decision remains in force.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-08-09T16:01:32+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/08/101601/image_hu_dc8575f81c5d6665.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/08/101601/image_hu_c822576f84d4eed9.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/08/101601/image_hu_e5eb3704c54ea3a6.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/08/101601/image_hu_8319f01b31028326.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/08/101601.html","regions":["kostroma"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["282.2-1","282.2-2","cassation","families","suspended"],"title":"The court of cassation finally upheld the sentence to Sergey and Valeria Rayman from Kostroma - 7 and 6.5 years suspended with a probationary period of 2 years","type":"news"},{"body":"On August 8, 2022, the judge of the Golovinskiy District Court of Moscow, Sergey Bazarov, found Yuriy Temirbulatov and Aleksandr Serebryakov guilty of organizing the activities of an extremist organization and sentenced them to 6.5 years suspended sentence. The believers were released in the courtroom after a year and a half in jail.\nUpdate. According to updated data, Serebryakov and Temirbulatov were sentenced to 6 years probation. The prosecution of Serebryakov and Temirbulatov was preceded by surveillance and hidden video recording in 2019. Investigator of the Investigative Committee for the Northern Administrative District of Moscow of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation Mariya Rasskazova opened a criminal case on February 10, 2021. On the same day, armed officers from several law enforcement agencies broke into 16 homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in Moscow and the region.\nThe investigation lasted for almost a year, after which, on January 26, 2022, the case was transferred to the Golovinskiy District Court of Moscow. Although during the six months of hearings in court it was only proved that Temirbulatov and Serebryakov were Jehovah's Witnesses, the prosecutor asked that they be sentenced to 6.5 years of actual imprisonment. Although the court sentenced them to suspended sentences, believers consider the sentence unjust and can appeal against it.\n“The investigation has no evidence that I committed extremist actions,” said Yuriy Temirbulatov, addressing the court. “The investigation and the state prosecution are trying to pass off the exercise of my right to freedom of religion, which is also expressed in the form of worship, as a prohibited activity.”\nDuring the time in custody, believers were repeatedly transferred between different pre-trial detention centers in Moscow. Yuriy Temirbulatov remained under arrest despite numerous diseases of internal organs, a serious surgical operation during his imprisonment, an oncological disease that developed in the same period, the guarantee of human rights activist Andrei Babushkin and the presence of four dependents. Aleksandr Serebryakov had a hard time covid. His wife said: “I didn’t know how he feels, what he needs, who takes care of him, how they treat him . . . Only when he started to recover, I found out that Alek was on the verge of death.” During the investigation, Aleksandr Serebryakov was never granted a meeting with his wife, they communicated only through letters.\nSpeaking before the court with the last word, Aleksandr Serebryakov said: “For several years now, a mass campaign has been going on to denigrate peaceful citizens, to sow hatred and enmity towards Jehovah's Witnesses. There were cases of vandalism, beatings, torture, arson of houses and liturgical buildings . . . We are the only victims here. A year and a half behind bars, wives all this time without husbands, children without a father. All this resulted in stress, pain, tears, illness. I wonder who needs all this? Who got better?”\nIn Moscow, 2 more criminal cases against 8 believers are in court. In total, 13 Jehovah's Witnesses living in this region fell under criminal prosecution.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-08-08T17:15:47+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/08/081715/image_hu_ec82a4749ff4ce0c.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/08/081715/image_hu_9af3bca59e3b419.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/08/081715/image_hu_17e670da830413b9.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/08/081715/image_hu_c3f692ebe8e7e943.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/08/081715.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["suspended","sentence","hidden-surveillance","282.2-1","health-risk"],"title":"Court Sentenced Two Jehovah's Witnesses from Moscow to 6 Years of Suspended 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_774e99aab196286.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/08/051453/image_hu_1a7fe6769a4e52cd.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/08/051453/image_hu_d85ceb21e87cd8d6.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/08/051453/image_hu_677c4277504ce606.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":"On August 2, 2022, the 9th General Jurisdiction Court of Cassation overturned the appeal decision in the case of Nataliya Kriger and sent the case for a new trial at the appeal stage. The verdict for faith is considered not to have entered into force.\nOn July 30, 2021, the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region found Nataliya Kriger guilty of extremism, considering her presence at the services of Jehovah's Witnesses a crime, although this belief is not prohibited in Russia. The court sentenced her to 2.5 years suspended and 1 year of restriction of liberty. The believer appealed the verdict, but on November 25 the Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region approved it. Nataliya considered these decisions illegal and filed a cassation appeal.\n“April 19 and May 6, 2018, several families of the Christian religion peacefully gathered together at their homes, read and discussed the Bible, prayed, sang religious songs. This became the basis for criminal prosecution against me. Such persecution was carried out not because I had committed any crime, but because of who I am — a Christian, one Jehovah's Witness,” Nataliya wrote in her appeal.\nAccording to Nataliya Kriger, law enforcement agencies have not established a single fact of her illegal activities. “Even [under surveillance] nothing was recorded to claim that I or any of Jehovah's Witnesses committed or called for illegal acts. Not a single person has been identified who suffered from the activities of believers,” says Nataliya.\nHaving considered the arguments of the believer, the court overturned the decision of the appellate instance, which recognized the sentence for faith as just. The new appeal hearing will be held in a different composition of judges of the Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region.\n","category":"trial","date":"2022-08-02T15:35:49+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/08/051535/image_hu_3f9dd9960e1f78d7.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/08/051535/image_hu_542037ea2f920886.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/08/051535/image_hu_8195c49bd4606252.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/08/051535/image_hu_c07e0a31486f7424.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/08/051535.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["families","cassation","282.2-2","suspended"],"title":"In Birobidzhan, the Cassation Sent the Case of Nataliya Kriger, Convicted for Her Faith, to a New Appeal Hearing","type":"news"},{"body":"On August 1, 2022, the Nizhny Novgorod Regional Court, presided over by Judge Olga Yaroshenko, upheld the sentence handed down to one of Jehovah's Witnesses Kirill Yevstigneev, 42—3 years' suspended imprisonment for his belief in Jehovah God.\nAddressing the court, the believer emphasized: \"I am one of Jehovah's Witnesses and therefore I will never plan to commit extremist actions, as well as approve or support other people who commit similar criminal acts. These are my religious and life beliefs.\"\nThe verdict has entered into force. Kirill Yevstigneev still insists on his innocence. He has the right to appeal the verdict in cassation.\nIn July 2019, mass searches were carried out in the homes of local believers in Nizhny Novgorod. In total, 31 families suffered from the actions of the security forces in the region, including Kirill and his wife. In September of the same year, a criminal case was opened against Yevstigneev on charges of financing the activities of an extremist organization.\nThe accusation was based on the fact that in April 2019, Kirill Yevstigneev was at a party in a rented room, where they acted out scenes based on the plots of Soviet films, danced, listened to secular music and played games. For this \"crime\" the prosecutor requested 6 years of real imprisonment.\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":"2022-08-01T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/08/020835/image_hu_dda71952d32fec93.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/08/020835/image_hu_3e221c8d82581cbb.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/08/020835/image_hu_99c7fe2bdd28c594.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/08/020835/image_hu_850cb8588f368ff9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/08/020835.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","282.3-1","suspended"],"title":"Appeal in Nizhny Novgorod Approved the Conviction of Kirill Yevstigneev for His Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 28, 2022, the Primorye Regional Court, presided over by Judge Anna Chernenko, upheld the conviction of Jehovah's Witness Vitaliy Ilyinykh. For his belief in God, he was found guilty of participating in the activities of an extremist organization.\nThe decision of the lower court adopted in April 2022 came into force—Vitaliy Ilyinykh was sentenced to 2.5 years of suspended sentence with a two-year probationary period. The prosecutor asked for a longer suspended sentence—4 years. The believer insists on his complete innocence and can file a cassation appeal.\nVitaliy Ilinykh and his mother, Olga Opaleva, have been persecuted for their faith since 2019. The Ilinykhs' house was searched twice, after the second one Vitaliy spent 2 days in the temporary detention center. Recalling those events, the believer said: “The hardest thing was to realize that the ‘calm’ life was over.” The criminal prosecution deprived Vitaliy Ilinykh of the opportunity to fully take care of his mother. He also faced financial difficulties due to the blocking of his accounts.\nIn total, 41 Jehovah's Witnesses were persecuted for their faith in Primorye Territory, more than in any other subject of the Russian Federation. Among those charged with extremism are 87-year-old Yelena Zaishchuk, 74-year-old Lyudmila Shut and 79-year-old Vladimir Filippov.\nThe Supreme Court of the Russian Federation did 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 630 Jehovah's Witnesses in 71 regions of Russia have already become defendants in criminal cases for their faith.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-07-28T16:18:05+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/07/281618/image_hu_4126039dfad27657.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/07/281618/image_hu_c0501c601688bea6.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/07/281618/image_hu_f89318dd8d3f09c9.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/07/281618/image_hu_37edb53375fe240f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/07/281618.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","suspended","282.2-2","rosfinmonitoring"],"title":"Appeal in Ussuriysk Approved the Conviction of Vitaliy Ilinykh—a Suspended Sentence for Reading the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 14, 2022, a panel of judges of the Tomsk Regional Court mitigated the sentence of one of Jehovah's Witnesses, Andrey Ledyaykin, 33, replacing the sentence of 2 years and 2 months in prison with a suspended sentence of the same term.\nIn July 2020, FSB and Investigative Committee officers, accompanied by two OMON fighters, arrived at Andrey Ledyaikin’s place of work, the administration of Seversk, to pick him up for a search of his home. After the Seversk Investigative Department opened a criminal case against Ledyaykin in March 2021, he was forced to resign. Rosfinmonitoring has included a peaceful believer in the list of extremists and terrorists.\nOn April 26, 2022, the judge of the Seversky City Court of the Tomsk Region, Yekaterina Soldatenko, sentenced Andrey Ledyaykin to 2 years and 2 months in prison with serving a sentence in a penal colony, although there were no victims and evidence of harm to the state and society in the case. Since then, Andrey has been held in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Tomsk region.\nThe believer still insists on his innocence and can appeal the decisions of the courts in cassation, as well as in international instances.\nThe courts of the Tomsk region have already sentenced 6 Jehovah's Witnesses for their faith, including an 80-year-old woman. On June 7, 2022, the ECHR declared illegal the liquidation of the administrative center and another 395 legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, which law enforcement agencies take as a basis for criminal prosecution, although not a single Russian court has banned the faith of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-07-14T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/07/151002/image_hu_b81b0c60af66b3f5.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/07/151002/image_hu_cf37f85fee169b8f.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/07/151002/image_hu_9144d6c9218ba2a3.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/07/151002/image_hu_618618e67c723e23.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/07/151002.html","regions":["tomsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["282.2-2","appeal","mitigation","suspended","liberty-deprivation","work-restrictions","rosfinmonitoring"],"title":"An Appeal in Seversk Replaced the Prison Term of Andrey Ledyaykin With a Suspended Sentence","type":"news"},{"body":"The panel of judges of the Tomsk Regional Court, chaired by Andrey Kaplyuk, appoints Andrey Kolesnichenko 4 years of suspended sentence instead of real imprisonment.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kolesnichenko in Seversk","date":"2022-06-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/seversk4/index.html#20220630","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["appeal","suspended","mitigation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On June 30, 2022, a panel of judges of the Tomsk Regional Court upheld the conviction of one of Jehovah's Witnesses—Sergey Belousov, 44. The believer was found guilty of participating in the activities of an extremist organization.\nIn sentencing Sergey Belousov to three years of suspended sentence, judge Yekaterina Soldatenko of the Severskiy City Court of the Tomsk Region did not take into account that the right to be a believer does not depend on the existence of a legal entity or its prohibition. “As a result of a miscarriage of justice, I was only convicted of professing Bible-based beliefs and peacefully practicing my Christian faith as a Jehovah's Witness,” the believer said during the consideration of his complaint. Despite this, as well as a number of other violations, the appellate court upheld the verdict of April 14, 2022.\nThe believer still insists on his innocence. The verdict came into force, but Sergey Belousov has the right to appeal it in cassation.\nIn the Tomsk region, 7 believers are already being repressed for their faith in Jehovah God. Sergey Klimov and Yevgeniy Korotun were sentenced to long terms of imprisonment (6 and 7 years, respectively), and Yelena Savelyeva, 80,—to 4 years of suspended sentence.\nInternational organizations, Russian human rights activists and the European Court of Human Rights condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-06-30T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/07/011113/image_hu_c27108e2a7667412.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/07/011113/image_hu_270921e743fc28c3.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/07/011113/image_hu_f79b71fea7ecad7f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/07/011113/image_hu_111ab8c1d0e4dcc8.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/07/011113.html","regions":["tomsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["282.2-2","appeal","suspended"],"title":"A Seversk Appeal Upheld Sergey Belousov's Suspended Three-Year Sentence for Practicing Faith in God","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 16, 2022, the Supreme Court of the Republic of Khakassia approved the verdict against Aleksandr Vergunov and Matrena Spiriadi. The Judicial Collegium, chaired by Judge Yelena Dyukareva, considered attending services and discussing the Bible a criminal offense.\nIn the court of first instance, it turned out that most of the 42 witnesses either did not know the defendants or were confused in their testimony. Despite this, the prosecutor asked to sentence the believers to 5 years in prison. The court limited itself to a suspended sentence: 2.5 years each.\nThe verdict has entered into force. Believers still insist on their innocence. They have the right to appeal the verdict in cassation.\nThe third suspect in the case was 44-year-old Irina Sidorova, who died in hospital in July 2020 after two surgeries. Her minor child was left without a mother.\nThe case of the Abakan believers was separated from the case of Roman Baranovskiy and his mother Valentina . The 70-year-old believer was released on parole. Her son is still in prison for his faith in God.\nA recent ruling by the European Court of Human Rights once again confirmed the incompetence of the criminal prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-06-16T11:18:41+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/06/161118/image_hu_bf9a9b9e385f96a7.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/06/161118/image_hu_b8bc387a1d5d9c9b.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/06/161118/image_hu_f26b464c8154f903.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/06/161118/image_hu_3d0408fb716b5487.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/06/161118.html","regions":["khakassia"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","suspended","282.2-2"],"title":"An Appeal in Abakan Upheld Suspended Sentences for Two Believers—Two-and-a-Half Years Each for Holding Bible Discussions","type":"news"},{"body":"The Ninth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Vladivostok upholds the sentence of Tatyana Zagulina - 2 years and 6 months suspended.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zagulina in Birobidzhan","date":"2022-06-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan15/index.html#20220608","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["cassation","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Ksenia Matviyevskaya sentences Yegor Baranov and sentences him to 5 years of suspended imprisonment.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Baranov and Li in Vyazemskiy","date":"2022-06-06T16:47:00+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy/index.html#20220606","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["sentence","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On June 6, 2022, the judge of the Vyazemsky District Court of the Khabarovsk Territory, Kseniya Matvievskaya, sentenced 21-year-old Yegor Baranov to 5 years of suspended sentence. She found him guilty of participating in the activities of a banned organization and involving other persons in it.\nYegor Baranov was detained in May 2020 after searches in Vyazemsky. That same morning, armed FSB agents aggressively broke into the home of another believer, Yen Sen Li. The day before the searches, the investigation department of the FSB of Russia for the Khabarovsk Territory opened a criminal case against Baranov and Li.\nBaranov spent almost six months in a pre-trial detention center, and all this time he did not have the opportunity to receive letters of support. This was due to the decision of the FSB investigator S. V. Nemtsev to seize all incoming correspondence. In the first four months alone, the number of letters reached 1200. Shortly before his release from the pre-trial detention center, about 2500 letters were given to Yegor under the ban on certain actions. The investigator continued to study the remaining letters, intending to attach them to the charges. The defense considered this as a way of influencing the arrested person in order to force him to give the testimony necessary for the investigation.\nThe investigation of the criminal case lasted more than 8 months. In February 2021, the case went to court. During the court hearings, it turned out that the written testimonies of some witnesses were completely or partially untrue. These witnesses also drew the court's attention to psychological pressure and threats from law enforcement officers. For example, a key prosecution witness completely refuted the testimony signed during the preliminary investigation. She stated that she gave them under pressure: FSB investigator Kuznetsov and FSB officer Svetachev threatened her with deprivation of parental rights.\nAlthough there is not a single victim in the case, prosecutor Natalya Ozhogina asked the court to sentence Baranov to 6 years in a penal colony and 1.5 years of restriction of freedom.\nIn January 2022, during the period of court hearings, 69-year-old Yen Sen Li, the second defendant in the criminal case, died of COVID-19 at the stage of the trial. The criminal case against the believer was dropped.\nThe verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed. Yegor Baranov insists on his complete innocence.\nIn the Khabarovsk Territory, 24 Jehovah's Witnesses are persecuted for their faith. Four of them have already received suspended sentences ranging from 2 to 4.5 years, and one was given a large fine.\nDespite numerous calls from human rights activists and clarifications from the Plenum of the Supreme Court, harsh sentences continue to be handed down in Russia for the peaceful religious activities of believers.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-06-06T16:42:37+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/06/061642/image_hu_7a2d2af2c6cfabae.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/06/061642/image_hu_7624fbaa32f016b3.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/06/061642/image_hu_c9004834e071abd3.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/06/061642/image_hu_9560074b9000b2b0.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/06/061642.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["suspended","282.2-1","282.2-1.1","282.2-2","letters","sentence","died"],"title":"Vyazemsky-Based Yegor Baranov Received a Five-Year Suspended Sentence for Holding Discussions About the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"The court found the believers guilty and sentenced Vladimir Yermolaev, Aleksandr Putintsev and Igor Mamalimov to 6.5 years of actual imprisonment, and Sergey Kirilyuk to 6 years of suspended imprisonment.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ermolaev and Others in Chita","date":"2022-06-06T16:33:13+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/chita/index.html#20220606","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":["sentence","liberty-deprivation","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On June 6, 2022, Marina Kuklina, judge of the Central District Court of Chita, sentenced Vladimir Ermolaev and Aleksandr Putintsev to 6.5 years, and Igor Mamalimov to 6 years in prison, they were taken into custody. Serhiy Kirilyuk received a 6-year suspended sentence.\nFor Mamalimov and Kirilyuk, the prosecutor requested 6 years of suspended sentence, for Vladimir Ermolaev and Aleksandr Putintsev—7 years of real imprisonment, although there are no victims and evidence of crimes against the state and the individual in the case. Believers resolutely deny the guilt of extremism, the verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed.\nThe criminal case was initiated on January 20, 2020. Six months earlier, the Chita believers noticed that they were being followed, and while relaxing by the river, they discovered tracking devices and hidden audio recordings. On February 10, 2020, FSB officers conducted 50 searches in Chita and other settlements in Transbaikalia. The security forces invaded the homes of the elderly, the disabled, large families and other believers. The search in the house of Sergey Kirilyuk took place in front of his wife, who has a group II disability, and a minor child. During the raid, Vadim Kutsenko was strangled and tortured with a stun gun. He, as well as Vladimir Ermolaev, was detained and placed in a temporary detention facility.\nIn total, 8 believers were suspected of organizing extremist activities, but in January 2021, charges were dropped against Vadim Kutsenko, Aleksey Loskutov, Georgiy Senotrusov and Pavel Mamalimov due to the lack of corpus delicti. The Investigative Committee for the Trans-Baikal Territory investigated the case against Ermolaev, Kirilyuk, Putintsev and Igor Mamalimov for 1 year and 1 month. Then it was taken to court.\nAll four defendants were included in the list of extremists of Rosfinmonitoring, their bank accounts were blocked. This had a particularly negative impact on the family of Igor Mamalimov, the father of three young children, who is the only breadwinner despite poor health. His wife, Nataliya, does not work due to childcare. Addressing the court, the believer said : “In my heart there is no resentment against anyone who accuses me, and even in my thoughts I do not hold malice against them. Deep down, I don't feel any hatred.\"\nVladimir Ermolaev spent 3 days in a temporary detention center and 50 days under house arrest, after which the investigator took a written undertaking not to leave him. Sergey Kirilyuk spent 5 days in a temporary detention center and was also released on bail. As a result, all four believers remained under house arrest for about 2.5 years.\nSpeaking in court, Sergey Kirilyuk said that thanks to his faith, he changed his way of life: “It was the love of God that prompted me [to start] showing love and care for my wife and children.” Vladimir Ermolaev emphasized in his last plea: “Even if I am convicted, I will not stop believing in Jehovah God.” Aleksandr Putintsev takes the same position: “I am not a fanatic, I am a living person, and I have serious health problems. But it is more important for me to remain faithful to God—this is the meaning of my life.”\nThis is the first conviction under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation against Jehovah's Witnesses in the Trans-Baikal Territory.\nAt the PACE winter session held in Strasbourg in January 2022, the Plenipotentiary of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe touched upon the topic of the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. Referring to the accusation of believers of extremism, she noted: “I think it is clear that this accusation is absurd, but the fact is that several hundred Jehovah’s Witnesses have been arrested and imprisoned simply for practicing their faith.”\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-06-06T16:26:12+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/06/061626/image_hu_79fbe6765397cec4.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/06/061626/image_hu_a2723ee7cd1a0632.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/06/061626/image_hu_34ddca0cacf4adf4.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/06/061626/image_hu_5e7042e2f4f64c5e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/06/061626.html","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","282.2-1","liberty-deprivation","suspended","sentence","families"],"title":"A Chita Court Sentenced Three Jehovah's Witnesses to Sentences Ranging From Six to Six-and-a-Half Years in Prison; Another Received a Suspended Sentence for Believing in God","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_315fd7889ab9eccd.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/06/031626/image_hu_b35d51d65b7b5443.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/06/031626/image_hu_6112e07320b7c9e4.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/06/031626/image_hu_83adeec7efe88f09.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_dfb95dee5f12e6a5.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/06/011404/image_hu_8b6f02bf90cc7168.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/06/011404/image_hu_457981050a81ab8d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/06/011404/image_hu_67d58ed3b748bf13.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/index.html#20220601","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["sentence","elderly","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On May 30, 2022, the judge of the Moscow District Court of Nizhny Novgorod, Azamat Ionov, sentenced Maksim Zavrazhnov to 6 years suspended.\nThe verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed. The believer pleaded not guilty. There are no victims in the case, but the prosecutor asked the court to sentence the defendant to 5 years in a colony.\nIn July 2019, a massive special operation against peaceful believers took place in Nizhny Novgorod and its environs. Dozens were detained and interrogated, including Maksim Zavrazhnov. A criminal case was opened against him. For six months, the believer was under a ban on certain actions, and for 764 days - under a written undertaking not to leave. The investigation, which was conducted by the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Nizhny Novgorod Region, lasted more than two years. On October 25, 2021, the case was submitted to the Moscow District Court of Nizhny Novgorod.\nIn court, several witnesses for the prosecution testified that their testimony had been falsified. According to one of them, the protocols contained untrue information that was added by an operational officer, and she was forced to sign the amended documents.\nIn his last speech, Maksim Zavrazhnov asked the court to recognize the accusation as unfounded: “The prosecution side misinterpreted my religious activities, and I, a person who refuses to take up arms and treats people as equals, is accused of extremism! This is a serious error that needs to be corrected.\"\nIn his youth, Maksim already faced discrimination for his faith when he asked to replace his military service with an alternative civilian one. He became the object of harassment by the local media. The believer nevertheless managed to obtain permission for the ACS, but later he was given a suspended sentence for asking to be transferred to another place due to unbearable conditions of service. Subsequently, he said: \"This did not frighten me, since the most important thing for me was to remain with a clear conscience before God and before the law.\"\nIn the Nizhny Novgorod region, 9 criminal cases have already been initiated against 16 Jehovah's Witnesses. Four of them were sentenced to probation for their convictions\nPeaceful meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses are inappropriately interpreted by security officials throughout Russia as a continuation of the activities of liquidated religious organizations. \"This cannot but cause concern, since criminal prosecutions and arrests have become systemic,\" said the Human Rights Council under the President of Russia.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-05-30T16:09:04+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/05/301609/image_hu_61605baadb62e312.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/05/301609/image_hu_3e1885097609b727.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/05/301609/image_hu_3e6c1fd703f43457.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/05/301609/image_hu_a63bab2898bc897e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/05/301609.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["282.2-1","sentence","suspended","fabrications","asc"],"title":"Maksim Zavrazhnov, a Nizhny Novgorod Resident, Received a Six-Year Suspended Sentence for Participating in a Peaceful Religious Meeting of Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"Judge Maria Melnikova finds Pavel Popov guilty of organizing the activities of an extremist organization and sentences him to 6 years probation with a probation period of 4 years.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Popov in Chelyabinsk","date":"2022-05-25T16:00:09+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk4/index.html#20220525","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["sentence","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On May 25, 2022, the judge of the Metallurgicheskiy District Court of Chelyabinsk, Maria Melnikova, found 45-year-old Pavel Popov from Yemanzhelinsk guilty of organizing the activities of an extremist organization. The court found it a crime to discuss Bible topics with friends. Pavel Popov encountered manifestations of religious intolerance already in 2012: then law enforcement officers disrupted a big worship service of Jehovah's Witnesses. The believers went to court and won the process. At that time, Pavel Popov was subjected to surveillance, interrogations in the FSB, he was subjected to psychological pressure.\nIn March 2019, about 10 security officials in masks and with machine guns broke into the Popovs' house with a search. The believer was brought in as a witness in the case of Valentina Suvorova. Two years later, he became a defendant in a criminal case himself, and the Popovs were again searched, after which the entire family, including their minor daughter, was taken for interrogation. The believer recalls: “The operative said to me: ‘Maybe you will start making confessions already?’ I replied: ‘What should I confess to? Because I'm an extremist? How can I confess to something that I did not do and of which I am not guilty”.\nOn April 22, 2021, the investigator of the Chelyabinsk Department of the Investigative Committee, Aleksandr Chepenko, opened a criminal case against Popov under Part 1 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, considering prayers, conversations about the Bible and the performance of religious songs a crime. The criminal prosecution had a negative impact on the believer's entrepreneurial activities—the customer refused to pay for his work at three sites due to pressure from the investigation. Popov spent more than a year under house arrest. He said that in doing so, the investigator took into account his circumstances: “I work in another city 50 km from home, and I was allowed to travel that far.”\nThe investigation of the case lasted more than 6 months, after which, on November 2, 2021, the materials were submitted to the Metallurgichesky District Court of Chelyabinsk. Although there is not a single victim in the case, the prosecutor asked the court to sentence the believer to 8 years in a penal colony.\nThe hearings revealed falsifications in the testimonies of the main witnesses for the prosecution. Although they claimed that the Popovs talked to them about the Bible, the documents presented to the court disproved this. One of the women was unable to identify the defendant in the courtroom. Witnesses for the prosecution, including law enforcement officers, admitted that Pavel Popov did not voice extremist appeals and did not promote religious superiority. The same was admitted by the police agent \"Liliya Ruzaeva\", who had previously collected information about the Chelyabinsk believers.\nIn his last speech, Pavel Popov said: “In this trial, the prosecution never mentioned any extremist acts on my part. Continued activities of an extremist organization? The prosecution did not discuss this issue. The accusation is based only on the fact that I am a believer and that I believe in Jehovah.”\nNevertheless, the court sentenced Popov to 6 years suspended sentence with 4 years of probation. The verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed. The believer insists on his complete innocence.\nDespite clarifications of the Plenum of the Supreme Court and appeals from human rights organizations, Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia continue to be subjected to repression on religious grounds.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-05-25T15:21:16+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/05/261521/image_hu_ad4d5101fca7bf2a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/05/261521/image_hu_27e1922567683861.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/05/261521/image_hu_562b24b4acc3d4c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/05/261521/image_hu_a7c12a7c7d6e716b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/05/261521.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["282.2-1","sentence","suspended","secret-witness"],"title":"Pavel Popov, an Entrepreneur From the Chelyabinsk Region, Was Handed a Six-Year Suspended Sentence for Reading the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 12, 2022, the Nizhny Novgorod Regional Court upheld the verdict against Victoriya Verkhoturova from Nizhny Novgorod. A panel of judges chaired by Nikolay Kozlov found the believer guilty of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, interpreting this as extremism.\nIn November 2021, a lower court sentenced Verkhoturova to 4 years suspended for participation in the activities of a banned organization. The verdict has entered into force. The believer still does not plead guilty to extremism and has the right to appeal the verdict on cassation.\nIn the summer of 2019, the home of Victoriya and her husband Sergey was searched, during which the believers were subjected to psychological pressure. Phones were tapped in the family for a long time and covert video filming was carried out. For 1 year and 10 months, Victoriya was under house arrest and proper behavior.\nThe case featured a secret witness of \"Sidorov\" and a witness for the prosecution, who \"never heard that Viktoriya Verkhoturova involved anyone in a banned organization\", and also \"never saw her on stage with any appeals.\" The other prosecution witness never met Victoriya in person.\nIn total, 16 people in the Nizhny Novgorod region are subjected to criminal prosecution for believing in Jehovah God. Victoriya's husband Sergey Verkhoturov received 6 years of suspended sentence, three more were given 3 years suspended.\nAccording to the statement of the Government of the Russian Federation, “the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation dated April 20, 2017 and the appeal ruling of the Board of Appeal of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation dated July 17, 2017 do not provide an assessment of the beliefs of Jehovah’s Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to profess individually the above religion”. On October 28, 2021, the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation ruled that the religious services of Jehovah's Witnesses, their joint performance of rites and ceremonies, in themselves do not constitute a crime under Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, despite the liquidation of their legal entities.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-05-12T13:50:48+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/05/131350/image_hu_4ce933f8e296dec7.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/05/131350/image_hu_5da027ee770c4e55.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/05/131350/image_hu_12dbd243d7c5b427.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/05/131350/image_hu_4067e316f1a4da39.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/05/131350.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","families","282.2-2","suspended","hidden-surveillance","secret-witness"],"title":"A Nizhny Novgorod Appeal Upheld Victoriya Verkhoturova's Four-Year Suspended Sentence","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 12, 2022, the Primorye Regional Court of Vladivostok upheld the conviction of 49-year-old Sergey Melnikov for continuing to attend Jehovah's Witnesses’ services and discussing the Bible with residents of Ussuriysk.\nThe verdict has entered into force. The believer still insists on his innocence and has the right to appeal against it in cassation.\nSergey Melnikov has been subjected to criminal prosecution for more than two years, which began in June 2019. He was detained in his own car during a conversation with agent provocateur Konstantin Belousov, who collaborated with the FSB. He asked Melnikov questions about the Bible and made audio recordings of their conversations. At the same time, in his testimony in court, Belousov admitted that the believer had not forced him to talk about the Bible or encouraged him to join Jehovah's Witnesses. Despite this, Melnikov was searched and arrested, spent 122 days in a pre-trial detention center and 145 days under house arrest, and since February 2021 he has been under recognizance agreement.\nDuring the hearings in the first instance court, the prosecutor requested a 4-year suspended sentence. On February 3, 2022, the judge of the Ussuriysk District Court of Primorye Territory, Dmitry Babushkin, passed a suspended sentence of 3 years with a probationary period of 2 years and 8 months of restriction of liberty.\nIn Primorye, 39 believers have already been prosecuted. Six of them have been sentenced.\nRussian human rights activists consider the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses groundless. Olga Sibireva, an expert from the SOVA Human Rights Center, draws attention to the absence of any facts confirming the accusations of Jehovah's Witnesses of extremism. In her opinion, “there are no calls for terrorism and something like that, because Jehovah’s Witnesses are a completely peaceful doctrine.”\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-05-12T10:24:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/05/121023/image_hu_bfd679560022b5ee.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/05/121023/image_hu_7f851fb2b094a136.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/05/121023/image_hu_2edad45cf0a931e8.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/05/121023/image_hu_2d741fa6d95a0bb9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/05/121023.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","suspended","282.2-2","secret-witness"],"title":"Sergey Melnikov's Primorye Appeal Was Upheld: A Three-Year Suspended Sentence for Practicing His Faith in Jehovah God","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 12, 2022, Viktor Ushakov, judge of the Leninskiy District Court of Nizhny Novgorod, found 42-year-old Kirill Yevstigneev guilty of financing the activities of an extremist organization and sentenced him to 3 years of suspended sentence. The believer can appeal the verdict.\n“I am in the dock not because I committed some real crime and therefore dangerous to society. I am being prosecuted just for being a Christian, for being a Jehovah's Witness. Do we live during the medieval Inquisition, when people were persecuted just because they read the Bible?” — asked the defendant rhetorically, addressing the court with the last word.\nYevstigneev resolutely denied the guilt of extremism and asked the court to justify his good name, but the judge delivered a guilty verdict, although he did not satisfy the prosecutor's request to send the believer to a colony for 6 years.\nIn the summer of 2019, in Nizhny Novgorod and the nearby town of Pavlovo, houses of Jehovah's Witnesses were searched extensively. After them, law enforcement officers began one after another to initiate criminal cases against believers. Now there are already 9 criminal cases against 16 Jehovah's Witnesses in the region. The Yevstigneev case is one of them.\nKirill Yevstigneev was included in the list of terrorists and extremists of Rosfinmonitoring. All his bank accounts were blocked, and his travel ban limited his ability to move.\nThe believer was accused of “financing an extremist organization,” because, according to the investigation, he “signed a lease agreement for non-residential premises . . . and made payment under this agreement in the amount of 7,500 rubles.” The believers rented this room for friendly events, the video of one of them was later shown in court. The footage shows how during the 6-hour meeting people communicated, performed musical performances, including those based on plots from well-known and loved by many Soviet films, sang songs and danced to secular music. How these actions are connected with extremism, a crime against the foundations of security and the constitutional order, neither the investigation nor the prosecutor explained.\nThe ECtHR, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention are just some of the organizations condemning the repression of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-05-12T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/05/130847/image_hu_680204da680d0574.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/05/130847/image_hu_70c400f043312baa.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/05/130847/image_hu_edaf4a225b36873c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/05/130847/image_hu_a4fcfcbc81162db6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/05/130847.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["rosfinmonitoring","282.3-1","sentence","suspended"],"title":"A Nizhny Novgorod Court Handed Kirill Yevstigneyev a Three-Year Suspended Sentence for Believing in God","type":"news"},{"body":"The Court of Appeal on Sakhalin upheld the verdict against five believers On May 11, 2022, the Sakhalin Regional Court dismissed the appeal of Yevgeny Yelin, Vyacheslav Ivanov, Aleksandr Kozlitin and Sergey Kulakov and his wife Tatyana. The verdict has entered into force.\nThe court of first instance found five believers guilty of extremism. Sergey Kulakov and Yevgeny Yelin, who were accused of organizing the activities of an extremist organization, were sentenced to 6.5 years of suspended imprisonment. The court sentenced Tatyana Kulakova, Vyacheslav Ivanov and Aleksander Kozlitin to 2 years suspended sentence for participation in the activities of an extremist organization. Believers received such a punishment for reading and discussing the Bible together with fellow believers.\nFor all the defendants, this criminal prosecution was a test of strength. Sergey Kulakov, 60, and his wife have physical limitations — Tatyana, 48, is visually impaired, and Sergey cannot walk without a cane. The head of the family was included in the Rosfinmonitoring list. Bank accounts were also blocked at 51-year-old Vyacheslav Ivanov and 46-year-old Aleksandr Kozlitin.\nThe verdict has entered into force. Believers still insist on their innocence. They have the right to appeal the verdict in cassation.\nThe persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia continues despite the clarification of the Plenum of the Russian Supreme Court that liturgical meetings and conversations about the Bible cannot in themselves be considered extremism. Chairman of the Supreme Court Vyacheslav Lebedev additionally emphacized on February 9, 2022: “Actions that do not contain signs of extremism and consist solely in exercising the right to freedom of conscience, freedom of religion, including through the performance of religious rites and ceremonies, do not constitute a crime.”\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-05-11T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/05/121122/image_hu_72ab5982df3cd23f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/05/121122/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/05/121122/image_hu_c5560a9383719164.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/05/121122/image_hu_e9ca12ae62ccc539.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/05/121122.html","regions":["sakhalin"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","suspended","families","282.2-1","282.2-2","rosfinmonitoring"],"title":"A Sakhalin Appeals Court Upheld the Verdict Against Five Believers","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 6, 2022, the judge of the Sovetskiy District Court of Nizhny Novgorod, Ivan Karnavskiy, found Galina Abrosimova guilty of organizing the activities of an extremist community and sentenced her to 6 years of suspended imprisonment. The court considered meeting with friends to discuss the Bible as extremism.\n“Extremism is alien to me. Why? Because he is alien to both Jehovah God and his son Jesus Christ,” the believer emphasized in her last word. “The criminal case is absolutely illogical for me, given that I did not kill anyone, did not steal anything, and did not commit other crimes.”\nGalina Abrosimova worked as a pharmacist and histologist, and now she is on a well-deserved rest. In 2000, the woman lost her husband, and she had to raise two children alone. She suffers from serious chronic diseases.\nIn June 2019, Oleg Makerov, senior investigator of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for the Nizhny Novgorod Region, opened a criminal case against unidentified persons. After 1.5 months, the police and FSB searched 35 houses of residents of the Nizhny Novgorod region, including Galina. The believer was placed in a temporary detention center for 2 days, after which a preventive measure was chosen for her in the form of a written undertaking not to leave, under which the believer has been for more than 2.5 years. In September 2021, it was submitted to the Sovetskiy District Court of Nizhny Novgorod.\nThe accusations were based on the testimony of secret witnesses, one of whom admitted that he did not know what role the defendant played at the services. On behalf of the defense, the son of Galina Abrosimova spoke in court. He said that after she began to study the Bible with Jehovah's Witnesses, she changed and \" stopped abusing alcohol, her upbringing began to go softer ... all the conflicts that occurred were resolved without shouting, without swearing.\" The witness also added: “[She] taught to treat the authorities with respect, taught to obey the current laws that are in the legislation. She also taught to always respect the views of others, because every person in our country has the right to his own opinion.\nDespite the absence of victims in the case, the prosecutor asked the court to sentence Galina to 7 years in prison. The verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed. The believer insists on her complete innocence.\nIn 2021, five Jehovah's Witnesses from the Nizhny Novgorod Region were given suspended sentences of 3 to 6 years in prison. Two more, Maksim Zavrazhnov and Kirill Evstigneyev, are awaiting a court decision.\nNizhny Novgorod security officials have long been putting pressure on local believers. Even before the 2017 Supreme Court decision to ban legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses came into force, the security services disrupted worship services and planted literature from the list of extremist materials.\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":"2022-05-06T15:18:20+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/05/061518/image_hu_cccd9a2fef478d64.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/05/061518/image_hu_ed7d647516a602b2.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/05/061518/image_hu_f6d6de815eb003d9.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/05/061518/image_hu_dac30fd28cb3f444.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/05/061518.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["suspended","sentence","282.2-1","secret-witness"],"title":"A Nizhny Novgorod Court Sentenced 55-Year-Old Widow Galina Abrosimova to a Six-Year Suspended Prison Term for Reading the Bible With Friends","type":"news"},{"body":"Judge Marina Tsimarno sentences Oleg and Agnessa Postnikov to 5.5 and 5 years of suspended imprisonment, respectively, with restriction of liberty for a term of 1 year 6 months with a probationary period of 5 years each.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Postnikovs in Birobidzhan","date":"2022-04-25T15:16:31+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan19/index.html#20220425","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["sentence","282.2-1.1","282.2-2","suspended","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On April 21, 2022, the Primorskiy Regional Court in Vladivostok approved the verdict against Yuriy Belosludtsev and Sergey Sergeyev from Luchegorsk. A panel of judges chaired by Yevgeniy Oleshchenko found the believers guilty of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, interpreting this as extremism.\nThe lower court sentenced civilians to 6 years of suspended sentence with a probationary period of 5 years and restriction of freedom for 1 year and 9 months. They had to spend half a year in a pre-trial detention center, about 5 months under house arrest and more than two years under house arrest. They were included in the list of extremists of Rosfinmonitoring, having blocked bank accounts.\nThe accusations against the believers were based on videos of conversations on biblical topics made by an FSB agent. The court ruled that talking about God and reading the Bible with friends was extremist activity. The verdict has entered into force. The believers still do not admit their guilt and have the right to appeal to the court of cassation.\nThis is already the fifth conviction of Jehovah's Witnesses in Primorye Territory. In total, criminal cases for faith were initiated against 39 people in the region. It should be noted that the first in Russia acquittal of a Jehovah's Witness under Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation was canceled by the same court of appeal.\nIn connection with the growing number of criminal cases against Jehovah's Witnesses, Tatyana Moskalkova, the Commissioner for Human Rights in Russia, noted in her report to V. V. Putin: “The events taking place with the followers of Jehovah's Witnesses make us think about the existence of a conflict between the constitutional right to practice one's religion . . . and signs of extremist activity specified in Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.”\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-04-25T14:37:12+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/04/251437/image_hu_ff49fa208f08246f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/04/251437/image_hu_ecdfb77aa828de74.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/04/251437/image_hu_8ce81a97c2a893bf.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/04/251437/image_hu_99630800a8e64c8d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/04/251437.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","suspended","282.2-2","282.2-1.1","rosfinmonitoring","secret-witness"],"title":"An Appeal in Vladivostok Upheld the Sentence of Two Believers from Luchegorsk—a Six-Year Suspended Sentence for Practicing Faith in God","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 25, 2022, Judge Mariya Tsimarno found Oleg Postnikov and his wife Agnessa guilty of involvement in and participation in extremist activities and sentenced them to 5.5 and 5 years suspended sentence, respectively. This is the 16th conviction of Jehovah's Witnesses from the Jewish Autonomous Region.\nThe prosecutor requested 5 and 5.5 years in prison for Agnessa and Oleg, respectively, although there were no victims in the criminal case, no specific facts of extremist actions were presented to the court, only the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses was proved by the defendants. A conditional sentence for faith was imposed on the Postnikov spouses with restriction of freedom for a period of 1 year 6 months with a probationary period of 5 years each: they are forbidden to change their place of residence, to leave the territory of the municipality without the consent of the state body, and they must also appear once a month for registration in specialized government agency.\nOleg Postnikov noted that despite what is happening, they have developed respectful relations with the investigator and court employees. Agnessa Postnikova said that the events she had experienced did not go unnoticed and had a negative impact on her health.\nThe couple faced repressions for their faith in May 2018, when searches were carried out in their house as part of the “Judgment Day” special operation. Almost two years later, Oleg became a defendant in a criminal case, and a year later a second criminal case was opened against him and two cases were brought against Agnessa. FSB investigator I. Fedorov later combined the cases into one proceeding. The believers have been under house arrest: Oleg since February 2020, and Agnessa since March 2021.\nIn June 2021, the consideration of the case began in the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region. One of the witnesses for the prosecution is the notorious police officer Yuliya Zvereva. Her testimony formed the basis of most similar cases against believers in Birobidzhan. Another prosecution witness is a woman who asked the couple to study the Bible. A hidden video camera was installed in her house to record conversations with believers. In court, she said of the benefits of these conversations: “I have become a better person. I could flare up [before]. Now I can keep within the limits”.\nThe verdict did not take effect. Believers insist on their complete innocence and can appeal against it.\nIn total, there are 19 similar criminal cases in the Jewish Autonomous Region against 23 Jehovah's Witnesses, 16 of whom have already been convicted for their faith.\nThe world community resolutely condemns the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. Despite this, law enforcement officers in dozens of Russian regions continue to inappropriately persecute Jehovah's Witnesses simply because they do not renounce their beliefs.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-04-25T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/05/031445/image_hu_dd69e345da5758b4.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/05/031445/image_hu_8347d31b6e156a6d.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/05/031445/image_hu_5fb08de5bc5698db.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/05/031445/image_hu_fd1ecd466dd79c86.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/05/031445.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["282.2-1.1","282.2-2","sentence","suspended","families"],"title":"The Court in Birobidzhan Sentenced the Postnikov Spouses to Suspended Sentences for Their Convictions","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 14, 2022, the Severskiy City Court of the Tomsk Region sentenced Sergey Belousov to three years suspended sentence. Despite the recent clarification of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, Judge Yekaterina Soldatenko found the believer guilty of extremism only for participating in peaceful worship.\nThe court deprived Belousov of the right to post materials in information and telecommunication networks and on the Internet for a period of 5 years with restriction of freedom for 1 year. The believer is also forbidden to leave the house from 22:00 to 6:00, visit places of sports, cultural, entertainment and public events and participate in them.\nThe accusation was based on the testimony of the notorious Kira Klisheva, an intelligence agent who collected information about believers in Seversk and made covert videos of worship services. The court reviewed five such records. The prosecution did not present any evidence of Belousov's extremist activities. Despite this, the prosecutor asked for a sentence of 5 years in a general regime penal colony with restriction of freedom for 1 year for the believer.\nIn his last speech, Belousov emphasized: “It is important for me to have a good reputation in the eyes of God. Of course, under pressure, out of fear, someone can give up their beliefs. But what's next? How to live with it? To trample your conscience? Never! It is better to be not recognized by people, but approved by God.”\nSergey Belousov faced criminal prosecution for his faith back in July 2020, when officers from the Investigative Committee and the FSB broke into the homes of several families in Seversk. Then the case was brought against another believer, Yevgeniy Korotun. In March 2021, the investigative department for ZATO in Seversk brought the case against Belousov into a separate proceeding and placed him on a recognizance agreement. Three months later, the case went to court.\nThe criminal prosecution proved to be a test for the entire Belousov family: the feeling of constant surveillance does not leave them and any knock on the door reminds them of the search they experienced. Due to the constant stress Sergey's chronic diseases worsened. Because of his travel ban he could not visit his elderly parents. “I worry about my father and mother. I am sorry that I cannot be with them: they are already aged, and my father has to deal with a serious illness that threatens his life,” Belousov shared.\nThe verdict has not entered into force. The believer insists on his complete innocence and has the right to file an appeal.\nIn the Tomsk Region, 7 Jehovah's Witnesses are already being repressed simply for not giving up their peaceful beliefs. One of them, Sergey Klimov, is currently serving a long term in a penal colony, and 80-year-old Yelena Saveliyeva was sentenced to 4 years of probation.\nThe world community and Russian human rights activists unanimously condemn the infringement of the rights of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-04-18T09:15:36+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/04/180915/image_hu_91aab79ba81b08c2.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/04/180915/image_hu_104b9509c3f8c753.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/04/180915/image_hu_9ec4be18fe9aadfd.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/04/180915/image_hu_de703bfd17a6c39b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/04/180915.html","regions":["tomsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-2","secret-witness"],"title":"Seversk-Based Sergey Belousov Was Given a Three-Year Suspended Sentence for Attending Peaceful Worship Services of Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"Judge Anna Zakharova finds Vitaliy Ilinykh guilty of participating in the activities of an extremist organization and sentences him to 2.5 years of suspended imprisonment, restriction of liberty for a term of 8 months with a probationary period of 2 years.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ilinych in Ussuriysk","date":"2022-04-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ussuriysk/index.html#20220415","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["final-statement","sentence","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On April 15, 2022, Anna Zakharova, judge of the Ussuriysk District Court of the Primorsky Territory, found Vitaliy Ilinykh guilty of participating in the activities of an extremist organization and sentenced him to 2.5 years of suspended sentence for religious beliefs (text updated, previously reported on a suspended sentence of 2 years).\nAddressing the court with the last word, the believer noted: “During the investigation, they often hinted at me and even directly told me to change my religion. But it was my religion that made me who I am today. Thanks to Jehovah's Witnesses, I have quit smoking, drinking, using drugs, swearing, disrespecting people, and the list goes on. And now I need to change religion? This would mean betraying Jehovah God, in whom I believe and who showed me the meaning of life.”\nThe first search at the Ilinykh' and his wife's home took place in February, 2019, as part of a criminal case against his mother. In September 2019, investigator E. S. Marvanyuk opened a criminal case against the believer, charging him with organizing the activities of an extremist organization, and later mitigated the charge to participation in extremist activities (part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). His home was searched again in October 2019. On the same day, Ilinykh was detained. After 3 days in the temporary detention facility, the court released the believer from custody, and the investigator Marvanyuk placed him under recognizance agreement.\nAfter 13 months of investigation, in November 2020, the case was submitted to Judge Tatyana Pavlenko for consideration at the Ussuriyskiy District Court of Primorye Territory. In March 2021, the Ilinykh case was transferred to another judge, Anna Zakharova. The accusation was based on the testimony of a secret witness, an anti-Jehovah's Witness woman who attended religious services to collect information. At the same time, during interrogation in court, she admitted that she had never heard threats from them against her, calls for violence, genocide or overthrow of state power. Although there is not a single victim in the case, the prosecutor asked the court to sentence the believer to 4 years of suspended sentence.\nVitaliy Ilinykh looked after his mother, Olga Opaleva, for some time, who also faced criminal prosecution for her faith. During the investigation, the elderly woman suffered a heart attack and a stroke. Due to restrictions imposed by the court, Vitaliy could not fully take care of her.\nThe verdict has not entered into force. The believer insists on his complete innocence and can appeal the verdict.\nOn February 3, 2022, the Ussuriyskiy District Court sentenced another believer, Sergey Melnikov, accused under the same article, to 3 years of suspended sentence.\nAs in other cases against believers, the essence of the charge is that the peaceful legal expression of faith is equated with extremist activity. At the same time, at court hearings, evidence is given only of citizens belonging to the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, and not of inciting religious hatred by them.\nRussian and foreign human rights activists and politicians pay attention to this legal collision. So, on November 8, 2021, the public committee “Freedom of Conscience” stated: “The decision of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of Russia should be implemented in judicial practice. The state must admit its mistake, and law enforcement agencies and courts must stop the repressions against Jehovah's Witnesses. The state should apologize to believers . . . The truth of the faith, the correctness of the translation and interpretation of the Bible, as well as the rootedness of the confession in the domestic tradition—all this should not be of interest to the state, which must observe neutrality in matters of religion . . . The definition of extremism in the law should be stated in such a way that under only actions that pose a real public danger—violence, propaganda of violence, calls for violence fell under it”.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-04-15T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/04/180908/image_hu_869a9850697a1b5b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/04/180908/image_hu_43623c07dfdd0972.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/04/180908/image_hu_14733afdfb34b590.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/04/180908/image_hu_1f38b0d45468c65f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/04/180908.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-2","secret-witness","families"],"title":"An Ussuriysk Court Sentenced 47-Year-Old Vitaliy Ilinykh to a Two-and-a-Half Year Probation for Believing in Jehovah God","type":"news"},{"body":"Ekaterina Soldatenko finds Sergey Belousov guilty of participating in the activities of an extremist organization and sentences him to 3 years of suspended sentence.\n","caseTitle":"Belousov's case in Seversk","date":"2022-04-14T16:11:36+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/seversk2/index.html#20220414","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["sentence","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It became known that on March 28, 2022 the judge of Khostinsky District Court of Sochi Konstantin Sidoruk found four of local Jehovah's Witnesses guilty of extremism. Two of them were sentenced to a penal colony, but they have already served their sentences in the pre-trial detention center. Another two were given suspended sentences by the court.\nThe court sentenced 49-year-old Tatyana Velizhanina to 1 year and 5 months in prison, 55-year-old Vladimir Deshko—to 1 year and 4 months, with a sentence to be served in a penal colony. The believers were not placed in custody as they have actually served their sentences—during the investigation and court hearings, Velizhanina and Deshko spent 11 and 10 months in the pre-trial detention center, respectively, after which they were placed under house arrest (one day spent in custody is equal to 1.5 days of imprisonment, and 2 days of house arrest—to one day in the penal colony).\nThe court sentenced 55-year-old Yuriy Loginskiy and 57-year-old Yuriy Moskalev to 2 years of suspended sentence without restriction of freedom with a probationary period of 2 years. Both believers have been released from house arrest.\nThe believers did not admit their guilt in extremism. The verdict has entered into force.\nIn the winter of 2021, the investigative department for the Khostinskiy district of Sochi of the Investigative Committee of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation opened a criminal case against four believers under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code. They were arrested and imprisoned in the temporary detention center. Two days after the detention, Yuriy Loginskiy and Yuriy Moskalev were placed under house arrest, and Vladimir Deshko and Tatyana Velizhanina were placed in a pre-trial detention center. Subsequently, Vladimir and Tatyana were also placed under house arrest, they were deprived of the opportunity to provide for themselves and their families.\nOn February 21, 2022, after 11 months of investigation, the case was submitted to the Khostinskiy District Court of Sochi. The accusation was based on the testimony of a young man who feigned an interest in biblical teachings. During personal conversations, he collected information about believers and passed it on to the security forces.\nAs in other similar cases against Russian believers, over a month of court hearings, the court only proved that the defendants belonged to the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Sochi residents were tried for the fact that they \"held on the territory of the city . . . meetings\", and also \"carried out preaching activities.\" Commenting on the situation, Yuriy Moskalev said: “When I was sitting in the cell, I understood that I was arrested not for some real crime, but for the Word of God, for the truth that I wanted to convey to another. But the mind did not accept this reality of the matter.\nYuriy Loginskiy during the persecution had to face \"arrest, strong emotional stress from his mother, the death of his mother-in-law.\" The repressions were a particularly painful blow for the Deshkos, as their son, Yevgeniy, was also convicted for his faith. And Tatyana Velizhanina’s emotional shock was compounded by a deterioration in her health (she suffered COVID-19 behind bars).\nIn the Krasnodar Territory, 24 Jehovah's Witnesses have already become victims of repression for their faith. Four of them are in penal colonies, and two have served their sentences.\nDespite numerous appeals by human rights activists and clarifications, the Plenum of the Supreme Court in Russia continues to groundlessly condemn believers for peaceful religious activity.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-04-12T09:39:43+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/04/120939/image_hu_2a5e2f95951f5f61.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/04/120939/image_hu_228548741bbe070f.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/04/120939/image_hu_f19d25cddeeabad8.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/04/120939/image_hu_f35b67368aea9852.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/04/120939.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","282.2-2","282.2-1.1","liberty-deprivation","suspended","secret-witness","families"],"title":"A Sochi Court Convicts Four Jehovah's Witnesses, Including a Woman","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_e0c39dc2162c5eb8.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/04/071620/image_hu_706fecead9e4c3b7.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/04/071620/image_hu_ab081b775f0812d7.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/04/071620/image_hu_f3521bdc573c4a8c.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":"The panel of judges of the Tomsk Regional Court, chaired by Andrey Kaplyuk, replaces the sentence of Aleksey Ershov from Seversk with a 3-year suspended sentence.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ershov in Seversk","date":"2022-04-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/seversk3/index.html#20220407","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["appeal","mitigation","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On April 7, 2022, the Krasnoyarsk Regional Court did not satisfy the appeal against the sentence of Jehovah's Witness Anton Ostapenko and upheld the sentence of the court of first instance—6 years and 3 months of suspended imprisonment with a probationary period of 4 years and 1.5 years of additional restrictions.\nThe verdict has entered into force, but Ostapenko considers the charge of organizing the activities of an extremist organization far-fetched and can use the right to appeal the court's decision in cassation.\nThe 31-year-old believer has never been brought to administrative or criminal liability before. He takes care of his disabled mother. Ostapenko's colleagues at Berezovskaya regional power station know him as a decent person and a responsible worker.\nThe criminal prosecution of Anton Ostapenko began in April 2019, when mass searches were carried out in the town of Sharypovo in the apartments of citizens suspected of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Ostapenko spent six months in a pre-trial detention center, where, according to him, pressure was put on him. Threats were also made against his family. Due to prolonged stress, the believer's health deteriorated.\nOstapenko's accusation was based on his conversations about the Bible, recorded on a hidden video camera. In the indictment, the believer is charged with the fact that he \"carried out an active activity in holding meetings, expressed in public speaking, discussion of biblical scriptures, prayers.\" Such actions are a common practice for Jehovah's Witnesses around the world.\nThe persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia continues despite the clarification of the Plenum of the Russian Supreme Court that liturgical meetings and conversations about the Bible cannot in themselves be considered extremism. Chairman of the Supreme Court Vyacheslav Lebedev additionally stressed on February 9, 2022: “Actions that do not contain signs of extremism and consist solely in exercising the right to freedom of conscience, freedom of religion, including through the performance of religious rites and ceremonies, do not constitute a crime.”\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-04-07T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/04/111426/image_hu_8e9789d90ab49dc5.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/04/111426/image_hu_8a79a7bf96667c4b.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/04/111426/image_hu_6dc19496c6013d7f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/04/111426/image_hu_baa0b5ad30afb7ea.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/04/111426.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["suspended","appeal","282.2-1","hidden-surveillance"],"title":"Krasnoyarsk Regional Court Confirmed Anton Ostapenko's Sentence: a Six-Year Suspended Sentence for Believing in Jehovah God","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_bf9a9b9e385f96a7.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/04/051433/image_hu_b8bc387a1d5d9c9b.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/04/051433/image_hu_f26b464c8154f903.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/04/051433/image_hu_3d0408fb716b5487.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":"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_7096d3bfe85ed6ab.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/03/211426/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/03/211426/image_hu_f129414f0c3e48d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/03/211426/image_hu_fe1b6b007c3c509c.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 14, 2022, the court of the Jewish Autonomous Region, presided by judge Angela Sizova, having considered the case of Konstantin Guzev, ruled to make minor changes to the sentence that do not change its essence.\nThe sentence was passed by the Birobidzhan District Court in February 2021. Judge Aleksey Ivaschenko sentenced Konstantin Guzev to a 2.5-year suspended sentence for participation in the activities of an extremist organization (Part 2. Article 282.2 of the Russian Criminal Code). In May 2021 the court of appeal confirmed the verdict for the believer, but seven months later the Ninth Court of Appeal of General jurisdiction cancelled this decision and returned the case for a new appeal hearing. That's what took place on March 14, 2022.\nKonstantin's wife Anastasiya is among the seventeen Jehovah's Witnesses in Birobidzhan who have been convicted for believing in God. Six more believers are awaiting a court decision.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-03-15T11:18:21+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/03/151118/image_hu_59f70597708c6640.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/03/151118/image_hu_68dfb8470b8cadee.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/03/151118/image_hu_c29dd8b8e57427da.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/03/151118/image_hu_e75765f37c5889b1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/03/151118.html","regions":[],"subtitle":null,"tags":["2-appeal","282.2-2","families","suspended"],"title":"A Second Appeal in Birobidzhan Left Unchanged Konstantin Guzev's Sentence: a Two-and-a-Half Year Suspended Sentence For Believing in Jehovah God","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 9, 2022 panel of judges of Penza regional court presided by Olga Podshibyakina did not satisfy the appeal of Peter and Maya Krupnovs against the sentence of the court of first instance - 2 years of suspended imprisonment for believing in God. The verdict came into force. The believers have the right to appeal the verdict in cassation as well as in international instances.\nThe Krupnovs insist on their innocence and consider the conviction unfair: the court only proved their belonging to the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, which the believers never hid. At the same time, neither the prosecution nor the secret witness presented the facts of the extremist actions of the defendants. Other witnesses claimed that their preliminary testimony had been falsified.\nA court case against another believer from Nikolsk, Viktor Shayapov, is about to begin.\nPersecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia continues despite a clarification by the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation that worship meetings and conversations about the Bible cannot be considered extremism per se. Supreme Court Chairman Vyacheslav Lebedev emphasized on February 9, 2022: \"Actions that do not contain signs of extremism and consist solely of the exercise of the right to freedom of conscience, freedom of religion, including through the performance of religious rites and ceremonies, do not constitute a crime.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-03-09T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/03/101404/image_hu_e8cb41a926bfc4c2.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/03/101404/image_hu_4245bd6b29d67147.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/03/101404/image_hu_3a89f241072cb695.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/03/101404/image_hu_f2636e0bf6ff4b88.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/03/101404.html","regions":["penza"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","families","suspended","282.2-2"],"title":"An Appeal in Penza Upheld the Conviction of a Married Couple of Jehovah's Witnesses Based in Nikolsk","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 1, 2022, Krasnoyarsk Territory court rejected the appeal of Vitaliy Sukhov, father of many children and confirmed the conviction — suspended sentence for \"organization of religious speeches and worship\".\nIn spring 2020, Sukhov's house was searched only because of his religion, his car was arrested, and he has been seeking justice in courts for almost 2 years. The testimony of the secret witness \"Kuzmin,\" as well as other prosecution witnesses, could not confirm Sukhov's criminal intent. The criminal prosecution of the 55-year-old believer jeopardized his ability to care for his wife and 8 children, three of whom are minors. On December 21, 2021, Judge of the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Krasnoyarsk Svetlana Patsalyuk sentenced Vitaliy Sukhov to 6 years of suspended imprisonment.\nThe verdict came into force. The believer still insists on his innocence and can appeal the verdict on cassational basis.\nThe Krasnoyarsk region has already charged 25 Jehovah's Witnesses with crimes against society and the state, even though they have not committed anything unlawful. In addition to Vitaliy Sukhov, four other believers have already been convicted for their faith.\nAccording to a clarification by the Plenum of the Supreme Court of Russia, religious meetings and conversations about the Bible cannot be considered extremism by itself. On 9 February, 2022, Chairman of the Supreme Court Vyacheslav Lebedev further emphasized this idea: \"Actions that do not contain signs of extremism and consist solely of the exercise of the right to freedom of conscience, freedom of religion, including through the performance of religious rites and ceremonies, do not constitute a crime.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-03-02T10:53:03+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/03/021053/image_hu_f7a492fec501df04.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/03/021053/image_hu_d03261760b6a9e97.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/03/021053/image_hu_e05194b34a55f4b3.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/03/021053/image_hu_560e073b130671bf.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/03/021053.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","suspended","282.2-1"],"title":"An Appeal in Krasnoyarsk Left Unchanged Vitaliy Sukhov's Six-Year Suspended Sentence for Belief in Jehovah God","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 16, 2022, the Kemerovo Regional Court rejected the appeal of Aleksandr Bondarchuk and Sergey Yavushkin, leaving the sentence unchanged - 4 years of suspended imprisonment.\nIn the summer of 2021, the Zavodskoy District Court of Kemerovo found Bondarchuk and Yavushkin guilty of extremism. The prosecution presented prayers and the rental of a pool for the rite of Christian baptism as a \"crime\". The position of the prosecutor's office was based mainly on the testimony of a witness who was covertly filming the services. At one of the hearings, Yavushkin drew the court's attention to the fact that most of the witness' testimonies were false and contradicted each other. The verdict was appealed.\nAfter the decision of the court of first instance, the believers were under house arrest. Prior to that, they spent 700 days under house arrest. Thus, at the time of the appeal decision, their movements had been restricted in total for more than 2.5 years. During the criminal prosecution, Yavushkin suffered a stroke, and his wife was hospitalized with nervous and emotional strain.\nThe believers vehemently reject the accusations of crimes and can appeal against the decisions of the courts in cassation and international instances. At one of the court hearings, Aleksandr Bondarchuk quoted the words of Russian President Putin: “You can’t force people to go against their faith, their traditions, family pedigree, in the end against truth, justice and just common sense!”\nThe groundlessness of the criminal prosecution of Yavushkin and Bondarchuk in May 2020 was confirmed by the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention. In its decision No. 10/2020, it was noted that criminal cases were initiated “only because [the accused] peacefully professed their religious beliefs, including having religious texts and Bibles with them, gathering together for worship with fellow believers.”\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-02-17T07:18:57+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/02/170718/image_hu_1bf92e30c2875dc1.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/02/170718/image_hu_2211160873ddde25.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/02/170718/image_hu_f70c48692f80b5a2.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/02/170718/image_hu_b272360fdf5f21e2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/02/170718.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","suspended","282.2-2","282.3-1"],"title":"An Appeal in Kemerovo Upheld Aleksandr Bondarchuk's and Sergey Yavushkin's Sentence - Both Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 16, 2022, the judge of the Kerch City Court of the Republic of Crimea, Irina Altanets, sentenced one of Jehovah's Witnesses, Artem Shabliy, to 2 years of suspended imprisonment with a probationary period of 3 years, finding him guilty of participating in the activities of an extremist organization.\nIn the spring of 2020, the investigator of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, Valery Zarubin, opened a criminal case against Artem Shabliy, the father of 2 young children, under part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation in the activities of an extremist organization). At the same time, a raid on Jehovah's Witnesses took place in Kerch. During a search in Shabliy's house, the security forces broke the windows, because of which a 4-year-old son of the believer cut his legs on splinters. Artem himself was kept undressed in the cold for several hours, as a result of which he fell ill.\nAfter the search and interrogation, the believer spent the night in a temporary detention center. The investigator persuaded Artem Shabliy to self-incriminate, but he refused and on the third day he was allowed to go home on bail.\nAccording to the investigation, the “extremism” of the builder from Kerch consisted in the fact that he “pointed to the correctness, value, usefulness of the proposed views, that is, he disseminated and explained the views and ideas of Jehovah’s Witnesses ... praised, justified and approved the ideology of Jehovah’s Witnesses.” The accusation was based on video recordings of conversations on religious topics, which were made by an I. Dukhanin, who portrayed an interest in the Bible.\nArtem Shabliy pleaded not guilty to extremism and may appeal the verdict. In his last word, he said: “It is impossible for me to even imagine that I can commit any active actions, the purpose of which is to incite racial, national and religious hatred. In fact, for me, as one of Jehovah's Witnesses, such goals as the forcible change of the foundations of the constitutional order and the threat to the security of Russia are completely unacceptable.”\nCrimean courts have already sent four Jehovah's Witnesses to penal colonies for terms ranging from 6 to 6.5 years. At the same time, according to the clarification of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of Russia, religious meetings and conversations about the Bible cannot in themselves be considered extremism. On February 9, 2022, Chairman of the Supreme Court Vyacheslav Lebedev further emphasized this idea: “Actions that do not contain signs of extremism and consist solely in exercising the right to freedom of conscience, freedom of religion, including through the performance of religious services and ceremonies, do not constitute a crime.”\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-02-16T14:13:43+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/02/161413/image_hu_b754b34a8e5611d0.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/02/161413/image_hu_8e928d90a9432d4f.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/02/161413/image_hu_ad5bb02cd231f0fb.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/02/161413/image_hu_7efbddec9663765f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/02/161413.html","regions":["crimea"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["suspended","282.2-2","sentence","minors","health-risk"],"title":"A Court Handed Crimea-Based Artyom Shabliy a Two-Year Suspended Sentenced for Holding Bible Discussions","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 15, 2022, the Supreme Court of the Karachay-Cherkess Republic upheld the sentence for faith to Yelena Menchikova — 5 years’ suspended. At the same time, she is exempt from paying court costs.\nIn December 2021, the court of first instance found the believer guilty of participating in the activities of an extremist organization and involving other persons in it, considering it a crime that Yelena Menchikova discussed the Bible with others, including at religious meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses. According to the believer's defense, the accusatory decision was made despite the fact that during the trial some witnesses gave false testimony. One of them said that he first saw Yelena only in court.\nThe believer denies the accusations of extremism and can appeal the decision of the appellate instance to the Court of Cassation and international structures.\nMenchikova is a group II disabled person and needs constant medication. Because of her recognizance not to live, it became more difficult for her to receive medical assistance. The former doctors, having learned about the criminal prosecution of Yelena, stopped helping her. The accounts of the 57-year-old woman were seized.\nAccording to the clarification of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of Russia, religious meetings and conversations about the Bible cannot in themselves be considered extremism. On February 9, 2022, Chairman of the Supreme Court Vyacheslav Lebedev additionally emphasized: “Actions that do not contain signs of extremism and consist solely in exercising the right to freedom of conscience, freedom of religion, including through the performance of religious rites and ceremonies, do not constitute a crime.”\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-02-15T17:07:55+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/02/151707/image_hu_c8c9dcd8dcfad5de.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/02/151707/image_hu_ce518f7a2c99480c.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/02/151707/image_hu_ba04f984fe757654.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/02/151707/image_hu_81e5e06119cc3540.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/02/151707.html","regions":["karachaevo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["disability","appeal","282.2-1.1","282.2-2","suspended"],"title":"A Cherkessk Appeals Court Affirmed Yelena Menchikova's, a Woman With a Disability, Sentence for Practicing Her Faith","type":"news"},{"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_4b8aad4408de1e7e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/02/150931/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/02/150931/image_hu_c44fe05c1e33b2f0.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/02/150931/image_hu_beda42ee9a857fd1.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":"On February 3, 2022, Dmitriy Babushkin, a judge of the Ussuriysky District Court of the Primorsky Territory, found Sergey Melnikov guilty of participating in the activities of an extremist organization and sentenced him to 3 years suspended. The believer can appeal the verdict.\nOn June 5, 2019, Sergey Melnikov was detained in his own car while talking with Konstantin Belousov, who, as it turned out later, collaborated with the FSB. He asked Melnikov questions about the Bible, and recorded conversations on audio. According to investigators, this conversation and the fact that Melnikov, as one of Jehovah's Witnesses, continued to attend religious meetings of believers, was \"a continuation of the illegal activities of a banned religious organization\" and falls under Part 2 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Later, a search was conducted in Sergey's house.\nEven at the investigation stage, the prosecutor's office returned materials for further investigation due to violations. But even after the case went to court, there were no victims, as well as no facts of causing damage to the individual, society or the state. Nevertheless, the prosecutor asked to sentence the believer to 4 years suspended.\nSpeaking in court , Melnikov pleaded not guilty to extremism and stressed that the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation did not ban the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. However, for more than 2 years, Sergey has been under criminal prosecution simply for his religion. During this time, he spent 122 days in a pre-trial detention center, then 145 days under house arrest, and since February last year he has been under house arrest.\nThe judge sentenced the believer to 3 years probation with a probation period of 2 years, as well as 8 months of restriction of freedom.\nIn Primorsky Territory, 39 people have already been prosecuted for their faith. 6 of them received sentences: 5 received a suspended sentence and 1 was acquitted.\nThe world community strongly condemns the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-02-03T14:12:00+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/02/031411/image_hu_c6b03bd847bcea59.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/02/031411/image_hu_ff38133b09d81dd2.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/02/031411/image_hu_e6691e9840197f3f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/02/031411/image_hu_a8e93c360cce8df9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/02/031411.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["suspended","sentence","hidden-surveillance","282.2-2"],"title":"Ussuriysk-Based Sergey Melnikov Sentenced to Three Years of Probation for Adhering to Beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"The believer delivers the last word.\nThe judge of the Ussuriysk District Court of Primorsky Krai, Dmitry Babushkin, finds Sergey Melnikov guilty and sentences him to 3 years probation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Melnikov in Ussuriysk","date":"2022-02-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ussuriysk3/index.html#20220203","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["final-statement","sentence","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The believer reads out the petition for an open hearing, but it is rejected, referring to the practice of the district court. The hearing at the Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region is held behind closed doors.\nJudge Irina Zhurova reads out the complaint, after which the parties are given the floor. The prosecutor points out that the believers, despite the ban, continued to comply with the provisions of the charter of the LRO. Gubin objected, noting that the court did not consider the charter of the LRO and did not prohibit the worship of God. According to the believer, the court of first instance drew attention to the fact that even former members of the LRO can continue to profess their faith and gather together to worship God. Gubin then delivers his last word.\nThe Court of Appeal shall uphold the decision of the lower court. The verdict comes into force.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Gubin in Birobidzhan","date":"2022-02-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan18/index.html#20220201","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["appeal","282.2-2","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"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_2283f62a9bf364.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/01/311556/image_hu_5dccad9503f7217a.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/01/311556/image_hu_9e8b82c30e39527a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/01/311556/image_hu_8165c1a4a79f8a04.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":"On January 31, 2022 Judge Nikita Kucherov of the Nevelsk City Court of Sakhalin Region found local Jehovah's Witnesses guilty of participating in the activities of an extremist organization or in its organization. Sergey Kulakov and Yevgeniy Yelin were sentenced to 6.5 years of suspended imprisonment based on the more grave part of the article.\nTatyana Kulakova (wife of Sergey Kulakov), Vyacheslav Ivanov and Aleksandr Kozlitin were sentenced to 2 years of suspended sentence on the milder part of the article. The verdict has not come into force and can be appealed. The believers insisted on their complete innocence. There were no victims of the believers' actions in the criminal case.\nThe court fully satisfied the request of the prosecutor's office to give Yelin and Kulakov a suspended sentence of 6.5 years. However, the prosecutor's office asked for a more severe punishment: Ivanov 5 years, Kozlitin 4 years and Kulakova 3.5 years of suspended imprisonment.\nThe case for the faith against Sergey Kulakov was initiated on December 24, 2018. Within a month there were at least 11 searches in the homes of believers in Sakhalin. This was the first raid on Jehovah's Witnesses after President Vladimir Putin expressed bewilderment at the persecution of believers of this religion and promised to deal with it. From April 2019 to March 2020, the Sakhalin Region FSB opened criminal cases against Aleksandr Kozlitin, Vyacheslav Ivanov, Yevgeniy Yelin, and Tatyana Kulakova one after another. All cases were later merged into one case. Throughout the investigation, the believers were under house arrest. On December 10, 2020 the case went to court.\nDue to illness, 60-year-old Sergey Kulakov has difficulty walking without a cane. In October 2019, he was included in the federal list of extremists Rosfinmonitoring, due to which the believer can no longer use a bank card. Sergey Kulakov shared, \"When it all started, the fellow believers repeatedly provided us with assistance, helped with food products.\"\nTatyana Kulakova is visually impaired and has difficulty reading a lot, which she had to do throughout the trial. The searches affected her health, in addition, Tatyana was hospitalized with a Covid.\nVyacheslav Ivanov shared that he and his wife were helped to cope with all the events - they were sincerely interested in their friends and cared for them not only morally, but also financially.\nDespite their peaceful activities, hundreds of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia have already been subjected to repression, although Russian authorities have repeatedly stated that believers can continue to practice their religion freely. The world community and human rights organizations express strong concerns about systematic violations of the freedoms and rights of religious minorities, in particular Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-01-31T15:49:20+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/01/311528/image_hu_beec5e9578c58881.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/01/311528/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/01/311528/image_hu_f2ab36e53516cb94.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/01/311528/image_hu_e7fdaf8aca92e153.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/01/311528.html","regions":["sakhalin"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-2","282.2-1"],"title":"Five Sakhalin-Based Believers Received Suspended Sentences Ranging From Two to Six-and-a-Half Years for Reading the Bible","type":"news"},{"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_23e825b39dc77888.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/01/201429/image_hu_1a652ef1eb2788d2.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/01/201429/image_hu_a8a54f8202b3f114.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/01/201429/image_hu_cd79b84f1d108371.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/index.html#20220120","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["sentence","elderly","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On January 14, 2022, a panel of judges of the Nizhny Novgorod Regional Court, chaired by Olga Epifanova, upheld the sentence for residents of Pavlov, Aleksey Oreshkov, Alexander Rakovsky and Alexander Vavilov - 3 years suspended.\nBelievers still insist on their innocence. They have the right to appeal the verdict in cassation and international instances.\nThe cases of Oreshkov, Vavilov and Rakovsky, along with several other cases in the region, were the result of mass searches that took place in July 2019 in Nizhny Novgorod and the city of Pavlovo. The Pavlovsk City Court found three believers guilty of extremism, although there were no victims in the case, and the trial itself was held with violations. The line of accusation was based only on evidence that the three men belonged to the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. At the same time, one of the interrogated FSB officers admitted that this religion is not officially banned. No one presented evidence of real crimes in court. Witnesses involved in the court of first instance claimed that their testimony had been falsified.\nAlexey Oreshkov and Alexander Vavilov spent 7 and 8 months in pre-trial detention, respectively. Later, they were chosen a measure of restraint not related to imprisonment.\nDue to unjustified criminal prosecution, Alexander Vavilov lost his job and the opportunity to visit his children and granddaughters, Alexey Oreshkov for a long time could not take care of his mother, a disabled person of group I. Due to his criminal record, Alexander Rakovsky, the father of two young children, faces dismissal.\nHuman rights activists unanimously condemn the repression of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. The Russian authorities have repeatedly stated that the decisions of the Russian courts on the liquidation 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":"2022-01-14T17:00:52+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/01/141700/image_hu_8188568c79b10761.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/01/141700/image_hu_7f373544aca057a7.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/01/141700/image_hu_7f3ac8ce03d7bbcd.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/01/141700/image_hu_2054d367e14b7223.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/01/141700.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","suspended","work-restrictions","282.2-2"],"title":"The Appeal Filed in Nizhny Novgorod Left Unchanged Suspended Sentences for Three of Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"The Nikolsky District Court of the Penza Region sentenced Peter and Maya Krupnov to 3 years of suspended imprisonment and 8 months of restriction of freedom, obliging them to pay 21 thousand rubles of legal costs.\n","caseTitle":"The case of the Krupnovs and Others in Nikolsk","date":"2021-12-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nikolsk/index.html#20211230","regions":["penza"],"tags":["sentence","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On December 30, 2021, the judge of the Nikolsk District Court of the Penza Region, Irina Kuznetsova, sentenced Petr Krupnov and his wife, Maya, to 3 years probation and 8 months of freedom restrictions. The judge considered the discussion of the biblical commandments as participation in the activities of a banned organization.\n“I have not done anything illegal either before the people, or before the state, or before God!” Maya declared, speaking with her last word in court a few days before the verdict. “To be Jehovah's Witness is not a crime, but a great honor! All over the world, in more than 200 countries, Jehovah's Witnesses freely practice their religious beliefs based on the Bible.”\nPetr also did not admit guilt and stressed that he adheres to teachings based on love for people, and this is incompatible with the ideas of extremism.\nNevertheless, the court passed a guilty verdict, appointing a suspended sentence and obliging the family to pay 42 thousand rubles of legal costs. The verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed.\nMaya Krupnova has gone through many shocks in her life. Her first husband was killed, her fellow villagers poisoned their livestock, and their house was nearly burned down. In 2020, Maya's middle daughter died.\nThe case against the Krupnovs, as well as 60-year-old Yuriy Kim, was initiated on October 7, 2020. It was led by Igor Saulin, Investigator for Particularly Important Cases of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation in the Penza Region. The main defendant was Kim, he was accused of organizing extremist activities. The decision to initiate the case stated that Yuriy \"in an unidentified manner involved Maya Krupnova to participate in the activities of the LRO of Jehovah's Witnesses.\" The investigation considered it a crime for the woman to discuss religious issues in the company of friends, for example, how the Bible helps to keep calm in stressful situations.\n19 days after the initiation of the case, Yuriy was summoned 120 km from his home to familiarize himself with the collected materials. Upon arrival, the believer was paralyzed, the ambulance did not manage to save him, and on October 30, 2020, he passed away.\nAfter a year of investigation, on October 6, 2021, the case was taken to court. The file contains audio recordings of Maya's conversations with a girl, an FSB agent, who portrayed an interest in the Bible. In court, she could not remember exactly when the meetings of the believers took place and what was discussed at them. In December 2021, it turned out that the prosecutor did not provide any evidence of the \"criminal actions\" of Petr Krupnov.\nDuring interrogations, many witnesses retracted their testimonies, claiming that they had not said anything like that. Among the witnesses were neighbors who described Maya positively as a hospitable woman. They also noted that the Krupnovs' spouses helped them with the housework.\nAnother Nikolsk resident, Viktor Shayapov, is being prosecuted on the basis of similar charges of extremism. Also, six residents of the regional center - Penza - received suspended sentences from 2 to 4 years.\nOn December 8, 2021, a member of the Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights, Andrey Babushkin, sent an appeal to Russian President Vladimir Putin in connection with the ongoing persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, despite the explanations of the Plenum of the Supreme Court. “By inertia, the investigating authorities and courts continue to sanction searches, arrest believers and pass convictions on them,” the human rights activist expresses concern.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-12-30T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/12/310839/image_hu_b74590b1d0a2e38b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/12/310839/image_hu_89bd48d306220c74.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/12/310839/image_hu_cdb3bf0fbdd7e649.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/12/310839/image_hu_81a8d5f0a5282e01.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/12/310839.html","regions":["penza"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-1","282.2-2","hidden-surveillance"],"title":"Nikolsk Court Hands a Three-Year Suspended Sentence to the Krupnovs for Discussing the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 21, 2021, the judge of the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of the city of Krasnoyarsk, Svetlana Patsalyuk, found the father of many children Vitaliy Sukhov guilty of organizing the activities of the extremist community and sentenced him to 6 years of suspended imprisonment.\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 the believer to 6 years in prison.\nIn his last word in court, Sukhov emphasized: “I want to assure the court of my innocence before the law, before people and before God ... I never had a desire to harm people, neither by action nor by inaction. I love my country, our city, and everyone who comes in contact with me knows this. The fact that I now stand before the court proves that I am ready to make sacrifices for the welfare and interests of the citizens of my homeland. I can’t help but tell others what I know and what can benefit them. ”\nOn May 8, 2020, the senior investigator of the Main Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee for the Krasnoyarsk Territory and Khakassia, Lieutenant P. Filishkan opened a criminal case under Part 1 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation against Vitaliy Sukhov, father of eight children. Two weeks later, the security forces searched his apartment. On that day, the believer learned that he was suspected of \"organizing religious performances and services.\" Later, the court seized Sukhov's car, depriving him of the right to use his property. This measure was taken in order to recover it from the cost of the car in the event of a penalty in the form of a fine. Investigator Filishkan investigated the case for about 11 months. On March 25, 2021, the case was submitted to the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Krasnoyarsk.\nThe criminal case involved the testimony of a secret witness \"Kuzmin,\" who attended services of Jehovah's Witnesses in 2017-18. In court, he argued that these were allegedly meetings of the local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses \"Krasnoyarsk.\" However, he said that he had not read the charter of this organization and did not know who was a member of it.\nTwo other witnesses for the prosecution said that they had no complaints against Sukhov, he did not agitate them to join any organization, and that Jehovah's Witnesses were not considered extremists.\nA religious examination carried out in this criminal case confirmed that “participation in meetings and training events”, “preaching work, which consists in the purposeful dissemination of the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses,” as well as “observance of theocratic order” are “forms of expression of faith.”\nAt one of the court sessions, Vitaliy Sukhov drew attention to the fact that the investigator did not indicate the essence of the charge, the place and time of the crime, its methods, motives, goals, consequences and other circumstances. In this connection, he concluded: “Since these provisions have not been observed, the prosecution does not meet the requirements of Art. 220 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of the Russian Federation, therefore, the criminal case must be returned to the prosecutor.\" However, the court did not satisfy this request.\nIn the Krasnoyarsk Territory, 18 Jehovah's Witnesses are already accused of crimes against society and the state, although they did not commit anything illegal. Three of them have already been convicted for their faith.\nAccording to the ruling of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation No. 32, when considering a criminal case on a crime provided for in Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, the court must take into account that religious associations “consisting exclusively in the exercise of their right to freedom of conscience and freedom of religion, including through individual or joint the confession of religion, the performance of divine services or other religious rites and ceremonies, in themselves, if they do not contain signs of extremism, do not constitute a crime.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-12-21T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/12/241448/image_hu_7b6b22b30889e394.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/12/241448/image_hu_6dc3fbdf91acccf5.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/12/241448/image_hu_ce8e642fd5ed49fb.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/12/241448/image_hu_ab2ab262662e2bf4.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/12/241448.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-1","secret-witness"],"title":"In Krasnoyarsk, Father of 8 Children, Vitaliy Sukhov, Given 6 Years of Suspended Sentence for Reading the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 16, 2021, Judge of the Cherkesskiy City Court of the Karachay-Cherkess Republic, Din-Islam Chotchaev, found 57-year-old Yelena Menchikova guilty of extremism and sentenced her to 5 years of probation suspended sentence with the payment of all legal costs only for talking about the Bible.\nIn her last speech, the believer said: “My position in life is based on biblical principles, on high moral standards, where there is no place for extremism, violence or hostility. . . . In fact, I am accused of believing in God, that I remain Jehovah's Witness, that I remain loyal to my God. I am accused of communicating on religious topics with other people, more precisely, with my friends. The prosecution mistakenly calls the usual religious activities of a believer a crime.”\nYelena Menchikova is an architect by profession. For about 30 years she has been a disabled person of the II group. Because of the criminal prosecution, her chronic diseases have worsened and new ones have appeared.\nOn December 16, 2019, in Cherkessk, the local FSB department conducted 10 searches of Jehovah's Witnesses, including Menchikova. Almost a year later, on November 12, 2020, she was searched again. As the investigator of the FSB of Russia for the Karachay-Cherkess Republic V. A. Drakin told the believer, on November 3, 2020, he initiated a criminal case against her for participating in the activities of an extremist organization. Four months later, in March 2021, he attracted Menchikova under another article of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation — the believer was charged with the involvement of a local woman in a banned organization. The Menchikova case was separated into a proceeding from the Albert Batchaev case. On December 6, 2021, he was sentenced to 6 years of suspended sentence.\nThe investigation of Menchikova's case lasted about six months. In the apartment where she lived with her daughter, wiretapping and other technical devices were installed. On April 30, 2021, the case was sent to court. According to the defendant, the case involved an informant who collaborated with law enforcement agencies, gave deliberately false testimony and even presented false material evidence. Although there is not a single victim in the case, the prosecutor asked the court to impose a sentence of 5 years in prison on the believer.\nThe court found Yelena Menchikova guilty of participating in the activities of an extremist organization and involving other persons in it. The verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed. The believer insists on her complete innocence.\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.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-12-16T15:59:30+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/12/161559/image_hu_a2e575895744c665.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/12/161559/image_hu_75723c5b55e3ae07.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/12/161559/image_hu_32307590de466585.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/12/161559/image_hu_ac2e95607a1f69ba.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/12/161559.html","regions":["karachaevo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","disability","282.2-2","282.2-1.1"],"title":"The Court in Cherkessk Sentenced Yelena Menchikova, a Disabled Person of the II Group, to Five Years of Suspended Sentence for Talking About the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 16, 2021, the judge of the Naberezhnye Chelny City Court of the Republic of Tatarstan Rustam Khakimov found Ilham Karimov, Aydar Yulmetyev, Konstantin Matrashov and Vladimir Myakushin guilty of extremism only because of their faith in Jehovah God and gave them suspended sentence.\nThe court sentenced 34-year-old Myakushin to 3 years and 1 month of suspended sentence, 33-year-old Matrashov and 40-year-old Karimov — to 2.5 years of suspended sentence, and 28-year-old Yulmetyev — to 2 years and 9 months of suspended sentence. All believers are also assigned a probationary period of 2 years. The verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed. All four of them insist on their complete innocence.\nAddressing the court with the last word, Ilham Karimov said: “The accusations against me of extremist motives are not only unfounded, invented, not based on facts, but also blasphemous, offending my religious feelings, as well as contrary to common sense and violating my right to honest name\". Konstantin Matrashov noted: \"I have no shame because I didn’t do something bad.\" Aydar Yulmetyev emphasized: \"I am not guilty of what I am accused of, in these terrible crimes.\" Vladimir Myakushin explained to the court: \"Jehovah's Witnesses are absolutely peaceful people, and I try to do the same.\"\nThere is not a single victim in the case. However, the prosecutor requested 7 to 8 years in prison for them.\nAll four are law-abiding, peaceful citizens. Matrashov graduated from the University of Management and worked as a mechanic at a factory, financially supporting his mother. Karimov at various times worked as a glassblower, carpenter, assembler, electrician. Myakushin is a leading engineer at a plant for the production of electrical equipment for cars. Yulmetyev grew up in a family of builders and took over professional skills from them, he also studied as an auto mechanic and worked in both specialties.\nOn the evening of May 27, 2018, officers of the Investigative Committee and the FSB came to the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in Naberezhnye Chelny and conducted searches until late at night. The security forces seized electronic devices, mobile phones, and passports from believers, among whom were elderly women and a child. Karimov, Myakushin and Matrashov were arrested. Two days after the raids, Yulmetyev was also detained. Later, they were charged with organizing and financing the activities of an extremist organization (Part 1 of Article 282.2 and Part 1 of Article 282.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).\nThe Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee for the Republic of Tatarstan has been investigating the case for about 2.5 years. In November 2019, hearings were to begin in the Naberezhnye Chelny City Court of the Republic of Tatarstan, but the court returned the case to the prosecutor's office, pointing out significant violations of the law committed at the investigation stage, as well as unfounded accusations by the investigator and the prosecutor. Nevertheless, a year later, the court began to consider the case, which lasted almost a year.\nSince the moment of detention, each of those arrested spent six months in a pre-trial detention center, then from 2 to 3 months under house arrest, and since the end of April 2019 they have been under recognizance agreement. Believers were also included in the Federal List of Extremists of Rosfinmonitoring. Because of this, men could neither fully take care of their relatives, nor get a job, or even insure a car.\nBelievers said that it was especially difficult to endure separation from loved ones. For a long time they were not allowed to meet and talk on the phone. Detention centre officials pressured and warned that if they did not stop sharing their faith with other prisoners, this could further aggravate their situation.\nIn the Republic of Tatarstan, due to the actions of the authorities, 7 more Jehovah's Witnesses suffered. Konstantin Sannikov has been in custody for about a year and a half, and all this time he has been denied visits with his wife.\nOn December 8, 2021, member of the Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights Andrey Babushkin sent an appeal to Russian President Vladimir Putin in connection with the ongoing persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. Noting the importance of the clarifications undertaken on October 28, 2021 by the Plenum of the Supreme Court on the constitutional right of believers to continue to practice their religion, the human rights activist expressed regret over the actions of the judicial system. Babushkin writes: \"By inertia, the investigating authorities and courts continue to authorize searches, arrest believers and pass convictions on them . . . At the same time, people are being tried for what, according to the position of the RF Supreme Court, is not a crime.\"\nOn behalf of the members of the Council under the President of Russia for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights, the human rights activist asks Vladimir Putin “to draw the attention of the Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation, Director of the Federal Security Service, Chairman of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation and the Minister of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation to an explanation of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation on this issue and give them an order urgently and carefully check the expediency of keeping dozens of arrested Jehovah's Witnesses in custody awaiting trial, as well as “examining previously passed sentences with a view to overturning them.”\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-12-16T15:33:17+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/12/161533/image_hu_92a5af391ae51afa.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/12/161533/image_hu_9b8d11c0481c4fd4.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/12/161533/image_hu_74ff2c9ac62dc112.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/12/161533/image_hu_ea2221b8033a92b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/12/161533.html","regions":["tatarstan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-1","282.3-1"],"title":"First Sentence for Faith in Tatarstan: Court Gave From 2.5 to 3 Years of Suspended Sentence to Four Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 16, 2021, the Supreme Court of the Republic of Bashkortostan, chaired by judge Marina Khomechko, upheld the verdict for discussing the Bible to 35-year-old believer Anatoliy Vilitkevich, who was found guilty of organizing the activities of an extremist organization.\nAnatoliy works in a sphere of construction — he is engaged in finishing work. A week before the appeal, he and his wife Alena had a son, Arseniy. Now Anatoliy is the only breadwinner in the family. Due to criminal prosecution and frequent court hearings, he is unable to find a permanent job and is forced to do odd jobs.\nVilitkevich was detained on April 10, 2018, when eight searches were carried out in the homes of local Jehovah's Witnesses in Ufa and nearby villages. He was prosecuted as a defendant in a criminal case under Part 1 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. It turned out that in October 2017, hidden video surveillance was installed in the apartment of the Vilitkevich family. Anatoliy spent almost 2.5 months in a pre-trial detention center, 8 months under house arrest and 2 years and 10 months under recognizance agreement.\nDuring the court hearings, it turned out that the protocols of the interrogations of one of the witnesses contradicted his testimony in court, which may indicate fabrication of materials. During the trial, prosecution witnesses repeatedly confused the defendant with his lawyer.\nOn September 27, 2021, the judge of the Leninskiy District Court, Oksana Ilalova, sentenced the believer to 2 years of probation with a probation period of 3 years and restraint of liberty for 6 months. The 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.\nOn October 28, 2021, the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation clarified that the divine services of Jehovah's Witnesses, their joint rituals and ceremonies do not in themselves constitute a crime under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, despite the liquidation of their legal entities.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-12-16T14:47:56+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/12/161447/image_hu_38a5eaf458b23475.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/12/161447/image_hu_8947ab60b0053dce.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/12/161447/image_hu_1fc60949b0b38eaa.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/12/161447/image_hu_5089e504a325b085.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/12/161447.html","regions":["bashkortostan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","suspended","282.2-2"],"title":"The Court of Appeal in Ufa Upholds the Verdict for Faith to Anatoliy Vilitkevich — Two Years of Suspended Sentence","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 16, 2021, the Jewish Autonomous Region Court upheld the sentence to 28-year-old Anna Lokhvitskaya: 2.5 years of suspended sentence. By its decision, the panel of judges chaired by Yelena Pyshkina equated communication of fellow believers with each other with “participation in extremist activities.”\nThe verdict entered into force. Lokhvitskaya still insists on her innocence. She has the right to file a cassation appeal and apply to international authorities.\nSpeaking with her last word in the appeal court, the believer drew the court's attention to the fact that the criminal case against her was filled with falsifications and inconsistencies. Thus, the prosecution witnesses, interrogated in the courtroom, were not eyewitnesses of the events imputed to her. In addition, the case of Lokhvitskaya, like other believers from Birobidzhan, is based on the testimony of police officer Yuliya Zvereva, who attended meetings of believers even before the 2017 Supreme Court decision, when they could not be equated with extremism. Zvereva also confirmed before the court that she had not heard any calls to extremism from the defendant.\nAddressing the panel of judges, Anna asked the question: “What law abolished the constitutional right of Jehovah's Witnesses to profess their faith in the circle of fellow believers? There is no such law ... The religion of Jehovah's Witnesses is not prohibited. And religious meetings are one of the forms of expression of faith.”\nFor 1 year and 10 months, Anna was under recognizance agreement. Due to the criminal prosecution, she is deprived of the opportunity to care for her mother. She says: “The status of a criminal and the sentence passed completely limits my ability to help my mother manage household chores, especially in winter. For example, recently she had to hire people to help her around the house and chop wood, although my husband and I used to come to help with this. I am experiencing tremendous suffering from the fact that, having the strength and desire to help my loved one, I am limited in the ability to do so.”\nIn May 2021, the prosecutor declared before the Birobidzhan District Court that “the correction of Anna Aleksandrovna Lokhvitskaya is impossible without isolation from society,” and requested 4 years in prison for her. On July 20, 2021, Judge Vasilina Bezotecheskikh found Anna guilty, but issued a lighter sentence: 2.5 years of suspended imprisonment, 2 years of probation, and 1 year of restriction of liberty. The Court of Appeal upheld this judgment in full. Anna's spouse Artur and his mother Irina were previously sentenced to the same terms under a similar article of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\nThe case of Anna Lokhvitskaya is one of 19 criminal cases against Jehovah's Witnesses in the Jewish Autonomous Region. Thirteen believers have already received suspended sentences ranging from 2 to 2.5 years.\nAs in many similar sentences against Jehovah's Witnesses, the court did not indicate which specific actions or words were illegal and constituted a crime. According to a recent clarification of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation dated October 21, 2021, such a practice is unacceptable. In this regard, Anna Lokhvitskaya asked a rhetorical question: “If the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation does not restrict me as a Jehovah's Witness in how to practice my faith, then why did the district court of our city allow itself to do this?”\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-12-16T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/12/171429/image_hu_e0457df9f7eea0f6.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/12/171429/image_hu_b64eb4827f21c335.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/12/171429/image_hu_3f72c2a25a86ea89.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/12/171429/image_hu_7bbf67b11e9e2d81.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/12/171429.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","suspended","282.2-2","families"],"title":"Another Appeal in Birobidzhan Dismissed. Verdict to Anna Lokhvitskaya Entered into Force","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 16, 2021, the Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region considered Tatyana Sholner's appeal against the verdict of the Birobidzhan District Court. The panel of judges chaired by Svetlana Ketova approved the verdict.\nAccording to the defendant, the prosecution focused on proving the existence of some kind of organization among believers and their belonging to the denomination of Jehovah's Witnesses instead of specifying specific facts of criminal activity. Tatyana emphasized: \"All the actions imputed to me are fully consistent with the constitutional norm: 'everyone is guaranteed... the right to profess... together with others... religion.\" And my actions were legitimate. I did not disseminate extremist materials, did not call for violence, aggression, discord, hatred, enmity.\"\nTatyana Sholner is one of 23 victims of religious repression in the Jewish Autonomous Region, which began in 2018 with Operation “Judgment Day”, accompanied by massive searches in the homes of civilians. By profession, a 28-year-old believer is a sewing technician. Her friends and family do not understand why they are persecuting this peaceful girl.\nThe criminal case against Scholner, like many similar cases in Birobidzhan, was based on the testimony of police officer Yuliya Zvereva. According to the believer, Zvereva reported false information at the trial. Although Scholner became Jehovah's Witness only in 2017 and met Zvereva for the first time in the courtroom, she stated that she had known Tatyana since 2015. At the same time, Zvereva could not say anything about the services considered in the court, since she was not present at them.\nOn June 25, 2021, Judge Yuliya Tsykina found Tatyana Sholner guilty of participating in the activities of a banned organization and sentenced her to 2 years and 6 months of conditional imprisonment. The verdict entered into force. The believer still insists on her innocence. She has the right to appeal against the verdict in cassation, as well as in international instances.\nIn total, there are 19 similar criminal cases against believers in the Jewish Autonomous Region, 17 of them have already been convicted.\nRussian and foreign human rights activists unanimously condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses. On 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 Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, despite the liquidation of their legal entities.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-12-16T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/12/171046/image_hu_538b509ff2f66ba0.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/12/171046/image_hu_27752b80ed5ee897.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/12/171046/image_hu_a3ef4867168048f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/12/171046/image_hu_a8433f9b1c18c675.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/12/171046.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","suspended","282.2-2"],"title":"The Court of Appeal in Birobidzhan Upholds the Sentence of Tatyana Sholner: 2.5 Years of Suspended Sentence for Faith in Jehovah God","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 6, 2021, Rustam Ataev, judge of the Cherkessk City Court of Karachay-Cherkessia, found Albert Batchaev guilty of extremism - organizing \"the performance of songs from a special collection of religious teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses and prayers to Jehovah God\" and sentenced him to 6 years suspended.\nThe verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed. The believer insists on his complete innocence. He emphasized: \"These services are an expression of faith in God and the fulfillment of God's standards described in the Bible, which does not contradict the laws of Russia.\" In his last word, Albert Batchaev said: “I am not an extremist, I do not even understand what the respected prosecution wants to say by this! I am clean, and my conscience is clear before the law, society and the state, because I have not committed the crime of which I am accused, and I never wanted and do not want to harm people, the order established by law and the constitutional order of Russia. \"\nOn December 16, 2019, the local FSB department conducted 12 searches of Jehovah's Witnesses. As a result, Albert Batchaev was detained. The investigation of his case, initiated under Part 1 of Article 282.2 (organization of the activities of a banned organization), was carried out by an FSB investigator, Major of Justice, M. Sapronov. In total, Albert spent 5 days in a detention facility, 3 months in a pre-trial detention center, 15 months under house arrest. In June 2021, the defendant had a daughter. Five days before that, the measure of restraint was changed from house arrest to recognizance not to leave. He was able to work and take care of his wife and 87-year-old father.\nThere are no victims in the case of Albert Batchaev; during the trial, prosecution witnesses were unable to report which actions or words of the believer were extremist. Also, according to the defense of the believer, inadmissible materials were attached to the case, in particular, a religious examination, which was issued by a specialist without special education. The examination was based on the books by A. L. Dvorkin and A. N. Syrovatkin, known for their openly negative attitude towards the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Despite the shaky position of the prosecution, on December 3, the prosecutor asked the court to imprison the believer in a colony for 6 years and restrict his freedom for 2 years.\nDue to the stress of the criminal prosecution, Batchaev's chronic diseases worsened, and heart problems began.\nThe Cherkessk city court is hearing a case against another Jehovah's Witness, 67-year-old Elena Menchikova\nOn October 28, 2021, the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation clarified that the divine services of Jehovah's Witnesses, their joint rituals and ceremonies do not in themselves constitute a crime under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, despite the liquidation of their legal entities.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-12-06T15:51:51+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/12/061551/image_hu_83db3c4498aa49f9.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/12/061551/image_hu_316ae659f3012ed0.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/12/061551/image_hu_ff6e20238465556b.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/12/061551/image_hu_eaec249b7cca817c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/12/061551.html","regions":["karachaevo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["suspended","sentence","282.2-1"],"title":"A Court in Cherkessk Sentenced Albert Batchaev to 6 Years Suspended for His Faith in Jehovah God","type":"news"},{"body":"About 100 people come to the believer's courthouse to support. Judge Rustam Atayev sentences Batchayev to 6 years of suspended sentence.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Batchaev in Cherkessk","date":"2021-12-06T11:44:04+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk/index.html#20211206","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["sentence","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On December 2, 2021, the Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region, composed of the presiding judge I. P. Zhurova, as well as judges A. V. Sizova and V. G. Shabanov, upheld the sentence of Anastasia Guzeva — 2.5 years suspended for reading the Bible and talking on religious topics.\nThe believer still insists on her innocence and has the right to appeal against the verdict in cassation procedure, as well as in international instances.\nTurning to the appellate panel with the last word, Anastasiya Guzeva noted that in a similar case, a court in Vladivostok had acquitted Dmitriy Barmakin.\nOn August 19, 2021, the Birobidzhan District Court sentenced peaceful believer Anastasiya Guzeva to 2.5 years of suspended sentence, 2 years of probation and 1 year of restriction of freedom. The court considered that participation in peaceful worship of Jehovah's Witnesses and conversations on biblical topics are a continuation of the activities of the banned organization. The believer appealed against the verdict.\nBefore the criminal prosecution, Anastasiya, together with her husband Konstantin, who was also convicted on the basis of similar charges, worked at a music school. Upon learning of the Supreme Court's decision regarding Jehovah's Witnesses, the manager, a former police officer, summoned the Guzevs to his office and said: \"You are extremists, and extremists have no place in a children's institution.\" So Anastasiya, together with her husband, faced religious discrimination and lost the opportunity to earn a living. For 1 year and 9 months, the believer has been under recognizance agreement.\nRussian human rights experts condemn the application of the extremism law to Jehovah's Witnesses. The Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation in his report back in 2013 noted: “The problem of imperfection of the so-called “anti-extremist” legislation remains urgent. The vague formulation of the basic concept of “extremism” in itself becomes even more blurred when the definition of “religious” is added to it. Even religious scholars cannot yet decide what exactly is considered “religious extremism”. ”\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 performance of rites and ceremonies, in themselves do not constitute a crime under Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, despite the liquidation of their legal entities.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-12-02T15:50:31+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/12/021550/image_hu_9ecc9c4849726a04.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/12/021550/image_hu_c9f83a036e0cfb66.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/12/021550/image_hu_7e33f009af92ca72.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/12/021550/image_hu_33d4ddd69963067.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/12/021550.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","suspended","282.2-2"],"title":"Appeal Court in Birobidzhan Upholds the Verdict for Faith of Anastasiya Guzeva","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 29, 2021, Viktor Yakovlev, judge of the Prioksky District Court of Nizhny Novgorod, sentenced 45-year-old Viktoriya Verkhoturova for allegedly participating in the activities of a banned organization.\nThe verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed. The believer insists on her complete innocence. Although there is not a single victim in the case, the prosecutor asked the court to sentence the woman to 4.5 years in a penal colony.\nVictoria has elderly parents. She is very worried about how worries about her daughter will affect their health. In the hospital where Verkhoturova works, there have recently been many patients with complications after covid. Due to the heavy workload, it is always difficult for her to ask for court hearings.\nAddressing the court with the last word, the believer said: \"I am accused of a serious crime that I did not commit, namely, participation in the activities of an extremist organization. And my whole 'crime' is simply that I call myself one of Jehovah's Witnesses.\" She added: \"As soon as we get together to sing songs, read the Bible, and that's it, are we criminals? Are we going back to medieval Europe when the Holy Inquisition burned people for reading the Bible?\"\nIn the summer of 2019, armed security forces broke into the house of Viktoria and her husband, Sergey. During the search, they threatened the woman with \"terrible conditions in prison, where her psyche will suffer,\" trying to force her to cooperate with the investigation.\nOn March 26, 2020, investigator Oleg Makerov opened a criminal case against the believer under Part 2 of Article 282. 2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation in the activities of an extremist organization).\nThe investigation took 8 months, although in fact it began back in 2018, when law enforcement officers organized surveillance of the Verkhoturov spouses. The special services installed a hidden video camera in the believers' apartment and listened to their telephone conversations. The indictment stated that Verkhoturova's participation in the activities of a banned religious organization \"was expressed in participation in meetings, religious speeches and services at them, and the implementation of preaching activities.\" The accusation was also based on the testimony of two secret witnesses.\nOn November 30, 2020, the case was submitted to the Prioksky District Court of Nizhny Novgorod. Consideration of the case in court took exactly 1 year. At the meetings, the content of the videos, which depicted how believers discuss the Bible together, was analyzed in detail. At the same time, the prosecution did not provide facts of illegal actions on the part of Verkhoturova. \"She sang songs. [...] She did certain rituals: she got up, sat down, \"one of the prosecution witnesses answered the question at the trial about what exactly Viktoria's participation in extremist activities was expressed in.\nViktoriya Verkhoturova became the fifth Jehovah's Witness in the Nizhny Novgorod region convicted of religious beliefs. A month earlier, three peaceful believers from the town of Pavlovo had been sentenced to 3 years of suspended imprisonment. Sergey Verkhoturov, Victoria's husband, was also prosecuted by law enforcement officers. On March 5, 2021, the same Prioksky District Court found him guilty of organizing extremist activities and imposed a 6-year suspended sentence.\nThe religious principles that guide the lives of Jehovah's Witnesses reject extremism, violence and aggression in any form against other people. Believers do not consider themselves entitled to speak out for the purpose of political reforms. Their peacefulness and respect for the laws of the state are known all over the world. On 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 Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, despite the liquidation of their legal entities.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-11-29T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/11/301426/image_hu_5d4165bc744ca321.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/11/301426/image_hu_779cd70b8e4ec0c.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/11/301426/image_hu_711e829ab2f58a67.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/11/301426/image_hu_76402a224244c098.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/11/301426.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-2","families"],"title":"Viktoriya Verkhoturova, a Nurse from Nizhny Novgorod, Sentenced to 4 Years of Suspended Term for her Faith in Jehovah","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 25, 2021, the Court of Jewish Autonomous Region approved the sentence of Nataliya Kriger, 43, who was sentenced to 2.5 years of suspended imprisonment and 1 year of restricted freedom for participating in the activities of an extremist organization.\nOn July 30, 2021 Birobidzhan District Court found Nataliya Kriger guilty after considering as a crime her presence at the worship services of Jehovah's Witnesses, although this faith is not banned in Russia. The prosecutor asked the court to send the believer to a penal colony for four years and to further restrict her freedom for two years.\nAddressing the court with her last word, Nataliya said: \"What did the court find extremist? That I professed religious beliefs as Jehovah's Witnesses with my husband and friends. However, according to Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, everyone is guaranteed freedom of conscience, freedom of religion. . . . Only Holy Scriptures—the Bible—taught me to truly love people and genuinely care about them. Today my reputation as an honest person is tarnished.\"\nThe verdict of the appellate court went into effect, but the believer has the right to appeal it in cassation and international instances.\nIn 2018, Nataliya's husband, Valeriy Kriger, was also prosecuted under an extremist article. The investigation found him guilty of organizing the activities of a banned organization.\nSeventeen of Jehovah's Witnesses in Birobidzhan have already been convicted for practicing their faith, and for thirteen of them the sentence has come into force. The Birobidzhan District Court is currently hearing cases on similar charges against six other believers.\nOn October 28 this year the Plenum of the Supreme Court of Russia ruled that collective religious services of Jehovah's Witnesses do not by themselves constitute corpus delicti under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of Russia.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-11-26T08:44:47+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/11/260844/image_hu_b91114e57ae7928a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/11/260844/image_hu_57e7524e172d90a2.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/11/260844/image_hu_9e6c98f13cd3a5aa.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/11/260844/image_hu_9853adf4abe68b5c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/11/260844.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","suspended","282.2-2","families"],"title":"Appeal in Birobidzhan Approved the Sentence for Faith for Nataliya Kriger","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 25, 2021, the Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region dismissed the appeal of 30-year-old Yevgeniy Yegorov, the father of a young child. The sentence of the lower court—2.5 years suspended and 1 year of restriction of freedom—came into force.\nThe believer considers the verdict as subject to cancellation because it was rendered with substantial violations of the norms of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, international legal acts, criminal and criminal procedural legislation of the Russian Federation, and its conclusions contradict the factual circumstances of the case. He has a right to appeal against the verdict in cassation as well as in international instances.\nAddressing the appellate court with his last word, Yegorov emphasized: \"The totality of all the evidence presented in my case includes only information that I am a Christian, one of Jehovah's Witnesses, and not an extremist. And as the prosecution itself admits, I participated in worship services, not in extremist meetings.\"\nThe persecution of Yevgeniy Yegorov and other peaceful believers in Birobidzhan began in May 2018 after a large-scale operation codenamed \"Judgment Day.\" In the Jewish Autonomous Region, 19 criminal cases were filed against 23 believers between 2018 and 2020, including 12 women between the ages of 28 and 59. The criminal case against Yegorov was filed on July 29, 2019, after his apartment was searched in May 2018.\nAfter the indictment, Yevgeniy Yegorov was put on the Rosfinmonitoring's list of extremists, which creates significant difficulties for Yevgeniy and his wife, Ksenia, young parents: the believer's bank cards are blocked. Evgeny recalls, \"The unexpected happened. The day before the wedding we found out that the registry office had lost our application. Solving this problem, I learned from the news that the restaurant where the wedding reception was to be held was on fire. And, to make matters worse, the planner who had taken the money for the restaurant had quit. It seemed that the wedding was not going to happen, and the ground was gone from under my feet.” Finally, on the day of Yevgeniy and Ksenia's wedding, FSB officers charged Yevgeniy’s mother, Larisa Artamonova, as well as a few of the guests.\nMore than 60 Russian and foreign public figures and organizations condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia and state: \"What is happening to them is essentially happening to us. This is a test of society's immune forces. Persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses shows the failure of anti-extremist legislation in general. If society does not protect Jehovah's Witnesses, if they are not restored to their rights, it will mean that anyone can be declared an extremist. . . . In the story of how a man found at Jehovah's Witnesses answers to questions that a Catholic priest could not solve, the courts saw the promotion of religious superiority—that's all the extremism. Such \"extremism\", and much more brutal, can be found in the doctrinal, liturgical and other texts of most religions. If we approach religious scriptures with the same yardstick, we would have to ban all religions.”\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-11-25T14:37:47+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/11/261437/image_hu_6eeb6f562c497ad6.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/11/261437/image_hu_2b8eb7e93198e8bb.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/11/261437/image_hu_7d3d00d39ba9bc1d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/11/261437/image_hu_2bc89f9fdaf70d26.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/11/261437.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","suspended","282.2-2","rosfinmonitoring"],"title":"The Appeal in Birobidzhan Left Unchanged the Sentence for Believer Yevgeniy Yegorov","type":"news"},{"body":"Elena Savelyeva gives her last word.\nOn the same day, Judge Svetlana Chebotareva pronounces a sentence: 4 years of suspended sentence.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Saveliyeva in Seversk","date":"2021-11-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/seversk5/index.html#20211117","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["sentence","final-statement","suspended"],"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_9d551818401fb7cc.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/11/181626/image_hu_ef4c860c16def438.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/11/181626/image_hu_472843080cad7567.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/11/181626/image_hu_fff83e0a257d7df6.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":"On November 16, 2021, the court of the Jewish Autonomous Region affirmed the sentence passed on 59-year-old Irina Lokhvitskaya for \"participation in the activities of a prohibited organization\" — 2.5 years of suspended sentence, 2 years of probation and 1 year of restricted freedom.\nAddressing the court of appeal with her last word, the believer stated: \" To speak about God is my right from birth, and it is guaranteed by Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.\" She drew attention to the unfairness and baselessness of the accusation: \"In fact, the victims are me and my family.\"\nOn July 19, 2021, the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region found Irina Lokhvitskaya guilty of violating the law on extremism, essentially because of a religious practice common to all Jehovah's Witnesses in the world. The believer attended worship meetings and participated in a joint Bible study.\nDuring the trial, the prosecutors presented no evidence that the believer was a threat to society, but zealously demonstrated that she belonged to Jehovah's Witnesses. Thus a certain \"presumption of guilt\" was established in the case of the Jehovah's Witnesses religion, in violation of part 1, article 49 of the Russian Constitution, according to which no one may be accused of a crime until proven guilty. As a result, Irina was subjected to discrimination, despite the fact that the Constitution prohibits any form of restriction of the rights of citizens on the basis of religion.\nBy the decision of the court of appellate jurisdiction, the verdict came into force. Irina Lokhvitskaya has the right to file a cassation appeal, as well as to appeal to international instances.\nPersecution of believers in Birobidzhan came into an active phase on May 17, 2018, when law enforcement officers conducted an operation codenamed \"Judgment Day\" against local Jehovah's Witnesses. Nineteen criminal cases were opened against 23 believers in the region. Seventeen of them, including Irina Lokhvitskaya, her son Arthur and daughter-in-law Anna, received suspended sentences ranging from 2 to 2.5 years; 11 sentences are in effect. Most of the cases against Jehovah's Witnesses were initiated and brought to trial by the investigator Dmitriy Yankin.\nDr. Sergey Ivanenko, Ph.D., a religious scholar, analyzed the situation with Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia and drew the following conclusion: \"Having found themselves in the role of defendants, Jehovah's Witnesses do not consider themselves guilty and do not intend to abandon their religious beliefs... While they remain Jehovah's Witnesses, they do not consider themselves criminals.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-11-16T16:05:19+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/11/161605/image_hu_9c51ededd660bb12.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/11/161605/image_hu_b57085d0a5f386d0.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/11/161605/image_hu_291d964f9c6c6cba.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/11/161605/image_hu_e96ce5bc73950486.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/11/161605.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","282.2-2","suspended","families"],"title":"Appeal in Birobidzhan Approved the Verdict for the Faith Against Irina Lokhvitskaya","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 28, 2021, the Chelyabinsk Regional Court did not satisfy the appeal of the 58-year-old Master of the International Chess Federation Dmitriy Vinogradov. The verdict of first instance came into force: 2 years of suspended sentence for faith in God.\nAddressing the court of appeal, Vinogradov stressed: \"My service to Jehovah God is not a crime, I am happy and proud of this fact.\" The believer has the right to file a cassation appeal, as well as appeal to international authorities.\nThe search in the home of the Vinogradov family took place in the absence of the owners: the security forces opened the apartment, which was under an alarm system. Law enforcers also searched his workplace — they seized the chess file that Dmitriy had developed over the years. The management of the institution where Dmitriy worked as a mentor for young chess players, having learned about the criminal case, dismissed him.\nDmitriy Vinogradov spent more than 20 months under recognizance agreement. Almost all this time, his accounts were blocked, he and his wife feared that their housing would be confiscated for non-payment: “Our apartment was removed from the utility bills payment system. We couldn't even pay our bills.”\nThe trial lasted more than 1.5 years. After the hearings, each of which was stressful for Dmitriy, he was sick for several days. As a result, his blood pressure began to spike and his eyesight deteriorated.\nThe prosecutor knew that the defendant is raising two minor children and has positive characteristics. The line of accusation in his case was based on the testimony of the agent of the Center for Countering Extremism \"Sergey Makarenko,\" as well as \"Liliya Ruzayeva\" recruited by law enforcement officers to spy on believers. However, according to them, Vinogradov did not incite religious discord, did not undermine the foundations of the constitutional system of the Russian Federation, did not encourage the breakdown of family relations and refusal of medical intervention, did not promote the activities of any organizations.\nSpeaking at one of the court hearings, Dmitriy drew attention to the fact that the very concept of 'extremism' contradicts the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses: side from violence and crime. They did not tarnish themselves by participating in such cases, even if they themselves became victims.\" He added: \"My father was a participant in World War II, and maybe I was born only because some German Jehovah's Witness refused to take a Schmeisser in his hands and go kill Russians on the Eastern Front.\"\nNevertheless, on June 7, 2021, the Central District Court of Chelyabinsk found Dmitriy Vinogradov guilty of participating in the activities of an extremist organization because of peaceful talks about the Bible. Thanks to letters and postcards with words of support in dozens of languages ​​from different parts of the world, Dmitriy tries to remain calm in all his difficulties.\nIn addition to Vinogradov, in Chelyabinsk, 75-year-old Vladimir Suvorov received 6 years of suspended sentence, and his 73-year-old wife Valentina — 2 years.\nDespite their peaceful activities, hundreds of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia have already been subjected to repression, although Russian authorities have repeatedly stated that believers can continue to practice their religion freely. The world community and human rights organizations express strong concerns about systematic violations of the freedoms and rights of religious minorities, in particular Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-10-28T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/10/291630/image_hu_7db6c55115a730fa.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/10/291630/image_hu_4a2bd3ea24b1e20.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/10/291630/image_hu_a82c9ff53ac901c2.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/10/291630/image_hu_86d69a129aaddb3a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/10/291630.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","282.2-2","suspended"],"title":"Chelyabinsk Regional Court Upheld the Conviction of Jehovah's Witness Dmitriy Vinogradov for Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"Judge of the Sharypovsky City Court of the Krasnoyarsk Territory Inga Gavritskaya finds Anton Ostapenko guilty and sentences him to 6 years and 3 months of suspended sentence with a probationary period of 4 years and 1.5 years of additional restrictions.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ostapenko in Sharypovo","date":"2021-10-25T15:04:15+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/sharypovo/index.html#20211025","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["sentence","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On October 25, 2021, the Sharypovsky City Court of the Krasnoyarsk Territory found 30-year-old Anton Ostapenko guilty of extremism and sentenced him to six years and three months of suspended sentence with a probation period of for years and one and a half years of additional restrictions. His fault is the discussion of the Bible with friends.\nOn the day of the announcement of the verdict, about 80 of Anton's co-religionists came to the courthouse to support the believer, since he was facing a harsh term. Although there are no victims in the case, the prosecutor asked the court to appoint a peaceful citizen accused of organizing extremist activities to 8 years in prison in a general regime colony.\nIn his last word, Anton Ostapenko did not plead guilty to extremism and told the court: “I have always tried to do everything as it should be in our state. I am a peaceful believer who professes his religion in the way it happens all over the world and does not contradict the laws of our country. Together with others, I pray to Jehovah God, sing songs of praise to our heavenly Father, read the Bible and study it with other believers. \"\nEarlier, Christian convictions did not allow Anton to take up arms, therefore, at a draft age, he underwent alternative civilian service, working in a boarding school for the elderly and disabled. For his personal contribution to the development of the institution, he received gratitude from the management.\nThe criminal prosecution of Anton Ostapenko began in April 2019, when mass searches were carried out in Sharypovo in the apartments of citizens suspected of professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Later Anton was detained. On the same day, senior investigator Yulia Fedynyak opened a criminal case against the believer for his faith under an extremist article. For 1 year and 9 months, the case was investigated by the Investigative Directorate for the Sharypovsky District of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee for the Krasnoyarsk Territory and the Republic of Khakassia, after which it was brought to court with violations. In July 2020, the Sharypovsky interdistrict prosecutor Vyacheslav Voroshilov returned the materials for further investigation. “[The case] does not meet the requirements, is not specified, there are significant contradictions... A number of circumstances... are not confirmed by the materials of the criminal case. In the course of the preliminary investigation, a large number of procedural violations were committed,” — said in the document on the return of materials to the investigator.\nOstapenko's accusation was based on transcripts of his conversations about the Bible, made on a hidden video camera in the house of one of the believers. In addition, the accusation was based on the testimony of a secret witness \"Ivanov\", who, as he himself stated in court, did not know Ostapenko at all. The witness for the prosecution said about the services the believer was accused of organizing: \"People just gathered together and sang songs.\"\nIn court, a linguistic expert said that, according to her examination of telephone conversations, no calls or motives for prohibited and extremist actions were found in the defendant's statements. The believer himself noted: \"For me, such actions are unacceptable, because I am a Christian who is required to follow the norms of morality and conduct established in the Bible.\"\nNevertheless, the court refused to acquit the believer. The verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed.\nDuring the persecution, Anton spent six months in a pre-trial detention center and two months under house arrest. While in custody, he received over 1,000 letters of support. For a year and 10 months, Ostapenko has been under recognizance agreement.\nOnce in jail, Anton Ostapenko faced pressure. He recalls: “Daily interrogations, threats, various kinds of influence — all this was very exhausting. The state of health deteriorated due to nervousness. The hardest part was worrying about the family, as they were threatened, there was not enough information about what was happening to them. \"\n17 Jehovah's Witnesses are being persecuted in the Krasnoyarsk Territory, 7 of them are already being heard in court. Believers from Krasnoyarsk and Minusinsk, Andrey Stupnikov and Dmitriy Maslov, were convicted for their Christian beliefs.\nThe European Court of Human Rights has stated: \"It is undeniable that the joint study and discussion of liturgical texts by members of a religious group of Jehovah's Witnesses is a recognized form of professing [their] religion during worship and teaching.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-10-25T15:02:09+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/10/251502/image_hu_b9a5c1ee3132014b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/10/251502/image_hu_2aae4db136c0e5f8.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/10/251502/image_hu_5984ab9bc5fe29.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/10/251502/image_hu_b20accc75bd30061.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/10/251502.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-1"],"title":"A Court in the Krasnoyarsk Territory Gave Anton Ostapenko, One of Jehovah's Witnesses from Sharypovo, Six Years and Three Months Suspended for Talking About the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 25, 2021, Dmitry Pestov, judge of the Pavlovsk City Court of the Nizhny Novgorod Region, found believers Aleksey Oreshkov, Aleksandr Rakovsky and Aleksandr Vavilov guilty of participating in extremist activities. In one day, the court went through the stages of the debate of the parties, the last word and the announcement of the verdict.\nThe believers insist on their complete innocence and can appeal the verdict.\nHairdresser Aleksandr Vavilov, 54, lost his job and the ability to visit his children and granddaughters who live in other cities because of the criminal prosecution. Also Vavilov has been unable to take care of his elderly mother for a long time. Similarly, Aleksey Oreshkov, 50, cannot help his mother, a group I invalid. IT specialist Aleksandr Rakovskiy, 41, father of two young children, also fears dismissal because of his criminal record.\nThe persecution of believers, organized by the Russian Federal Security Service in the Nizhny Novgorod region, began with mass searches in July 2019. Then the security forces invaded the homes of 31 families of Jehovah's Witnesses. The court sent Oreshkov and Vavilov behind bars. There they spent 211 and 241 days, respectively, and another 19 months under house arrest. Later Rakovskiy was also required to sign an undertaking not to leave, based on the criminal case.\nAccording to the investigation, it was extremism that \"unidentified persons, in the implementation of a joint criminal intent, acting intentionally, as a group of persons by prior collusion ... took active steps to ... hold religious speeches and services,\" during which, like in hundreds of other countries, they peacefully discussed the Bible and Christian teachings, as well as praying.\nAs in most cases against Jehovah's Witnesses, the prosecution line was built only on proving that law-abiding believers belonged to an \"undesirable\" religion. For example, Lobachevsky NSU experts, having studied the video files attached to the case, confirmed that they depicted actions characteristic of Jehovah's Witnesses. At the same time, the experts concluded that the recordings do not contain any negative statements about persons of other race, nationality, or religion, and there are no encouragements to hostile actions. An FSB officer during the court hearings was also forced to admit that the Jehovah's Witnesses religion is not banned in Russia. Witnesses involved in the trial drew attention to the numerous falsifications of their testimony in the interrogation protocols, as well as to the pressure they were subjected to. The prosecution did not identify any victims of the believers' actions.\nA total criminal cases were initiated against 15 believers in Nizhny Novgorod region. One of them had already been sentenced: Sergey Verkhoturov, 46, received a six-year suspended sentence for his belief in Jehovah.\nLegal scholars and human rights activists in Russia and abroad have repeatedly called on the Russian authorities to stop persecuting Jehovah's Witnesses. In 2019, the problem of the legal conflict between freedom of religion and the application of the \"extremist\" article was mentioned in the report to the President by Russian Human Rights Ombudsman Tatyana Moskalkova.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-10-25T11:35:33+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/10/271135/image_hu_67a836e532a018d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/10/271135/image_hu_41a70c8c31dc71b.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/10/271135/image_hu_4f59e58f4dfe7f0c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/10/271135/image_hu_c6f67f586fdfbeca.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/10/271135.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-2"],"title":"A Court in Nizhny Novgorod Region Sentenced Three Jehovah's Witnesses to Three Years of Suspended Sentence for Their Belief in Jehovah","type":"news"},{"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_c5ceb4c8d83d1391.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/10/180949/image_hu_f2f916e0f7f0a11c.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/10/180949/image_hu_f5b8eaefb0ef40f5.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/10/180949/image_hu_b4ea3e89ad48b192.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":"On October 4, 2021 Rostov regional court upheld the conviction of 42-year-old Andrey Okhrimchuk. By its decision, court equated simple discussion of the Bible with friends to extremist activity.\nThe believer insists on his innocence. Although the verdict came into force, he has the right to appeal it in cassation and international instances.\nTwo months earlier, the Leninskiy District Court of Rostov-on-Don found Ohrimchuk guilty of participating in the activities of extremist activity and its financing. Judge Olga Borokhova sentenced the believer to 4 years of suspended sentence and 1 year of restricted freedom, thereby satisfying the prosecutor's request.\nProsecutor A. Chebrikov, who has been involved in trials against other believers from Rostov-on-Don, was the state prosecutor at the appeal hearing.\nAndrey is an individual entrepreneur. Together with his wife, Ekaterina, they are raising a young daughter. On May 22, 2019, law enforcement officers broke into the believer's apartment and searched it in the presence of his schoolgirl daughter, and a year and a half later a criminal case was opened against him under two articles. He spent the last 11 months of his life under house arrest. Because Andrey is on the Rosfinmonitoring list, he is restricted in his financial capacity.\nDuring the trial, no evidence of the believer's guilt was provided. The court of the first instance questioned a religious studies professor, who was confused in his testimony and appealed to outdated information about Jehovah's Witnesses. In addition, prosecutor I. Napalkova was present at the sessions. She was prompting her colleagues with pressure tactics, which she had already used on other believers before.\nBy now, nine believers, including three women, have been sentenced in Rostov-on-Don.\nRussian government agencies have repeatedly asserted that liquidation of legal entities does not restrict religious freedom. For example, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation stated: \"Members of a liquidated organization may independently practice their religion, including as members of religious groups, without registration, on the understanding that this does not involve extremist activity. However, law enforcement officers continue to unreasonably hang the label of \"extremism\" on the legitimate purely religious activities of believers. Andrey Okhrimchuk noticed this contradiction in his situation as well: \"I am accused for the fact that I prayed, sang songs and read the Bible.\nHuman rights activists in Russia and abroad condemn the systematic persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses. Dr. Hubert Seivert, professor at the University of Leipzig, notes: \"I cannot imagine that a court with sufficient information could come to the conclusion that Jehovah's Witnesses are extremists or could be dangerous politically [...] Moreover, it is worth recalling that Jehovah's Witnesses were only banned by dictatorial regimes, for example Nazi Germany. And I do not think that today's Russia is like that.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-10-04T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/10/050820/image_hu_1d9ae78eede05da0.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/10/050820/image_hu_7fe6bc6d5cd69544.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/10/050820/image_hu_6b43c36df07d4203.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/10/050820/image_hu_1d81aa8573b63925.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/10/050820.html","regions":["rostov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","suspended","minors"],"title":"Four Years Suspended Sentence for Faith. Appellate Court Approved the Sentence for Rostov Resident Andrey Okhrimchuk","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 30, 2021, the panel of judges of the Rostov Regional Court rejected the appeal of Olga Ganusha from Rostov-on-Don on the conviction for her choice of religion. The believer still insists on her innocence. She has the right to appeal against the sentence that has entered into force in cassation procedure, as well as in international instances.\n“My heart is filled with love for God and my neighbor. I encouraged people to read God's Word and learn goodness, love, justice. I have never experienced any hostility or hatred and do not feel it towards any person. If the prosecution insists on my involvement in extremism, it is from ignorance and misunderstanding of the essence of what is happening. Everything has its time. Perhaps these people will someday open their eyes,” Olga Ganusha said in court before the appeal.\nEarlier, on July 13, 2021, the judge of the Voroshilovsky District Court of Rostov-on-Don, Viktor Trofimov, sentenced 60-year-old Olga Ganusha for “participation in the activities of a banned organization.” She was sentenced to 2 years of suspended imprisonment with a probationary period of 1.5 years.\nThe prosecutor asked the court to impose on the believer 3 years of suspended sentence, 3 years of probation and 1 year of restrictions. Ganusha is charged with ordinary religious practice as illegal activity. In particular, the court of first instance reviewed video recordings made in her apartment. The files contained recordings of worship meeting and telephone conversations of the defendant on daily and religious topics with her friends.\nThe criminal prosecution impacted Ganusha’s health, her chronic diseases worsened. “My life was divided into before and after the search,” she says.\nThe criminal prosecution impacted Ganusha’s health, her chronic diseases worsened. “My life was divided into before and after the search,” she says.\nFor almost a year, the pensioner was limited in her movement as she was under recognizance agreement. She says: “There were some difficulties after I was included in the federal list of Rosfinmonitoring. My retirement card has been blocked.”\nShe is now getting help from her fellow believers who provided material and emotional support: they bring food, send encouraging letters and postcards, offer small amounts of money.\nDespite the trials she faced, the believer does not allow the thought of giving up her beliefs: “Regardless of the outcome of the criminal trial, I remain one of Jehovah's Witnesses. I am determined to remain faithful to God to the end and to speak about my faith, whatever the circumstances.”\nThe criminal prosecution of Olga Ganusha began with mass searches and detentions on May 22, 2019. On that morning, law enforcers raided at least 15 homes of Rostov's Jehovah's Witnesses. “Reading the search warrant in my apartment, I couldn’t believe my eyes that this was happening to me,” recalls Olga Ganusha. “I didn’t understand a lot when I later read the materials of my case. There were 6 volumes, and I had no idea what could be written in them.”\nOn June 6, 2019, the First Investigation Department (headquartered in Rostov-on-Don) of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation opened criminal cases under Part 2 of Art. 282.2 against three women: Olga Ganusha, Lyudmila Ponomarenko and Galina Parkova. Later, the cases of each of them were separated into separate proceedings. At the end of the trials, 71-year-old Ponomarenko was sentenced to 2 years of probation, and Parkova—to 2 years and 3 months of probation.\nOther believers in Rostov-on-Don were also convicted on charges of extremism: Aleksandr Parkov and Arsen Avanesov were sentenced to 6.5 years of actual imprisonment, and Vilen Avanesov—to 6. They have been in custody since May 22, 2019.\nLawyers and human rights activists in Russia and abroad unanimously condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses. For example, in May 2021, former prisoners of the Dachau concentration camp (Lagergemeinschaft Dachau) sent an open letter to President Vladimir Putin urging him to stop the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-10-01T14:14:07+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/10/011414/image_hu_b4c4f7e276b570bd.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/10/011414/image_hu_ada061c6f3d6ab2b.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/10/011414/image_hu_3749236aa66ea6d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/10/011414/image_hu_a697d5c1467880fa.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/10/011414.html","regions":["rostov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","282.2-2","liberty-deprivation","suspended"],"title":"Appeal in Rostov-on-Don Upheld the Sentence Against 60-Year-Old Believer Olga Ganusha","type":"news"},{"body":"Judge of the Leninsky District Court Oksana Ilalova finds Anatoliy Vilitkevich guilty of organizing the activities of a banned organization and sentences him to 2 years probation with a probation period of 3 years and restriction of liberty for 6 months.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vilitkevich in Ufa","date":"2021-09-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ufa/index.html#20210927","regions":["bashkortostan"],"tags":["sentence","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court of the Jewish Autonomous Region does not satisfy the appeal of Tatyana Zagulina. The verdict comes into force.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zagulina in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-09-16T16:25:16+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan15/index.html#20210916","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["appeal","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On September 16, 2021, the court of the Jewish Autonomous Region did not satisfy the appeal of 37-year-old Tatyana Zagulina. The verdict came into force: the believer was sentenced to 2 years and 6 months of suspended sentence and 2 years of restriction of freedom.\n\"I have never participated in anything that would undermine the constitutional order and threaten the security of the state. I don't understand at all how I could be accused of this. The court convicted me, but did not provide a single piece of evidence of my guilt. There is not a single one of my actions and statements that would prove extremist motives. In the case, I never saw evidence of my guilt. My faith, on the contrary, calls to love people and even enemies,\" said Tatyana Zagulina, speaking with her last word before the appeals board. The believer has the right to appeal the court's decision in cassation and international instances.\nOn April 1, 2021, the Birobidzhan District Court sentenced Tatyana Zagulina to 2.5 years of suspended imprisonment, finding her guilty of participating in the activities of a banned organization, despite the absence of victims and evidence of extremist actions in the case. None of the witnesses questioned in court heard extremist calls from the believer, they all described her as a peaceful and non-confrontational person. According to Tatiana herself, she was convicted only for believing in Jehovah God, so she appealed the verdict.\nIn February 2020, Tatyana Zagulina was included in the federal list of Rosfinmonitoring and her bank accounts and cards were blocked. Due to her recognizance not to leave, the believer has been restricted in her right to move freely for more than 1.5 years. Tatyana's husband, Dmitry, is also facing persecution for his faith, and his bank accounts have been blocked since March 2019. Law enforcement officers actually deprived the couple of the opportunity to fully take care of their school-age child.\nA total of 23 Jehovah's Witnesses are being prosecuted in the Jewish Autonomous Region.\nInternational and Russian human rights activists condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in contemporary Russia. Vladimir Ryakhovskiy, a member of the Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights, says: \"In our country, the right to religion, including joint religion, is enshrined in the Constitution. The doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses was not forbidden in our country. It turns out that if the followers of some creed gather at home or online, then we are necessarily talking about participation in the activities of a banned organization? No, I don't.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-09-16T16:17:21+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/09/161617/image_hu_ad566ceea04da2a6.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/09/161617/image_hu_e3ce7da3e2fdd709.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/09/161617/image_hu_53672d0a0ddd2658.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/09/161617/image_hu_12ae19cd510d29a1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/09/161617.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","suspended","282.2-2","rosfinmonitoring","families"],"title":"An appeal in Birobidzhan upheld the verdict for Tatyana Zagulina. The Believer Was Given a 2.5-Year Suspended Sentence","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 15, 2021, the Smolensk Regional Court upheld the sentence handed down to Jehovah's Witnesses Maria Troshina and Nataliya Sorokina. They were sentenced to 6 years probation for allegedly organizing the activities of an extremist organization. The verdict has entered into force. The women have already spent more than six months in pre-trial detention and the same amount under house arrest.\nThe prosecutor requested a severe punishment for the believers in the form of long-term imprisonment in a general regime colony: for Troshina - for 6 years and 8 months, for Sorokina - for 6 years and 6 months. On April 22, 2021, the judge of the Sychevsky District Court of the Smolensk Region, Arkady Likhachev, sentenced them to 6 years of suspended imprisonment with a probation period of 3 years. The Sychevsky District Prosecutor's Office filed an appeal against the verdict, but later withdrew it. Believers continue to insist on their innocence, they hoped that the court of appeal would commute or overturn the sentence. They have the right to appeal against it in cassation, as well as in international instances.\nSorokina and Troshina were detained on October 7, 2018, after a raid on the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Smolensk region, in which officers from the FSB, the Center for Countering Extremism, and SOBR participated. Initially, the women were charged with participating in the activities of a banned organization, but in the summer of 2019 the charge was reclassified into organizing the activities of an extremist organization.\nDuring the judicial interrogation, the FSB officers who participated in the raids could not repeat their testimony, as they could not remember it. The judge had to read this information from the criminal case. In the materials of the case, the investigation called the women members of a certain \"foreign religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses.\" At one of the hearings, the prosecutor argued that the believers, \"realizing the public danger,\" were hiding from the state, which the defendants denied.\nThe trial in the court of first instance lasted about a year and a half. As a result of the hearings, Troshina and Sorokin did not understand exactly what extremist actions they committed, remaining believers and exercising their right to freedom of religion.\n\"I am guided in my life by the laws from the Bible,\" said Maria Troshina in her last word in the court of appeal.- Loving my neighbor, I try to do everything possible to help, not harm. This was confirmed by all prosecution witnesses. In their testimonies, they said that Sorokina and I did not incite social, racial, national, religious discord. They didn't say that one person is better than another just because he professes a religion.\"\nSpeaking at the Court of Appeal, Nataliya Sorokina drew attention to the distortion of concepts by the court of first instance: \"Peaceful and calm friendly meetings have turned into a 'continuation of extremist activity,' conversations about faith have turned into 'persuasion and recruitment.'\"\nA total of 8 Jehovah's Witnesses from the Smolensk region have been prosecuted. One of them, Viktor Malkov, died while under investigation. Three more were sentenced to suspended sentences ranging from 6 to 6.5 years.\nThe Russian government has repeatedly stated that the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses is not prohibited in Russia. In addition, Russian and foreign human rights activists unanimously condemn the actions of the authorities against Jehovah's Witnesses in the Russian Federation.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-09-15T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/09/161305/image_hu_50b3d1877e9a4b00.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/09/161305/image_hu_4138b2fafdab6a90.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/09/161305/image_hu_8978091cfee76bb7.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/09/161305/image_hu_509b9ad71f7f9fb0.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/09/161305.html","regions":["smolensk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","suspended","282.2-1"],"title":"An Appeal in Smolensk Upheld the Sentence of Maria Troshina and Natalia Sorokina — 6 Years Suspended for Believing in Jehovah God","type":"news"},{"body":"Yulia Tsykina, judge of the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region, finds Andrey Gubin guilty and sentences him to 2 years and 6 months of probation, 2 years of probation and 1 year of restriction of freedom for reading the Bible.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Gubin in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-09-09T16:11:24+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan18/index.html#20210909","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["sentence","282.2-2","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On September 9, 2021, the judge of the Birobidzhan District Court, Yuliya Tsykina, sentenced 47-year-old Andrey Gubin to 2 years and 6 months of conditional sentence, 2 years of probation and 1 year of restraint of liberty. The believer immediately appealed against this decision.\nThe court found Andrey Gubin guilty of participation in the activities of an extremist organization. Although there is not a single victim in the case, the prosecutor recommended that the court send the believer to a colony for 4 years. Gubin considers the sentence to be canceled. “I am convicted of believing in God,” he wrote in his appeal.\nOn February 12, 2020, senior forensic investigator Dmitriy Yankin opened a criminal case against Gubin under Part 2 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation only because of his faith. The believer was placed under recognizance agreement. For more than six months, the investigation of the case was carried out by the FSB of Russia for the Jewish Autonomous Region. On August 19, 2020, the case materials were transferred to the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region.\nDuring the court hearings, Andrey Gubin has repeatedly noted that he considers this persecution to be an ideologically motivated order, which is contrary to common sense. He said: \"There is religious discrimination based on someone's personal hostility, prejudice and an illiterate understanding of the law on extremism.\"\nIn his appeal to the court, the believer noted: “It is written in my file that there are no victims. I am only persecuted as one of Jehovah's Witnesses. Moreover, at this hearing there was a lot of material proving that I and the rest of Jehovah's Witnesses have nothing to do with extremism. After all, the language of extremism is the language of enmity and hatred, which contradicts my convictions and the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses in general. \"\nIn his youth, Andrey often faced injustice, which is why he became very hot-tempered. He even wanted to drop out of school. According to the believer, what he learned from the Bible allowed him to change, find peace in his heart and the meaning of life.\nIn total, 19 criminal cases were initiated against 23 believers in Birobidzhan. In addition to Andrey Gubin, sixteen believers have already been convicted.\nJehovah's Witnesses in Russia are condemned because of their faith, despite the official position of the country's leadership, voiced by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in February 2021: “During 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. […] Members of a liquidated organization can independently practice a religious cult, including as part of religious groups that do not require registration. \"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-09-09T16:08:52+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/09/091608/image_hu_e0a6cffe2a9f77a2.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/09/091608/image_hu_91cb66ce6b13e5d2.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/09/091608/image_hu_704ae75727ee4bb9.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/09/091608/image_hu_cde3c70252013165.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/09/091608.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-2"],"title":"In Birobidzhan Andrey Gubin, One of Jehovah's Witnesses, is Sentenced to 2 Years and 6 Months Probation for Faith in God","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 9, 2021, the Amur Regional Court upheld the verdict of the first instance court. Jehovah's Witness Konstantin Moiseyenko was sentenced to 6 years of conditional sentence with a following probation period of 4 years and an additional restriction of liberty for 1 year.\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.\nOn July 14, 2021, the judge of the Zeyskiy District Court of the Amur Region, Alexandr Kozlov, found 45-year-old Konstantin Moiseyenko guilty of \"organizing the activities of a banned organization.\"\nThe accusation was based on the data provided by an embedded FSB agent: a woman, equipped with special equipment, took notes of liturgical meetings. In March 2019, searches were conducted in Zeya in at least five homes of Jehovah's Witnesses, including the Moiseyenko family. Laptops, telephones and personal records were confiscated from believers. Before the start of the trial, the believer spent about one and a half years under recognizance not to leave.\nKonstantin Moiseyenko is a systems engineer by profession, he is married. The court was presented with positive characteristics of the believer from relatives and neighbors, confirming his calm and peaceful disposition.\nTurning to the court of appeal, the believer drew attention to the fact that Jehovah's Witnesses are not a threat to society and the state. They live by biblical standards that \"teach people to be honest and respect authority.\" Konstantin Moiseyenko said: \"Instead of constructively cooperating with Jehovah's Witnesses, who are of great benefit to society, the prosecution violates my rights, thereby harming not only me, but the entire society.\"\nMoiseyenko, being a believer, just continued to adhere to his religious beliefs and discuss the Bible with his fellow believers. The Russian authorities have repeatedly stated that Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia are not prohibited from practicing their religion. Prosecution witness senior FSB operative Nikolay Korendov, speaking in court, said: \"The gatherings of Jehovah's Witnesses are chants and Bible readings.\" He added that he had never heard from the defendant calls for the overthrow of state power, any violence or aggression against representatives of other religions or nationalities. He also confirmed that according to Russian law, the Bible, its content and quotations taken from this book cannot be considered extremist. Nevertheless, the court considered the peaceful believer to be dangerous to society.\nKonstantin Moiseyenko is already the second believer in Zeya to be convicted by the court. In 2021, the court sentenced 78-year-old Vasiliy Reznichenko to two years' suspended imprisonment. In September 2021, the Amur Regional Court upheld the harshest sentence handed down to Jehovah's Witness since 2017: 8 years in a general regime colony for 45-year-old Alexey Berchuk. Another criminal case initiated against Yevgeniy Bitusov and Leonid Druzhinin is under preliminary investigation.\nHuman rights activists in Russia and around the world condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in contemporary Russia. Vladimir Ryakhovskiy, a member of the Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights, says: “In our country, the right to religion, including joint one, is enshrined in the Constitution. The doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses in our country was not prohibited. It turns out that if the followers of some creed gather at home or online, then we are necessarily talking about participation in the activities of a banned organization? No\".\nIn May 2021, the association of former prisoners of the Dachau concentration camp (Lagergemeinschaft Dachau), in connection with the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses, sent an open letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin, which concluded: “We urge you to grant every citizen of Russia the constitutional right to freely profess religion. Please put an end to this injustice! \"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-09-09T14:56:36+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/09/091456/image_hu_f1ce9ef251e2bcc4.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/09/091456/image_hu_7f94f78185faaccc.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/09/091456/image_hu_fc0dbabc72ee67b.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/09/091456/image_hu_59595750ec9a3d4e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/09/091456.html","regions":["amur"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","suspended","282.2-1","secret-witness","families"],"title":"An Appeal in the Amur Region Upheld the Verdict on Believer Konstantin Moiseenko — 6 Years Probation for Convictions","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 7, 2021, the judge of the Porkhovsky District Court of the Pskov Region, Valentina Sirotenko, sentenced Aleksey Khabarov to 3 years of suspended imprisonment with a 2-year probationary period. The court recognized as extremism Aleksey's peaceful meetings with other Jehovah's Witnesses. The believer intends to appeal the verdict.\nAleksey, a teacher by profession, is concerned that his good name has been tarnished by accusations of extremism. Speaking in court with the last word, he said: “I was brought up in a simple village family: my mother is a rural history teacher, and my father is a fish protection inspector. They never instilled anything in me that looked like extremism. They taught me to respect the opinion of others, respect authority, be peaceful and achieve everything with my work. \" After that, he emphasized that it was the Bible that helped him become even better - \"learn to truly love others.\"\nOn March 28, 2019, the investigator for especially important cases Irina Pravdivtseva from the FSB of Russia in the Pskov region opened a criminal case against Aleksey Khabarov. On April 3, 2019, in the city of Porkhov, searches were carried out in the homes of believers, among whom was Khabarov. After interrogation, they took a written undertaking not to leave the place.\nAfter more than a year of investigation, the investigation transferred the criminal case to the prosecutor's office, but the department found violations in the materials and returned them for revision. Among other things, the prosecutor noted that the investigator had not identified the citizens who were declared witnesses to the crime allegedly committed by Khabarov.\nOn September 3, 2020, the case went to court. During the court hearings, not a single victim was presented, as well as evidence that the believer is an extremist. Nevertheless, the prosecutor requested that Aleksey Khabarov be sentenced to 3.5 years in prison in a general regime colony. In sentencing, the judge reduced this period by six months and decided to consider the sentence suspended. Among the additional restrictions imposed on the believer for the duration of the punishment is the prohibition to leave the area in which he lives.\nBack in November 2019, the name of Aleksey Khabarov was added to the Rosfinmonitoring list, which led to the blocking of his bank cards. The recognizance not to leave strongly hindered Aleksey from earning a living, since he constantly had to go to court asking for permission to leave the city. Due to severe stress, the believer's chronic illnesses worsened.\nAleksey Khabarov became the second Jehovah's Witness convicted of his faith in the Pskov region. In June 2020, Gennady Shpakovsky was sentenced to 6.5 years in prison, but the court of appeal replaced his sentence with a suspended sentence.\nRussian and foreign leaders and organizations unanimously condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. According to Vladimir Ryakhovsky, Honorary Advocate of Russia, member of the Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights, “This (violation of fundamental human rights - ed.) Always began with Jehovah's Witnesses, and then affected everyone. You can say, \"Take good care of Jehovah's Witnesses.\" Because it will all turn against the rest. \"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-09-07T15:15:05+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/09/071515/image_hu_f717f3a57f443201.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/09/071515/image_hu_8c53ce9efb4b99fd.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/09/071515/image_hu_672145df8d29d3fb.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/09/071515/image_hu_e54f64bc2144d6d7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/09/071515.html","regions":["pskov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-2","rosfinmonitoring"],"title":"A Court in Porkhov Sentenced 46-year-old Aleksey Khabarov to 3 Years Suspended for Talking About Jehovah God","type":"news"},{"body":"Judge Valentina Sirotenko sentences Aleksey Khabarov to 3 years probation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Khabarov in Porkhov","date":"2021-09-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/porkhov/index.html#20210907","regions":["pskov"],"tags":["sentence","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On September 2, 2021, the Khabarovsk Regional Court upheld the sentence for faith handed down to Nikolay Aliyev — 4.5 years of probation. The verdict entered into force, but it can be appealed in cassation and international instances.\nOn June 4, 2021, the Central District Court of Komsomolsk-on-Amur passed a guilty verdict on Nikolay Aliyev. The believer appealed this decision to the appellate instance. According to Aliyev, his convictions are incomparable with extremism.\n“At first it was hard to believe that this (criminal prosecution — ed.) Is actually happening to me. It seemed that it was some kind of scary movie that never ends,— says Nikolay, adding that God and fellow believers help him not to get angry. — In winter, fellow believers came to the courthouse before the trial to support me. When the hearing was held behind closed doors, many of them stood in the cold for one and a half to two hours and waited for the trial to end and I leave.\"\nAlthough the Supreme Court did not prohibit Jehovah's Witnesses from practicing this religion, already 20 believers from the Khabarovsk Territory have been prosecuted.\nThe joint statement of the OSCE participating States on July 28, 2020 concerning the situation of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Russian Federation noted: “We have repeatedly heard from the Russian delegation at meetings of the Permanent Council that Jehovah's Witnesses profess and can continue to profess their faith freely. and freedom of religion is guaranteed in the Russian Federation. However, we see numerous reports of searches, detentions and criminal cases against Jehovah's Witnesses [...] All people, including Jehovah's Witnesses, should be able to peacefully exercise their rights, including the right to freedom of religion, peaceful assembly and expression of their opinion without discrimination, like this guaranteed by the Constitution of the Russian Federation and Russia's commitments to the OSCE and international law ”.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-09-02T14:20:37+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/09/021420/image_hu_5df0e9d1741a02aa.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/09/021420/image_hu_5a66928b383978fd.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/09/021420/image_hu_b871a7e1667f7ced.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/09/021420/image_hu_784f3138fbbd8291.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/09/021420.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","suspended","282.2-1.1","282.2-2"],"title":"Appeal in Khabarovsk Upholds the Verdict for Faith to 42-Year-Old Nikolay Aliyev","type":"news"},{"body":"On August 31, 2021 the Smolensk Regional Court upheld the appeal against the conviction of three local Jehovah's Witnesses. Thus, 32-year-old Yevgeniy Deshko was given a 6-year suspended sentence, while 43-year-old Valeriy Shalev and 42-year-old Ruslan Korolev were given 6.5-year suspended sentences.\nIn April 2021, the judge of the Industrial District Court of Smolensk, Marina Masalskaya, sentenced Shalev, Korolev and Deshko to suspended imprisonment, also assigning them various probation periods and additional punishments. There was also another defendant in the case, Viktor Malkov. He died a year after the initiation of the case, including due to the fact that he did not receive proper treatment in the pre-trial detention center and under house arrest. The court found him guilty, but Malkov's case was dismissed due to his death. Victor's good name was defended in court by his widow, Vera Malkova. The court found all of the defendants extremists for talking about God and Christian teachings, reading the Bible together, singing religious songs and praying. All these actions on the part of Jehovah's Witnesses are interpreted by Russian law enforcement agencies as the organization or continuation of the activities of an extremist organization, although this faith is not prohibited in the country.\nThe sentence was appealed. Speaking to the court during the appeal hearing, Vera Malkova said that knowing the teachings of the Bible helped her and her husband save their marriage and make them happy. \"Our peaceful life suddenly changed dramatically when my husband was arrested and put in a detention center ... The persecution severely damaged my husband's health and his heart gave out and stopped,\" said the widow, calling the accusations against her husband unfounded. She asked the court to abolish the sentence and rehabilitate Viktor Malkov.\nValeriy Shalev, in turn, said that as a Jehovah's Witness, he does not accept extremism and other violent acts: \"Over the past 100 years in our country there has been a change of system, a change of government, large-scale repression, and World Wars raging. And in all this aggressive environment Jehovah's Witnesses have not even indirectly stained themselves with a single drop of blood.\" \"I am very glad that I am being judged not for some evil deeds, but for my faith,\" he stated earlier before the pronouncement of the verdict of the court of first instance.\nYevgeniy Deshko refused to take up arms and serve in the army because of his religious beliefs. Instead, from 2012 to 2014, he did alternative civilian service in a gerontological center, helping the elderly as a medical attendant. In an earlier statement to the court, he said, \"I did not and could not have had the intent to commit a crime. Although there are no victims, even though I did hard work for several years just because I don't want to learn how to kill and apply violence, I am being judged as an extremist.\"\nRuslan Korolev drew the court's attention to the fact that his faith helped him not to follow in the footsteps of his father, who died from the consequences of alcohol abuse. According to the believer, if he had not become a Jehovah's Witness, \"he could have been in prison a long time ago.\" Valery Shalev, Ruslan Korolev, Yevgeny Deshko and Vera Malkova on the day of sentencing. April 2021. During the period of criminal prosecution, Yevgeniy, Valeriy and Ruslan spent from 4 to 8 months in a pre-trial detention center and another from 3 to 7 months under house arrest.\nIn April another conviction was handed down in Smolensk region for the faith: 44-year-old Mariya Troshina and 46-year-old Nataliya Sorokina were given 6-year suspended sentences for believing in Jehovah God. They appealed the decision of the Sychevskiy District Court.\nThe criminal case against two other believers from Smolensk, 65-year-old Valentina Vladimirova and 61-year-old Tatyana Galkevich, is currently pending in court.\nThe international community strongly condemns the criminal prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. Dr. Hubert Seiwert, professor emeritus of comparative religious studies at Leipzig University (Germany), said in an interview: \"I can't imagine that a court with enough information could come to the conclusion that Jehovah's Witnesses are extremists or could be dangerous politically. [...] In addition, it is worth recalling that Jehovah's Witnesses were banned only by dictatorial regimes, for example Nazi Germany. And I do not think that today's Russia is like that.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-09-02T10:45:14+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/09/021045/image_hu_f8730ac73b78d560.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/09/021045/image_hu_36f75a9481497505.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/09/021045/image_hu_2e49477683b4f725.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/09/021045/image_hu_19d71d84bf6a4baf.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/09/021045.html","regions":["smolensk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","suspended","282.2-1","died"],"title":"Appeal in Smolensk Upheld the Penalty on Three Believers — Suspended Sentence for Discussing the Bible","type":"news"},{"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_6270734ac81fbfe0.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/08/251431/image_hu_fc6084083d35a8d7.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/08/251431/image_hu_28def80d70d750b7.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/08/251431/image_hu_5d5a41683873c5b7.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_25c2efeef1d6e960.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/08/241019/image_hu_f4fab255d634d9c6.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/08/241019/image_hu_339f5536a1ae690f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/08/241019/image_hu_324aaa08c36b42cf.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":"On August 19, 2021, the judge of the Birobidzhan District Court, Vasilina Bezotecheskikh, found the peaceful believer Anastasiya Guzeva guilty of participating in the activities of an extremist organization and sentenced her to 2.5 years of probation, 2 years of probation and 1 year of restriction of freedom.\nThe believer did not admit her guilt. Turning to the court with the last word, she stressed: “Although I have been seriously charged, there are no victims of my actions, as is probably usually the case in criminal cases. There is no direct intent, no active actions, no socially dangerous acts, no humiliation of human dignity, no objective and subjective aspects of the crime, no facts that any of my actions have caused harm, damage, suffering to others. Therefore, I did not hide my eyes from shame and always came and went to court sessions with a clear conscience.” Anastasia Guzeva intends to appeal the verdict in the appellate instance.\nBefore the criminal prosecution, the believer worked at a music school, where she established herself as a responsible and non-conflict employee. Her husband Konstantin also worked there. When the caretaker, a former police officer, learned about the Supreme Court's decision regarding Jehovah's Witnesses, he called the Guzevs into his office and said: \"You are extremists, and extremists have no place in a children's institution.\" First, Konstantin was fired, and later Anastasiya. The believer is perplexed: “According to the labor law, a person cannot be fired from his job just because of his religion. In fact, my husband and I faced religious discrimination. \"\nIt all started with the fact that in May 2018, they came to the Guzevs with a search that lasted 10 hours. The police officer in charge of the task force said his relatives were Jehovah's Witnesses. Obviously, therefore, law enforcement officers behaved politely and carefully. Nevertheless, because of what happened, Anastasiya experienced severe stress and for a long time experienced panic when she heard a knock on the door.\nIn July 2019, a criminal case was opened for faith against Konstantin, and on February 6, 2020, Anastasiya became the accused. For six and a half months, the case against her was investigated by Denis Yankin, a senior investigator-criminalist of the investigation department of the FSB of Russia in the Jewish Autonomous Region. Since February 19, 2020, the believer has been under recognizance not to leave, and on February 27, 2020 she was included in the Rosfinmonitoring List of Terrorists and Extremists.\nOn August 19, 2020, the case went to court. The prosecution was witnessed by police officer Yuliya Zvereva, who also testified in at least 15 other trials against Birobidzhan believers. She admitted that she had not heard any extremist statements from any of them.\nThe court hearings in the Guzeva case lasted about a year. The prosecutor asked the court to sentence 41-year-old Anastasiya to 4 years in prison and 2 years of restraint of liberty. The prosecution did not present any concrete evidence that the believer participated in extremist activities. At the hearing, Guzeva remarked: “Video files were presented as 'evidence', which showed the study of the Bible and religious literature in the circle of fellow believers. The prosecution interprets these lawful actions as unlawful. But at all times, believers expressed their love for God by praying, gathering together to worship, studying and discussing the Holy Scriptures... All participants in the process could see firsthand that the deeds, words, thoughts, goals, motives of Jehovah's Witnesses are including mine, are directed only for good.\"\nThe persecution destroyed the usual way of life of a peaceful family and confused relatives, including Anastasiya's elderly mother. Nevertheless, relatives support the spouses. The Guzevs also appreciate the help that co-religionists provided throughout the persecution — they sent them letters of support, postcards, and helped financially.\nDuring the judicial debate, Anastasiya emphacized that the Russian courts did not prohibit the professing and dissemination of the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses and, in fact, these beliefs are \"the prevention of extremism\".\nA total of 23 Jehovah's Witnesses from the Jewish Autonomous Region have already been prosecuted for their faith. 16 of them, including Anastasiya's husband, Konstantin Guzev, were convicted and sentenced to various suspended sentences.\nApril 1, 2021 at the press conference “70th Anniversary of Operation North”. Lessons of repression \"religious scholar Sergey Ivanenko emphacized:\" The policy of forceful suppression of Jehovah's Witnesses, which has been carried out in the Russian Federation since 2017, is futile. This is evidenced by the lessons of Operation North and the analysis of the current situation, including the steadfastness of Jehovah's Witnesses in upholding their beliefs. It seems expedient, from the point of view of the state interests of Russia, to implement a set of measures for the return of Jehovah's Witnesses to the legal field.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-08-19T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/08/191119/image_hu_adb06358af837a1c.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/08/191119/image_hu_22aed4809132c0cd.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/08/191119/image_hu_b2c66a1a09c0c2f0.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/08/191119/image_hu_63b20b7468f34efd.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/08/191119.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["suspended","sentence","282.2-2","families"],"title":"Another Conviction for Faith in Birobidzhan. The Court Gave Anastasiya Guzeva 2.5 Years Suspended Sentence for Reading the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"On August 4, 2021, the Supreme Court of the Republic of Mari El rejected Ekaterina Pegasheva's appeal against the verdict. The believer was sentenced to 6.5 years probation with a probation period of 4 years for talking on spiritual topics, which the court considered \"organizing the activities of a banned organization.\"\nThe verdict entered into force. The believer still insists on her innocence and can appeal the verdict on appeal, as well as in international instances. In her last word, Pegasheva drew the attention of the court of appeal: “Since I, as a citizen of the Russian Federation, am a social person and cannot exist on my own, I interact, communicate with people. Coming to work, people cannot help but talk, because they are connected by a single theme - work. And if it is about faith in God? Can a believer talk to people about his God? Or can he talk about him [only] with himself or with some objects? \"\nOn October 3, 2019, in the Pegasheva case, searches were carried out at three addresses: two in Yoshkar-Ola and one in the village of Pirogovo (Kirov region) where her mother lives. The security forces seized books, videotapes, electronic devices, personal letters and documents, including a school certificate and a certificate of passing the exam. After the arrest, Yekaterina spent about 4 months in the pre-trial detention center. Then she was under house arrest for another 500 days.\nEkaterina Pegasheva became accused of organizing the activities of a banned organization, because, according to the investigation, she \"deliberately continued illegal activities\" - after the ban on religious organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, she did not stop practicing her faith and continued to talk with others about the Bible. According to law enforcement officers, with all of this, Catherine committed \"a grave crime against the foundations of the constitutional order and security of the state.\"\nHearings in the Gornomariyskiy District Court, which have been going on since October 2020 for 8 months, indicated the groundlessness of the accusations against the believer. The secret witness on the part of the prosecution \"Petrov\" admitted that exclusively peaceful topics were discussed at the meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses. According to another prosecution witness, people talked about God at the services, and Pegasheva never called those present to unlawful actions, as the investigation and the state prosecutor argued, who eventually demanded that Catherine be sent to jail for 7 years.\nDue to unreasonable criminal prosecution for religious beliefs, Catherine lost her job. This deprived her of the opportunity to help loved ones. A young woman helps her mother take care of her bedridden grandmother. According to the believer, stress deprived her of her strength and health.\nRussian and foreign leaders and organizations are concerned about the situation in Russia with regard to Jehovah's Witnesses. In particular, Heiner Bielefeldt, professor at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, who has served as UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief since 2010, explains: “The concept of 'extremism' in legislation remains completely blurred. Which creates a kind of loophole for the authorities, an excuse to do what they want. And Jehovah's Witnesses are the perfect scapegoat. Indeed, many people regard them with suspicion: Jehovah's Witnesses are active, engaged in missionary work. Not everyone likes it - even if they do it exclusively for peaceful purposes - but they exercise their right to freedom of religion and belief. \" He sums up: \"If Jehovah's Witnesses are extremists, then we are all extremists.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-08-04T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/08/050821/image_hu_8a8072ad31c449b3.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/08/050821/image_hu_8b2577074e144837.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/08/050821/image_hu_c2e8065001c1713e.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/08/050821/image_hu_cb81fd4f759b5d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/08/050821.html","regions":["mari-el"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","suspended","work-restrictions"],"title":"The Appeal in Yoshkar-Ola Upheld the Suspended Sentence of 31-year-old Yekaterina Pegasheva","type":"news"},{"body":"On August 2, 2021, the judge of the Leninsky District Court of Rostov-on-Don, Olga Borokhova, found 42-year-old Andrey Okhrimchuk guilty of extremism and sentenced him to 4 years of suspended sentence, as well as 1 year of restriction of freedom - this punishment was requested by the prosecutor.\nThe believer has not pleaded guilty and can appeal the verdict. According to him, crime of any kind is incompatible with his beliefs. \"At the beginning of my Christian journey, I received an offer to earn money. I began to cooperate with an acquaintance. He said that you can earn more if you steal some of the material. I refused, choosing to serve God and have a clear conscience,\" said Andriy Okhrimchuk.\n\"I did not think that I would ever be a defendant and speak before a court, especially those accused of extremism, because I never even thought of harming anyone. I have always treated extreme views negatively, because people suffer from it. At one time, I participated in a counter-terrorist operation in the ranks of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, ensuring the security of the state and its citizens. I also served in the peacekeeping forces. Later my life changed, I began to study the Bible. Then I was a peacemaker with weapons in my hands, but now I decided to become a peacemaker with the Bible in my hands, \"said the believer, speaking with the last word.\nOn October 29, 2020, the investigator for especially important cases, Major I. A. Kalnitsky, opened a criminal case against Andrey Okhrimchuk. The investigation was conducted by the First Investigation Department (located in Rostov-on-Don) of the Main Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation.\nAndrey was accused of \"taking part in an illegal religious meeting\", which was also attended by Alexander Parkov. By illegal religious gathering, the investigation refers to the usual worship services of Jehovah's Witnesses, which are legally held in approximately 240 countries and territories. The investigation also established that money transfers were made from Andrey Okhrimchuk's bank card to the cards of Semyon Baibak, who had already been sentenced to 3.5 years of probation, as well as Arsen Avanesov. On July 29, 2021, three believers, Park, Arsen and Vilen Avanesov from Rostov-on-Don, received from 6 to 6.5 years in prison.\nIn May 2019, the security forces searched the believer's home and car, after which he was interrogated at the CPE. Andrey and his wife are raising a school-age daughter. The search in their house had a strong impact on the condition of Andrey's wife, Ekaterina: she had to seek help from a specialist and undergo treatment for several months. Andrey is worried about how what is happening will affect the health of his parents, since his father has a heart condition.\n\"After the searches, I was in shock for several weeks, could not eat normally, lost 5 kilograms. I sat like furniture, I didn't realize what was happening,\" the believer said.\nFor about 9 months, since November 2, 2020, Andriy Okhrimchuk has been under recognizance agreement. And on November 27, 2020, the believer was added to the list of terrorists and extremists of Rosfinmonitoring, his bank accounts were blocked.\nAlready 16 Jehovah's Witnesses from the Rostov region have been prosecuted for their faith. Eight of them have already been sentenced by the courts.\nRussian and foreign leaders and organizations unanimously condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. Among them is Jean-Marie Delarue , a member of the French Council of State. He explains: \"A Russian judge should take into account that if the fact of violation of public order is not proven, then Jehovah's Witnesses are persecuted for completely different reasons - they are persecuted as a religion. In this case, we ignore the fundamental freedom enshrined in the most important international laws.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-08-03T08:20:53+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/08/030820/image_hu_f79ab8b19d634607.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/08/030820/image_hu_8447e7060e73ffe7.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/08/030820/image_hu_ac91195c2211dcf9.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/08/030820/image_hu_37f3c51c15dc445e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/08/030820.html","regions":["rostov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-2","282.3-1","rosfinmonitoring","minors"],"title":"A Court in Rostov-on-Don Sentenced Andrey Okhrimchuk to 4 Years Suspended for Believing in Jehovah God","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_88c7938f7292808.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/07/301142/image_hu_dfb45e677c90b683.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/07/301142/image_hu_872cb81de0b54ef5.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/07/301142/image_hu_349ec05476267e5f.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":"On July 30, 2021, the judge of the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region, Vasilina Bezotecheskikh, sentenced 43-year-old Nataliya Kriger to two and a half years in prison for participation in the activities of a banned community—this is how the investigation interprets reading and discussing the Bible with friends.\nThe verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed. The believer insists on her complete innocence.\nAlthough there is not a single victim in the case, the prosecutor asked the court to impose a sentence of 4 years in prison and 2 years of restriction of freedom on the believer, with the obligation to report twice a month at the FSIN supervisory institution.\nWhen Nataliya was only a year old, her mother died, and the girl ended up in an orphanage. At the age of 6, her grandmother took little Nataliya to live with her. Many years later, due to a hip fracture, Nataliya's elderly grandmother stopped walking. The believer took care of her grandmother until her death in February 2020.\nSpeaking in court with her last word, Nataliya Kriger recalled how her grandmother was able to instill in her the biblical norms of morality, thanks to which she completely changed: “I was a very naughty child even in my teens and caused considerable difficulties. But from the very childhood, noticing any injustice or humiliation, I reacted sharply. During my school years, I went to the karate section in order to protect myself. Like most teenagers, I was influenced by peers: I began to smoke, get drunk and swear heavily. Even my relatives and friends did not trust me.”\n“I have learned to express tender feelings for my grandmother, to hug her, and not to shout at her and be insolent to her,” Nataliya continues. “The Bible taught me to treat her with great love, kindness, trembling ... I think she would be very surprised now that I'm on trial for extremism.\"\nIn May 2018, the house of the Kriger family was searched. Then a criminal case was opened against Nataliya's husband, Valeriy Kriger. Two years after these events, in February 2020, Denis Yankin, an investigator of the FSB of Russia for the Jewish Autonomous Region, opened a criminal case against Nataliya. Then the believer was placed on recognizance agreement.\nThe investigation lasted 6 months, and on August 19, 2020, the case was referred to the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region. At the time of admission to the court, the case consisted of more than 30 volumes.\nOne of the prosecution witnesses was police officer Yuliya Zvereva, who also testified in a number of other cases against Jehovah's Witnesses from Birobidzhan: Svetlana Monis, Anastasiya Sycheva, Tatyana Zagulina and Konstantin Guzev, whom the court sentenced to suspended sentences.\nA total of 23 Jehovah's Witnesses from the Jewish Autonomous Region have been prosecuted. Many of them have already been convicted, others are still awaiting a court decision on their cases.\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":"2021-07-30T14:33:34+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/07/301433/image_hu_6a8553675120f5a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/07/301433/image_hu_9a845fad1bace0ba.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/07/301433/image_hu_8d5a2c44179769e7.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/07/301433/image_hu_a76ff108d03c8367.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/07/301433.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-2","families"],"title":"In Birobidzhan, Nataliya Kriger Received 2.5 Years of Suspended Term for Reading the Bible","type":"news"},{"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/index.html#20210729","regions":["amur"],"tags":["appeal","elderly","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On July 23, 2021, the Novosibirsk Regional Court upheld the verdict of the first instance court. Vitaliy Popov, 54, was found guilty of participation in the activities of an extremist organization and its financing.\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.\nOn May 21, 2021, Nataliya Devyatko, a judge of the Lenin District Court of Novosibirsk, found Vitaliy Popov guilty of a crime under Part 2 of Art. 282.2 and part 1 of Art. 282.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation in the activities of an extremist organization and its financing). He was sentenced to 3 years of suspended sentence. In the court of the first instance, the prosecutor requested 6 years of actual imprisonment in a general regime colony.\nProsecution witnesses at the hearings emphasized that they know Vitaliy as \"a peaceful, hardworking person who is always ready to help.\" One of the witnesses said: “Good person with a capital letter ‘Good’. There are simply no such ones, in fact. Without any falsity. A kind man.\"\nVitaliy himself drew attention to the fact that he had always been a simple, peaceful, and hard-working person. “Many in the school [his last workplace] knew that I am one of Jehovah's Witnesses and had deep respect for my views, because I am a conflict-free person and I try to see positive qualities in people without any prejudice.”\n“For many years I tried to be an exemplary citizen of my country, I have always been a law-abiding citizen, I paid taxes honestly, always did my job in good faith, my employers always spoke positively about me, and suddenly the prosecution proposes to declare me an extremist. For what?—he asked in the court debate and himself offered the answer:—For the fact that I discussed biblical thoughts in the circle of my family and friends that encourage love and good deeds.”\nDue to criminal prosecution, Vitaliy lost his job, and his recognizance agreement restricted his right to move freely for more than a year.\nIn passing the verdict, the court of the first instance took into account the opinion of “specialist” Oleg Zayev, who has no religious education and who did not hide his hostility towards Jehovah's Witnesses. Equally surprising is the fact that Popov did not even attend the religious meetings presented to the court as evidence of his guilt.\nVitaliy Popov became the second resident of Novosibirsk convicted for his faith. Earlier, 67-year-old Yuri Savelyev was sentenced to 6 years in a general regime colony.\nRussian and foreign organizations unanimously condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. For example, the association of former prisoners of the Dachau concentration camp sent an open letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin calling for an end to the persecution.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-07-23T14:47:08+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/07/231447/image_hu_ceb6108071a97f9b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/07/231447/image_hu_f188e21179d817ee.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/07/231447/image_hu_b1d726af24ea7e41.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/07/231447/image_hu_f3adcf16f6d8afa8.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/07/231447.html","regions":["novosibirsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","282.2-2","282.3-1","suspended"],"title":"The Appeal in Novosibirsk Upheld the Verdict Against Vitaliy Popov for Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 20, 2021, Judge Vasilina Bezotecheskikh of the Birobidzhan District Court of the EAD sentenced Anna Lokhvitskaya to 2.5 years' probation for participating in the activities of a banned organization. The verdict can be appealed. The believer insists that she wasn't involved in any extremism.\nSpeaking in the debate she stressed that she had no criminal intent: \"What is the intent? That I read the Bible? That I sang songs of praise to God? There is not a single person who has been harmed by my contrived accusation of \"willful\" criminal acts. My life in general, as well as the actions I am charged with, are solely peaceful in nature. If there is no hate or animosity in the motives, there is no corpus delicti. Although there were no victims in the case, the prosecutor asked the court to sentence the believer to four years in a penal colony with further restrictions for another two years.\nJust the day before her mother-in-law, Irina Lokhvitskaya, was sentenced in exactly the same way, and in February 2021 her husband, Artur Lokhvitsky, was sentenced. In April 2021, the Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region confirmed Arthur's verdict on appeal - the believer received a 2.5 year suspended sentence.\nThe case against Anna was initiated by D. Yankin, an investigator of the Federal Security Service of Russia for the EAD, on February 6, 2020. About 7 months later, on August 19, 2020, it was transferred to court. According to the judge's decision, the case was heard behind closed doors, without the presence of the audience, the media, or even relatives. Since the start of the criminal case in February 2020, the believer was under house arrest.\nThe case of Anna Lokhvitskaya is among 19 criminal cases against 23 Jehovah's Witnesses from the Jewish Autonomous Region.\nOn April 20, 2021, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, responding to a request from a believer, stated: \"The step taken [the Supreme Court decision of April 20, 2017] has not restricted the right of citizens to freedom of religion... Participants of a liquidated organization may independently worship, including as part of religious groups that do not require registration, on the understanding that this is not related to the conduct of extremist activity. Nevertheless, Russian courts continue to convict Jehovah's Witnesses.\nForeign figures have also repeatedly stated that religious discrimination against Jehovah's Witnesses is inappropriate and that persecution must cease.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-07-20T20:20:56+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/07/201520/image_hu_755d5312cbae88e4.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/07/201520/image_hu_6ad1dc47b5dfaf42.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/07/201520/image_hu_181f8b4a23be2bf5.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/07/201520/image_hu_82fc8b3b79cf0883.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/07/201520.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-2","families"],"title":"In Birobidzhan the Court Gave Anna Lokhvitskaya a 2.5 Year Suspended Sentence for Her Belief in Jehovah. Such a Sentence Had Already Been Imposed on Her Husband and Mother-in-Law","type":"news"},{"body":"On 20 July 2021, the Moscow regional court did not satisfy the appeal against the criminal case against Vitaliy Nikiforov, Konstantin Zherebtsov, Yuriy and Zinaida Krutyakov from the town of Chekhov. The court equated their peaceful discussion of the Bible with friends with extremism. The final punishment: to Yuriy Krutyakov - 6 years suspended with probation for 5 years; to Zinaida Krutyakova - 2 years and 3 months suspended with probation for 2 years, to Konstantin Zherebtsov - 2 years and 2 months suspended with probation for 2 years, to Vitaliy Nikiforov - 2 years suspended with the same probation period.\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 May 24, 2021. On that day, Judge Irina Pantela of the Chekhov City Court in Moscow Region sentenced the four local Jehovah's Witnesses to a suspended sentence as requested by the prosecutor.\nYuriy Krutyakov, a 69-year-old former civil engineer, came voluntarily to the Investigative Committee with no intention of hiding from the investigation. However, he was placed in a special unit for especially dangerous criminals. As his serious diseases began to progress, Yury repeatedly applied for proper medical examination and treatment, but the management of SIZO-7 ignored his requests. As a result, his eyesight sharply deteriorated.\nYuriy's wife, 63-year-old Zinaida, gave more than 30 years to the construction industry. Criminal prosecution for her faith also undermined her health and deprived the spouses of their livelihood. In addition, Aleksandr Serebryakov, Zinaida's son-in-law, has been under criminal prosecution since February 2021 and is in jail for his peaceful religious beliefs.\nVitaliy Nikiforov, a 53-year old combat veteran, served as an aircraft technician in the Russian Air Force and took part in an anti-terrorist operation in the North Caucasus. Now he has been convicted for his faith in God, thanks to which he got rid of his alcohol addiction.\nKonstantin Zherebtsov, 47, worked hard for many years at various NPPs and other enterprises of the energy complex, has numerous certificates and letters of appreciation. Due to criminal prosecution, he lost the opportunity to financially support his wife and young daughter. He had heart problems which worsened against the background of stress.\nYuriy Krutyakov spent about a year and three months in jail. Konstantin Zherebtsov, Viktor Nikiforov, and Zinaida Krutyakov were sent to the temporary detention center after detention and then were under house arrest for a year and 8 months until sentencing.\nOn October 3, 2019, night searches took place in the houses of believers, which ended by 4-5 a.m. They were followed by many hours of interrogations in the Main Investigative Department of the Moscow region. After detention, believers were not fed for 36 hours.\nThe basis of the criminal case was the testimony of an FSB officer who portrayed interest in the Bible, a certain Stanislav Kuznetsky. Yuri Krutyakov met him at the train station. Kuznetsov often went to Krutyakov for biblical advice for the solution of family problems and asked about fellow believers. Later, Zherebtsov, Nikiforov, and Krutyakov noticed that they were being watched and their phones were tapped.\nThere were no victims in the case against the believers. Harmless actions such as reading and discussing the Bible and praying to Jehovah God were interpreted as evidence of the believers' guilt.\nDuring the court hearings, the defense repeatedly emphasized: \"All three are adherents of a peaceful religion ... They live by the principle 'love thy neighbor as thyself.\nRussian and foreign figures and organizations, including the UN, OSCE, PACE, diplomatic missions, and heads of various states, unanimously condemn the the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses. Even the President of the Russian Federation has publicly expressed his bewilderment at their prosecution.\nThe essence of erroneous accusations of extremism against Jehovah's Witnesses comes down to the fact that they believe their religion is the only right one in the eyes of God.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-07-20T17:29:10+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/07/201729/image_hu_44068496647cbfb7.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/07/201729/image_hu_226368987481d2cf.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/07/201729/image_hu_a213d0b776d78920.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/07/201729/image_hu_73ac6eede835af18.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/07/201729.html","regions":["moscow_obl","moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","282.2-1","282.2-2","282.2-1.1","suspended"],"title":"The Court of Appeal Left Unchanged the Verdict Against Four Believers From the City of Chekhov","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 19, 2021, the judge of the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region, Vasilina Bezotecheskikh, found 59-year-old Irina Lokhvitskaya guilty of participating in the activities of a banned religious community. She was sentenced to 2.5 years of probation and 1 year of restriction of freedom. The prosecutor asked for 4 years in prison for Irina.\n“The accusations [of extremism] against me are unsubstantiated and unfounded. I have been one of Jehovah's Witness for 28 years. The acquaintances I meet are shocked, they are outraged that I am being persecuted for my faith, they understand that I am far from extremism. Therefore, I am not ashamed to look people into eyes, I have not done anything illegal, ”said Irina Lokhvitskaya in her last plea on July 16. The verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed.\nThe case against Irina Lokhvitskaya was initiated on February 6, 2020. She became the accused after her son, Arthur, who was convicted on similar charges, and his wife Anna, whose case is handled by the same judge as the Irina's.\nThe investigation was conducted by Denis Yankin, senior forensic investigator of the Investigative Department of the FSB of Russia for the Jewish Autonomous Region. He also organized criminal prosecution against seven more believers from Birobidzhan. There are five women among them. The investigation lasted six months, and on August 21, 2020, 26 volumes of the case against Irina Lokhvitskaya were transferred to the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region. By the decision of the judge, the hearings were held behind closed doors, the believer was deprived of the support of relatives and the right to publicity of the trial. The trial lasted over 9 months. During the trial, no evidence was presented that Irina incited religious hatred or spoke out against the state. There were no victims in the case either.\nThe persecution of believers in Birobidzhan intensified on May 17, 2018, when the security forces conducted an operation codenamed \"Doomsday\" against local Jehovah's Witnesses. In the region, 19 criminal cases were initiated against 23 believers. 13 of them, including Irina Lokhvitskaya, have already received suspended sentences ranging from 2 to 2.5 years.\nReligious service is an integral part of the legitimate religious activity of any denomination. The Federal Law of the Russian Federation \"On Freedom of Conscience and Religious Associations\" guarantees all citizens the right to \"perform services ... and ceremonies, teach religion and religious education ... have and disseminate religious and other beliefs and act in accordance with them.\"\nLegal scholars and human rights activists both in Russia and abroad unanimously condemn the actions of the authorities against Jehovah's Witnesses in the Russian Federation. Back in June 2018, speaking in defense of believers, Russian human rights activists emphasized: \"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.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-07-19T13:47:07+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/07/191347/image_hu_46a667e076d55f07.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/07/191347/image_hu_525dbef30f0847b7.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/07/191347/image_hu_b3161a38380b08f7.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/07/191347/image_hu_716b9f9a2df09719.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/07/191347.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","families","282.2-2"],"title":"The Court in Birobidzhan Gave Irina Lokhvitskaya 2.5 years Suspended for Confessing the Faith of Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 15, 2021, the judge of the Karpinsk City Court of the Sverdlovsk Region Vera Bazuyeva found Aleksandr Prianikov, as well as Venera and Darya Dulova guilty of participating in the activities of a banned organization. Their case was re-tried in the same court after the previous verdict was overturned.\nThe court sentenced Aleksandr Prianikov to 2 years and 6 months suspended imprisonment with a probationary period of two years, Venera Dulova—2 years of suspended imprisonment with a probationary period of 2 years, Darya Dulova—1 year of suspended imprisonment with a probationary period of 1 year.\nThe verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed. The believers insist on their complete innocence.\nAt the first consideration of the case in 2020, the prosecutor asked the court to appoint suspended sentences for all three believers. And although there is still not a single victim in the case, this time the state prosecutor insisted on a more severe punishment for Aleksandr and Venera—3 years in prison, and for Darya— 2 years of suspended term.\nVenera Dulova is hearing impaired, caring mother of three, and a loving wife. Her youngest daughter Darya was only 18 years old when a criminal case was opened against her.\nVenera Dulova has been under recognizance agreement since August 2018, and Aleksandr Prianikov since September 2018. The same preventive measure was chosen for Darya on July 24, 2019. This limited the movement of the three until the end of the preliminary investigation in April 2021. In addition, they were included in the list of extremists of Rosfinmonitoring, which means the blocking of all their bank accounts.\nRepeated searches and the need to constantly attend court hearings negatively affected their ability to work and provide for themselves and their families financially. “Every time after the search it felt like we were robbed. I had to buy laptops and telephones twice, because I need these devices for my self-employment,” said Aleksandr.\nOn June 14, 2018, the police detained Aleksandr Prianikov and Venera Dulova during a conversation on biblical topics. Their telephones, storage media, personal records were seized in order to check for extremist materials. Copies of passports and other documents were made, and fingerprints were taken.\nSoon, the security forces conducted a series of searches at the Dulovs' house, at the dacha of their relatives, as well as at the Prianikovs' apartment in their absence. During the subsequent interrogation, Venera and Darya were subjected to psychological pressure in order to find out the whereabouts of Prianikov.\nThe case was initiated on July 30, 2018. It was investigated by the Investigation Department in Krasnoturyinsk of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation in the Sverdlovsk Region. The investigation lasted just over a year, after which the case went to court, where for 5 months it was considered by judge Svetlana Gabbasova. In January 2020, Judge Gabbasova found them guilty. All received suspended sentences of up to 2.5 years.\nHowever, on August 6, 2020, the sentence was overturned by the Sverdlovsk Regional Court on appeal. As a result, on August 20, the case was returned to the Karpinsk City Court for reconsideration in a new composition, chaired by Vera Bazuyeva. The new sentences were almost identical to the previous ones.\n“The indictment says a lot about my motives, that I was allegedly driven by hatred, I realized that my actions would be harmful. In fact, this is slander. It is impossible to ascribe such motives to me without having an ounce of evidence of this. On the contrary, my sincere desire to help people prompts me to talk about God and the Bible,” said Aleksandr Prianikov in his last plea.\nIn her appeal to the court, Darya Dulova noted: “I think you will agree, Your Honor, that this is the dream of any law enforcement agency: people who are ready at any time to come to the aid of their neighbors, non-conflict and non-aggressive. And these people are being persecuted now.”\n“I am worried that huge funds and efforts are directed not against real extremists, but against young students, pensioners, mothers of many children, fathers of families,” Venera Dulova emphasized in her last word.\nIn court testimony, believers have repeatedly emphasized how Bible teachings have positively influenced their lives. Faith helped them to become responsible and peaceful citizens, to break off with bad association, to become more patient and kind. However, the prosecution continues to insist that the peaceful confession of Aleksandr Prianikov, Venera and Darya Dulova of their faith is a dangerous crime for society and the state.\nMeanwhile, in 2020, the Dulovs and Aleksandr Prianikov became involved in another criminal case for faith. More serious charges were brought against them: Venera and Darya were charged with recruiting into an extremist organization, and Aleksandr with organizing extremist activities and involving minors into it. Aleksandr's wife Anastasia was also among the accused, as were Svetlana Zalyaeva and her husband. The second case went to the same court on April 29, 2021.\n“All people, including members of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, must be able to peacefully enjoy their human rights, including the right to freedom of religion or belief, freedom of association and peaceful assembly and freedom of expression, without discrimination. […] We therefore call on the Russian Federation to conduct prompt, effective and thorough investigations into all reports of such acts,” the European Union statement said.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-07-15T23:48:18+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/07/161427/image_hu_cffe7038204a22e3.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/07/161427/image_hu_c91fe60e3c25f842.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/07/161427/image_hu_aa76e47c1d896326.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/07/161427/image_hu_375cf2364ce78376.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/07/161427.html","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["retrial","suspended","sentence","282.2-2","families","disability"],"title":"The Re-Examination of the Criminal Case for Faith in Karpinsk is Over. Defendants Received Suspended Sentences from 1 to 2.5 Years","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 14, 2021, the judge of the Zeysky District Court of the Amur Region, Alexander Kozlov, sentenced 45-year-old IT engineer Konstantin Moiseyenko to 6 years probation suspended sentence on charges of organizing extremist activities. The 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, state prosecutor Erika Schechtel asked the court to sentence the believer to 6 years in prison in a penal colony.\nOn March 21, 2019, in Zeya, searches were carried out in Zeya in the home of Konstantin Moiseyenko and several other believers. 10 days before that, V.S. Obukhov, an investigator of the FSB of Russia for the Amur Region, opened a criminal case against Konstantin for his faith under Part 1 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The investigation lasted 16 months. On August 31, 2020, the case of Konstantin Moiseyenko was received by the Zeysky District Court of the Amur Region. At the time the case was submitted to the court, it consisted of 11 volumes.\nThe charge relied on video recordings of the services received by an embedded FSB agent. The woman showing an interest in the Bible was provided with special equipment for audio and video recordings.\nAlso involved in the case was Olga Averina, an expert, associate professor of the Department of Philosophy of the Far Eastern Institute of Management, who, contrary to the official statements of the Russian authorities that Jehovah's Witnesses have the right to practice their religion in groups, stated in her expert opinion: “The very fact of holding meetings of followers of the religious organization Jehovah's Witnesses” is a confirmation of the continued activities of the [banned] organization. ”In fact, the RF Supreme Court did not prohibit practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nKonstantin Moiseyenko explained that Jehovah's Witnesses come to church services voluntarily out of a desire to worship God, and the very presence at church meetings is not a crime or a threat to the security of the state, as the investigation argued: “Why [the investigator] came to this conclusion is completely incomprehensible .. My only intention was to worship God. \" Speaking with the last word, the believer asked the court: “When sentencing, please explain how I can be Jehovah's Witness, how I can keep God's commandments set forth in the Bible so that I do not face the penalty of imprisonment for a period of 6 to 10 years under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation ”. He added: “More than 20 years ago, I made a choice and made a decision — to devote my life to fulfilling the will of God. Promises must be kept. Therefore, I firmly intend to continue to adhere to the decision made. I don't want to give up my beliefs. On the contrary, I want to remain loyal to Jehovah God. Devotion is not 90%, not 95%, but 100%. \"\nMoiseyenko spent about 2 years and 4 months under recognizance agreement. The court hearings lasted over 10 months.\nA criminal case against the believer was initiated simultaneously with another case against another inhabitant of Zeya —78-year-old Vasiliy Reznichenko, a USSR labor veteran. He has already received a suspended sentence of 2 years. At the end of June 2021, two other believers from the Amur Region were sentenced to unprecedentedly high sentences: Alexey Berchuk and Dmitriy Golik received 8 and 7 years in prison, respectively. Only 15 believers in the region faced criminal prosecution simply because of their faith in Jehovah God.\nAs in the case of other Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, the criminal case against Konstantin Moiseyenko was initiated only because he did not renounce his religion. Even the prosecution witnesses were unable to confirm the facts of any unlawful actions of the believer. For example, FSB officer Korendov admitted that Jehovah's Witnesses are known to him for not resorting to violence in resolving conflicts and adhering to high moral standards. The videos presented in the court only confirmed the peaceful nature of the religious meetings of believers.\nAccording to Alexander Verkhovskiy, head of the “Sova” information and analytical center and member of the Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights, the logic of the sentences handed down to Jehovah's Witnesses in different regions is impossible to understand. “Probably not a single campaign of persecution has been unfolded at such a rate recently. Now the punishments are gradually getting tougher,— he noted.— The ban of Jehovah's Witnesses is, in fact, illegal, because it is based on the fact that they ... assert the superiority of their faith ... But this is such a generally accepted opinion among believers that it is their faith is the truest, which is not clear how anyone at all came to persecute for this. \"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-07-14T14:46:07+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/07/141446/image_hu_6bbc1ca423a33f23.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/07/141446/image_hu_8d9ee79045b3f484.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/07/141446/image_hu_3f635616d68f0d1f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/07/141446/image_hu_12a54c4967868579.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/07/141446.html","regions":["amur"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-1","families"],"title":"The Verdict Announced to One More of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Amur Region. Konstantin Moiseyenko From the City of Zeya Was Given a Six-Year Suspended Sentence for His Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 13, 2021, the judge of the Voroshilovsky District Court of Rostov-on-Don, Viktor Trofimov, convicted 60-year-old Olga Ganusha for “participating in the activities of a banned organization”. She was given 2 years suspended with a probationary period of 1.5 years.\nThe believer insists on her complete innocence. Speaking with her last word in court, she said: \"As far west is from the east, so far I am from extremism.\" The verdict can be appealed.\nAlthough there is not a single victim in the case, the prosecutor asked the court to impose a sentence of 3 years of suspended imprisonment, 3 years of probation and 1 year of restrictions on the believer. The accusation was based on information that, while remaining Jehovah's Witness, the woman invited fellow believers to her home, and also, talking with her friends on the phone, raised religious topics. But none of these actions are prohibited by Russian law. Moreover, the 28th article of the Constitution of the Russian Federation guarantees every citizen the right to freely profess his religion together with others or to spread his religious beliefs. Nevertheless, the court found Olga guilty of extremism.\nThe criminal prosecution affected the health of the believer. “My life was divided into before and after the search,” she says. “I got fear when I suddenly heard a knock on the door, my sleep is disrupted.” For almost a year Olga was restricted in her movements, as she was under recognizance not to leave, and was forced to come to court several times a month to defend her legal right to freedom of religion.\nThe criminal prosecution of the believer began with mass searches and detentions on May 22, 2019. On that morning, law enforcement officials raided at least 15 homes of local Jehovah's Witnesses. Vilen and Arsen Avanesovs , as well as Aleksandr Parkov, were arrested. About two weeks later, criminal cases were opened against Aleksandr's wife, Galina , and two more women - Lyudmila Ponomarenko and Olga Ganusha.\nThe investigation into the case of Olga Ganusha lasted more than a year and a half. The prosecution provided the court with data obtained from a hidden video camera, which the investigators installed in the believer's apartment.\nOlga Ganusha became the fifth resident of the Rostov region, in respect of whom the courts have already passed sentences for believing in Jehovah. All believers received various suspended sentences.\nThe international community, as well as human rights activists in Russia itself, have an extremely negative attitude towards the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses. In particular, Vladimir Ryakhovskiy , a member of the Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights under the President of the Russian Federation, makes a disappointing prediction: “[The infringement of freedoms] always began with Jehovah's Witnesses, and then affected everyone.”\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-07-13T19:39:05+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/07/131939/image_hu_de00ddff7494809b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/07/131939/image_hu_877849790966cbc3.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/07/131939/image_hu_9e0d5ca193637de7.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/07/131939/image_hu_742881504765ce59.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/07/131939.html","regions":["rostov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-2"],"title":"The Court in Rostov-on-Don Gave Olga Ganusha a 2-Year Suspended Sentence for the Bible Discussions","type":"news"},{"body":"Judge Viktor Trofimov convicts Olga and sentences her to a suspended sentence of 2 years with a probation period of 1.5 years.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ganusha in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2021-07-13T10:15:17+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don4/index.html#20210713","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sentence","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"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_4f5e4923e39dcb1c.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/07/011417/image_hu_92a11e1f0e5b1316.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/07/011417/image_hu_732118a7e579831c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/07/011417/image_hu_384794120917df04.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/index.html#20210701","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["sentence","suspended","elderly","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On June 25, 2021, the judge of the Birobidzhan District Court, Yulia Tsykina, sentenced 27-year-old Tatyana Sholner to 2 years and 6 months of suspended imprisonment under the article \"participation in the activities of a banned organization.\"\nThe believer was assigned 2 years of probation and another year of restriction of freedom. She cannot leave the city without the permission of the Federal Penitentiary Service and must be registered in it once a month. The prosecutor requested 4 years of imprisonment for her, despite the absence of victims in the case.\nThe verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed. The believer insists on her complete innocence.\nIn her final statement in court, Scholner stated: \"Jehovah's Witnesses are known for their kindness and willingness to help others absolutely free of charge. Are these really calls for extremism? My life changed significantly only for the better when I learned how to act according to the Bible. I have real sincere friends who are ready to help, whom I myself am ready to help, without hoping to get something in return, who can rejoice in my successes and sympathize when I need it. I have felt their help more than once in my life, and I still feel it now, when they support me in this difficult period.\"\nTatyana works in a pharmacy, by profession she is a technician-technologist of sewing production. The case against the believer was initiated on February 6, 2020. For six months, it was led by the investigator of the FSB of Russia for the Jewish Autonomous Region, D. Yankin. In his opinion, the girl \"resumed the activities of the local religious organization liquidated in 2016 ... as well as the \"Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia\" simply because she did not renounce her faith.\nOn August 19, 2020, the case materials were received by the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region.\nThe case of Tatiana Sholner is one of 19 cases against Jehovah's Witnesses in the Jewish Autonomous Region. The wave of religious repression in the region began with Operation Doomsday, accompanied by mass searches in the homes of civilians in Birobidzhan.\nRussian and foreign human rights activists unanimously condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. The country's 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":"2021-06-25T17:05:51+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/06/251705/image_hu_b0406ed814f4b3ad.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/06/251705/image_hu_f9076fefd0c46647.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/06/251705/image_hu_e500df590d3ef3c2.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/06/251705/image_hu_22838b0f0e2073a5.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/06/251705.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-2"],"title":"In Birobidzhan, 27-year-old Tatyana Sholner was given a suspended sentence for reading the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 22, 2021, Vera Ulyanyuk, the judge of the Zavodskiy District Court of Kemerovo, sentenced the believers. 60-year-old Sergey Yavushkin and 46-year-old Aleksandr Bondarchuk were sentenced to 4 years suspended.\nBefore the verdict was pronounced, Sergey Yavushkin addressed the court with the last word: “I did not incite hatred or enmity and, of course, did not humiliate the dignity of anyone. Even the prosecution witnesses spoke about this ... What is my crime? After all, following the guidance from the Bible, I quit smoking, although before that I had smoked for more than 20 years, stopped using foul language, became more restrained and calm. As I continue to work honestly and lead a peaceful, balanced life, I have also changed the way I respond to insults or grudges. All these years I did not violate the law of the Russian Federation, and for 25 years I professed the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, but for some reason now suddenly, in an instant, I turned into a criminal and an extremist. \"\nNevertheless, the judge issued a conviction, which turned out to be milder than the prosecutor demanded, requesting 5 years of imprisonment in a colony for each defendant. The court decision has not entered into force and can be appealed.\nActive criminal prosecution of believers began after the search on June 23, 2018. A year later, the security forces came to them again. A few days earlier, on July 19, 2019, a criminal case was opened against Sergey and Aleksandr. After their arrest, Sergey Yavushkin and Aleksandr Bondarchuk spent 2 days in the pretrial detention facility, and then were placed under house arrest. They have not been able to leave their home for over a year and a half. Their property was seized despite the fact that the appellate instance overturned this judgment.\nThe case of the believers was investigated by the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Kemerovo Region for over 8 months. The accusation is mainly based on the testimony of a witness who for a long time conducted secret filming of religious meetings. According to the expert V. V. Shiller, who was involved in the trial, the witness also passed distorted information to the investigation, \"having no precise knowledge of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\"\nRecently, Aleksandr Bondarchuk worked as a refractory worker at a coke-chemical plant, where he was considered an indispensable specialist in the repair of coke ovens. Sergey Yavushkin worked for 40 years at state enterprises, until recently - as a high-grade electric and gas welder. The criminal prosecution seriously affected the physical and emotional health of Sergey and his wife. Soon after the search and arrest, the believer suffered a stroke, the consequences of which he still feels - due to a lack of coordination of movement, he can hardly perform short housework, needs outside help and medical supervision.\nBack in May 2020, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention claimed that 18 believers, including Aleksandr Bondarchuk and Sergey Yavushkin, were arbitrarily detained and detained “just for the fact that they peacefully professed their religion, including themselves religious texts and Bibles, gathered together for services with fellow believers. \" But despite the fact that the court attached this document to the case, it was not taken into account.\nApril 1, 2021 at the press conference “70th Anniversary of Operation North”. Lessons of repression \"religious scholar Sergey Ivanenko emphacized:\" The policy of forceful suppression of Jehovah's Witnesses, which has been carried out in the Russian Federation since 2017, is futile. This is evidenced by the lessons of Operation North and the analysis of the current situation, including the steadfastness of Jehovah's Witnesses in upholding their beliefs. It seems expedient, from the point of view of the state interests of Russia, to implement a set of measures for the return of Jehovah's Witnesses to the legal field.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-06-22T17:04:13+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/06/221704/image_hu_94c95a59db04be16.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/06/221704/image_hu_28ef4dcc4bb66c4.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/06/221704/image_hu_b2dab55d3c1f9cb1.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/06/221704/image_hu_9f51257593e3a786.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/06/221704.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-2","282.3-1"],"title":"A Verdict for Religion Was Announced in Kemerovo. Sergey Yavushkin and Aleksandr Bondarchuk Got 4 Years Suspended","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 21, 2021, the judge of the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region, Aleksey Ivashchenko, sentenced 30-year-old Jehovah's Witness Yevgeniy Yegorov to 2.5 years of probation and 1 year of restriction of freedom for meeting with fellow believers, considering it \"participation in the activities of a banned organization.\"\nThe verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed. The believer insists on his complete innocence. “In this trial, I have heard more than once that I am being tried for extremism, I am not being tried for my religious beliefs,” Yevgeny said in his last word. “But there is no evidence of my «extremism». I’m under the trial for participation [in an extremist organization], but participation was expressed in Bible study, which is part of my faith. But in the same time I’m under the trial not for my faith. So who will explain to me, a legally uneducated person, what is my crime? \"\nYevgeniy Yegorov is an aspiring writer. In May 2018, his apartment was searched and he lost his manuscripts. The persecution for the faith deprived a young family man of the opportunity to take proper care of a young child.\nThe persecution of Yevgeniy Yegorov and other peaceful believers in Birobidzhan began in May 2018 after a large-scale operation codenamed “Doomsday”. A criminal case against Yegorov was initiated on July 29, 2019. It was investigated by the Investigative Department of the Directorate of the FSB of Russia for the Jewish Autonomous Region. On December 23, 2019, the case file went to court. The prosecutor asked to impose a punishment on the believer in the form of 4 years of imprisonment in a general regime colony plus 1 year of restraint of freedom.\nYevgeniy's mother, Larisa Artamonova, was convicted under the same criminal article. In April 2021, the court of the Jewish Autonomous Region toughened the decision of the lower court and replaced her with a fine of 10,000 rubles for 2.5 years of probation and 1 year of restraint of liberty. In total, 10 Jehovah's Witnesses have already been convicted for their faith with varying degrees of punishment in the Jewish Autonomous Region. For another 4 believers, the trials are nearing completion.\nAll cases were initiated only because the believers peacefully confessed their religious beliefs and gathered for services. The world community unequivocally classifies this as a violation of fundamental human rights.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-06-21T14:02:32+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/06/211402/image_hu_a4d79acf90509d54.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/06/211402/image_hu_5e1eba430f47b928.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/06/211402/image_hu_fb219f0707640f56.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/06/211402/image_hu_1eabe41088078349.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/06/211402.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-2","families"],"title":"The Court in Birobidzhan Sentenced Yevgeny Yegorov to 2.5 Years Suspended for Discussing the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 16, 2021, the judge of the Nizhny Novgorod Regional Court, Ksenia Chipiga, rejected Sergey Verkhoturov's appeal against an unjust sentence for faith. It went into force.\nThe 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 5, 2021, the judge of the Priokskiy District Court, Denis Kiselev, found Sergey Verkhoturov guilty of organizing the activities of a banned community and sentenced him to 6 years of suspended prison term with a probationary period of 4 years. The prosecutor requested 7 years in prison for the believer and another 1 year of restriction of freedom.\nSergei Verkhoturov was detained on July 17, 2019 during searches under the sanction of investigator Aliya Chesebiyeva. Earlier, back in May 2018, he was under surveillance—the police received the right to wiretap his phone and view pages on social networks for 90 days. However, the day after the arrest, the Nizhniy Novgorod District Court refused to arrest the believer and ordered his immediate release from custody in the courtroom. He was chosen a milder measure of restraint—a ban on certain actions.\nTogether with Sergey, his wife Victoria is also under criminal prosecution. The investigation accuses her of participating in the activities of an extremist organization.\nAt one of the trial hearings, portions of video recordings were viewed that discussed the behavior of Christians during ethnic, religious and political conflicts. Sergey emphasized: “Believers learn to show love for all people, obey the authorities, not to pay back with evil for evil, and to forgive others. All this is odd for an extremist organization.”\nDuring his testimony, the defendant stated that he did not consider himself guilty of committing a crime under Part 1 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. “This is an unfounded accusation that insults my dignity,” he said. It was thanks to his faith that Sergey became a respectable citizen of his country, abandoned bad habits and stopped showing aggression towards others. “I am a peacemaker and I am proud of it,” he stressed.\nTotally 15 Jehovah's Witnesses have been prosecuted for their faith in the Nizhniy Novgorod Region. Cases against 10 believers are under investigation, and 4 more believers are already at the dock in the court of first instance.\nRussian and international human rights activists unanimously condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses and urge them to stop it immediately. The letter from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation says: “Members of a liquidated organization can independently practice a religious faith, including as part of religious groups that do not require registration. During 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.”\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-06-17T09:19:31+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/06/170919/image_hu_e93a51f05e45c2a1.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/06/170919/image_hu_dfb1ee0dae0864a5.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/06/170919/image_hu_bd951d95d8e39600.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/06/170919/image_hu_5ccfe68267329bb2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/06/170919.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","suspended","282.2-1","families"],"title":"Appeal in Nizhniy Novgorod Upheld the Verdict for Faith against Sergey Verkhoturov","type":"news"},{"body":"Judge of the Central District Court of the city of Chelyabinsk Alexander Tabakov announces the verdict to Dmitry Vinogradov. The believer was found guilty of violating Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. He is conditionally imprisoned for 2 years.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Vinogradov in Chelyabinsk","date":"2021-06-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk2/index.html#20210607","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["sentence","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On June 7, 2021, the judge of the Central District Court of the city of Chelyabinsk, Aleksandr Tabakov, sentenced Dmitriy Vinogradov, accused of extremism for his peaceful Christian faith, to two years suspended. The verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed.\nAlthough there are no victims in the case, and the defendant has two minor children, the prosecutor asked the court to impose a sentence of 3 years of suspended sentence with a probation period of 4 years.\nThe persecution of Dmitry Vinogradov, master of the International Chess Federation, began on March 19, 2019 with a search in his apartment and at his workplace - in the chess club. As a result, he lost his own chess file, on which he worked for many years, as well as several students - after the incident, they stopped visiting his courses.\nThe case against Dmitriy Vinogradov was initiated on January 20, 2020. It was separated from the case of Valentina Suvorova, and it was investigated by the same investigator of the Department for Investigation of Particularly Important Cases of the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation in the Chelyabinsk Region, Lieutenant Colonel of Justice Aleksandr Chepenko. For almost a year and a half, the believer has been under recognizance not to leave, although the investigation of the case took only a month and a half. On March 4, 2020, the case was submitted to the Central District Court of Chelyabinsk.\n“As a result of a scrupulous trial, no one left in doubt that I was being persecuted solely for my Christian faith in Jehovah God,” Dmitriy said in his last speech.\nIn one of his appearances in court, the believer stated: “I have been studying the Bible for a long time and this does not make me any worse. On the contrary, this sacred book helped me at one time to break with bad habits. \" Dmitriy drew attention to the fact that for his professional achievements he was repeatedly awarded with diplomas and certificates of honor of state bodies, including from the governor of the Chelyabinsk region, the mayor of Chelyabinsk and the minister of sports of the Russian Federation.\nAnother Chelyabinsk court, the Metallurgichesky District court, has already sentenced Valentina Suvorova, a labor veteran who has worked as a teacher for 30 years, to a suspended sentence for her faith. The same court is hearing a case against her husband, 75-year-old Vladimir Suvorov.\nRussian security forces mistakenly interpret citizens' exercise of their constitutional rights as extremist activity. Numerous human rights organizations in Russia and beyond have repeatedly called for a halt to the wave of religious repression.\n\"All people, including Jehovah'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 Russian Constitution and Russia's commitments to OSCE and international law,\" the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said on July 23, 2020.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-06-07T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/06/080810/image_hu_9f90b06d99859b1e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/06/080810/image_hu_96c58eda83caf9ba.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/06/080810/image_hu_768d33269f1552fb.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/06/080810/image_hu_f8aaa940403e695f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/06/080810.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-2"],"title":"Dmitriy Vinogradov, one of Jehovah's Witnesses From Chelyabinsk, Got 2 Years Suspended for his faith","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 4, 2021, the judge of the Central District Court of Komsomolsk-on-Amur, Natalya Gurkova, found Nikolay Aliyev, 42, guilty of involvement and participation in the activities of an extremist organization. He received a suspended sentence of 4 years and 6 months with restriction of freedom for 1 year and 2 months.\nThe verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed. The believer insists on his complete innocence. Although there is not a single victim in the case, the prosecutor requested 6 years in prison and 2 years and 11 months of restriction of liberty for him.\nNikolay Aliyev worked as an electrician at the city's enterprises. In his younger years, due to his peaceful convictions, he had to defend his right to alternative civilian service for several years.\nThe criminal prosecution caused great stress for Nikolay and his wife Alesya. For several nights they could not sleep. “There was a fear that we were being watched and listened to,” Nikolay recalls. “We were afraid to tell my parents about all these events, as it could negatively affect their poor health.” (His mother has a heart problem)\nAddressing the court with his last word, the believer emphasized: “For my relatives, friends and even employees who do not share my views and beliefs, for everyone who knows me and talked to me a little, it is quite obvious that I am not an extremist. ... And this is an axiom for them.”\nHe continued: “However, it seems that the law enforcement authorities consider everything connected with the name Jehovah to be extremist. Perhaps they think that the name was invented by Jehovah's Witnesses, since they speak of it everywhere. But is this true? As I mentioned earlier, the name Jehovah is written in the Bible itself. It occurs about ten times only in the Synodal Translation, and the translation of the Bible by Archimandrite Macarius has it hundreds of times. In addition, this name is known all over the world and was widely used in the works of world literature. […] Are these writers, as well as people who read the Bible and use the name of God, are they extremists? Of course not. This statement applies to me as well. I am not an extremist. Moreover, I have every right to use the name of God in worshiping him.”\nOn May 22, 2020, at about 7 a.m., armed riot policemen burst into the door of the Aliyevs' apartment and knocked Nikolay to the floor. The security forces were looking for any information confirming the believers' belonging to Jehovah's Witnesses.\nAfter a 5-hour search, the spouses were taken for interrogation, where emotional pressure was exerted on them. For example, FSB Major Aleksey Ivanov advised Nikolay Aliyev to change his faith to a “more traditional” one. The believer was threatened with arrest for using the 51st article of the Constitution of the Russian Federation. The operative of the CPE K. Rubantsov suggested that Nikolay's wife cooperate with the investigation so that “something didn’t happen to her husband.”\nOn April 30, 2020, the Investigation Department for the city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Khabarovsk Territory and the Jewish Autonomous Region opened a criminal case. The investigation lasted more than 5 months.\nAs it turned out later, Nikolay's peaceful conversations with “Vladimir Tyomniy,” who imitated interest in the Bible, were recorded on video in 2018 and later formed the basis of the accusation.\nIn court, the conclusions of the linguistic expert E. A. Rozhdestvina were read out, who noted that there were no calls for specific actions in the videos for 2018, and the verbal constructions used “did not have the character of direct motivation and did not have a categorical form.”\nAlthough, according to the expert, religious texts contain motives for action (“Your children need you. Tell them about Jehovah”), there are no direct calls in the statements of the participants in the communication. In conclusion, the expert notes: “Through the use of constructions with the meaning of advice, the desirability, possibility, and not the need for a specific action are emphasized.”\nThe criminal case was transferred to the Central District Court of Komsomolsk-on-Amur on October 7, 2020. The hearings lasted about 8 months.\nIn court, Nikolay Aliyev said: “I have never encouraged anyone to hatred or overthrow the government, I did not incite anyone against people of another nationality or religion, I said and did only what my God commanded. I want all people to live in wonderful conditions, in peace and unity with each other. Thus, the accusation of extremism is unfounded.”\nNikolay becomes the 105th Jehovah's Witness convicted of his faith in Russia after the decision of the Supreme Court to liquidate 396 religious organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses in 2017. The youngest defendant in the Khabarovsk Territory, Yegor Baranov, is 20 years old.\nIn 2018, 60 prominent Russian human rights defenders issued a statement saying: “What is happening to them [Jehovah's Witnesses] is, in fact, happening to us. This is a test of the immune forces of the 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.”\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-06-04T13:26:39+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/06/041326/image_hu_ead117a174c9db0a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/06/041326/image_hu_56203b39211aa61d.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/06/041326/image_hu_f32ed2eb8c5b1469.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/06/041326/image_hu_e4b2ca8c70614add.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/06/041326.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-1.1","282.2-2"],"title":"In Komsomolsk-on-Amur, Nikolay Aliyev Received 4.5 Years of Suspended Sentence for His Faith in God","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 3, 2021, the Kursk Industrial District Court sentenced 5 Jehovah's Witnesses for their religion. Andrey Andreev was sentenced to 4.5 years in a colony, Andrey Ryshkov in the form of 3 years in a colony, Artem Bagratyan in the form of 2.5 years in a colony, his wife, Alevtina, in the form of 2 years in a colony. Their co-religionist Alexandr Vospitanyuk was given a 2-year suspended sentence.\nThe decision was made by judge Oksana Ivanova. Andrey Andreev was found guilty of organizing the activities of an extremist organization (part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation), the others were found guilty of participation in it (part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). Andreev, Ryshkov and Artem Bagratyan remain in jail, and Alevtina Bagratyan, who has actually served her sentence in jail and under house arrest, will continue to wait for the verdict to come into force at home with a tracking bracelet on her leg.\nThe verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed. Believers insist on their complete innocence. There is not a single victim in the case. The prosecutor asked the court to impose even harsher punishment on them: for Andrey Andreev - 7.5 years in prison, for Andrey Ryshkov - 4.5 years, for Alevtina Bagratyan - 4 years, for Artem Bagratyan - 3.5 years and the same was for Aleksandr Vospitaniuk.\nArtem Bagratyan suffers from diabetes mellitus and other chronic diseases, his condition requires inpatient treatment. In 2019, an ambulance was called for him right during one of the meetings. In the Kursk pre-trial detention centre, his condition worsened to critical, but the management and doctors of the isolation ward for a long time denied him proper treatment and the necessary diet, after which he was hospitalized. Alevtina Bagratyan has an elderly mother who needs her help.\nAll five believers were imprisoned immediately after being detained in 2019 and 2020. Aleksandr Vospitanyuk, a father of 3 children, left the IVS 2 days after the arrest, Alevtina Bagratyan was transferred from the detention centre to house arrest a year and 2 months later. Andrey Ryshkov has already spent more than a year in a pre-trial detention centre, and Andrey Andreev and Artem Bagratyan have spent more than a year and a half.\nThe case against five Kursk believers was initiated on September 12, 2019, and was investigated by the FSB of Russia in the Kursk region for 11 months. On August 11, 2020, the case materials were transferred for consideration to the Industrial District Court of Kursk. The case was heard for about 10 months.\nDuring the court proceedings, it became known that a certain A. Grisko, pretending to be interested in the Bible, kept a record of conversations with Alevtina and transmitted information to the FSB officers. Several witnesses in court retracted their earlier testimonies, explaining that the investigation put pressure on them, and information appeared in the protocols that they did not report. The defence also drew attention to the falsifications in the case materials.\nThroughout the trial, the prosecution argued that all the defendants profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, and their faith in God is \"a continuation of the activities of an extremist organization.\" However, believers have never hidden their religion, and no religion is banned in Russia.\nThe groundlessness of the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses based on religion has been repeatedly emphasized by Russian and foreign experts. Historian Alexandr Guryanov, during a recent round table dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the deportation of Jehovah's Witnesses to Siberia, noted: \"There is some particular bitterness on the part of the government towards this particular confession.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-06-03T15:27:45+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/06/031523/image_hu_446e248fdfc03969.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/06/031523/image_hu_bd6ef993ae303064.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/06/031523/image_hu_76b6f5dc922f39ab.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/06/031523/image_hu_d4ca470a30e0f9ae.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/06/031523.html","regions":["kursk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","liberty-deprivation","282.2-1","282.2-2","families","suspended"],"title":"In Kursk, a Court Sentenced Five Believers. Four of Them, Including a Woman, Were Assigned From 2 to 4.5 Years in Prison","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_137eae31c08073e0.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/06/021418/image_hu_ca7f85de1593f8ac.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/06/021418/image_hu_64f3ad37c0bb7e25.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/06/021418/image_hu_cb12ab5a6acb21ad.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/index.html#20210602","regions":["amur"],"tags":["sentence","elderly","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Gornomariyskiy District Court of the Republic of Mari El, Nikolay Aiplatov, finds Ekaterina Pegasheva guilty because of her religion and sentences her to 6 and a half years of probation with a probation period of 4 years.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Pegasheva in Yoshkar-Ola","date":"2021-05-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yoshkar-ola/index.html#20210531","regions":["mari-el"],"tags":["sentence","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On May 31, 2021, the judge of the Gornomariyskiy District Court of the Republic of Mari El, Nikolay Aiplatov, found 31-year-old Ekaterina Pegasheva guilty of extremism and sentenced her to 6 years and 6 months of probation with a probation period of 4 years.\nPrior to the entry into force of the verdict, a written undertaking not to leave the place was taken from Catherine, previously she was under house arrest. The believer does not admit guilt and can appeal the sentence. Although there is not a single victim in the case, the prosecutor asked the court to imprison Ekaterina for 7 years in a colony.\n“The only victims in this criminal case are me, my mother, my elderly sick bedridden grandmother. We have suffered significant damage - property, physical, emotional, mental, as well as damage to our reputation. I am a law-abiding citizen of the Russian Federation, I did not call for violence. My conscience is clear before God, and before the state, and before the people,” said Ekaterina Pegasheva, speaking in court with her last word.\nThe criminal case against Ekaterina was initiated on September 26, 2019. The investigation was initiated by the Investigative Department of the FSB of Russia for the Republic of Mari El. The believer became accused of organizing the activities of a banned organization (part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation), because, according to the investigation, she “deliberately continued illegal activities ...” - after the ban on religious organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, she did not cease to profess Christianity and continued talk to others about religious topics.\nOn October 3, 2019, two searches were carried out in the case of Ekaterina Pegasheva: in Yoshkar-Ola and in the village of Pirogovo (Kirov region), where the mother of the believer lives. Books, videos, electronic devices, personal letters and documents, including a school certificate and a certificate of passing the exam, were seized from the women. Ekaterina herself was sent to a pre-trial detention center, where she spent more than 4 months. Then she was under house arrest for another 500 days. She was banned from correspondence, the use of communications, as well as daily walks.\nDue to criminal prosecution, Catherine lost her job, which made it impossible for her to help look after an elderly bedridden grandmother. According to Ekaterina, stress-related health problems began not only for her, but also for her mother.\nInvestigator Alexei Marushin investigated Ekaterina's criminal case for almost a year. On September 21, 2020, it went to court.\nThe course of the process revealed the groundlessness of the criminal prosecution. The secret witness on the part of the prosecution \"Petrov\", during the interrogation, admitted that peaceful topics were considered at the services of Jehovah's Witnesses. According to another prosecution witness, at the meetings people \"talked about God,\" and Pegasheva never called upon those present to \"commit violent acts, overthrow state power and change the constitutional order,\" as the investigation and the state prosecutor argued.\nThe campaign to persecute Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia is unanimously condemned by the Council of Europe, the OSCE, the European Union, the United States and a large number of other international organizations. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights stated: “We call on the Russian government to revise the Law on Countering Extremist Activities in order to clarify the vague and open-ended definition of extremist activities ... We also call on the authorities to drop charges and release all detainees for exercising their rights to freedom of religion or belief, freedom of expression, and the right to peaceful assembly and association. \"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-05-31T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/06/011031/image_hu_1beefb4a92bb9498.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/06/011031/image_hu_8a551963615ca4d7.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/06/011031/image_hu_123cf6548a873efb.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/06/011031/image_hu_b2b17c9771eb8db2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/06/011031.html","regions":["mari-el"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-1"],"title":"The Court in Mari El Sentenced Ekaterina Pegasheva to 6.5 years suspended for reading the Bible and talking about God","type":"news"},{"body":"An appeal hearing is being held in the Omsk Regional Court. The judicial collegium upholds the verdict of the lower court. In their final statement, the believers again explain that they are not being judged for a crime, but for their faith in Jehovah God.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Polyakovs and Others in Omsk","date":"2021-05-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/omsk2/index.html#20210528","regions":["omsk"],"tags":["appeal","liberty-deprivation","suspended","282.2-2","282.2-1","282.3-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On May 28, 2021, the Omsk Regional Court upheld the verdict of Sergey and Anastasia Polyakov, Gaukhar Bektemirova and Dinara Dyusekeyeva. The court found it extremist that they were meeting to discuss the Bible.\nOn November 30, 2020, the judge of the Pervomaisky District Court Denis Pershukevich found Sergey Polyakov guilty under Art. 282.2 (1) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and sentenced to 3 years in a general regime colony. Three more women were sentenced by the court under Art. 282.2 (2) in the form of imprisonment conditionally: Anastasiya Polyakova for a term of 2 years and 6 months, Gaukhar Bektemirova - 2 years and 3 months, Dinara Dyusekeyeva - 2 years.\nThe prosecutor requested 6 and a half years of real imprisonment for Sergey Polyakov. The state prosecutor asked Anastasiya Polyakova, Dinara Dyusekeyeva and Gaukhar Bektemirova to be sentenced to 2 years of suspended imprisonment.\nThe couple spent 5 months in solitary confinement and 3 months under house arrest. Dinara and Gaukhar have been under recognizance not to leave for more than a year and a half.\nAnastasiya Polyakova became the first woman - Jehovah's Witness in the history of modern Russia, who found herself behind bars for her faith.\nSergey and Anastasiya Polyakovs were detained during searches on July 4, 2018. During the arrest, Sergey was beaten and then forced to wipe the blood off the floor. Over the next two days, the couple did not get in touch, the door to their apartment was found broken open. Simultaneous searches were carried out in at least 4 homes of believers. During the search, the attesting witnesses actively helped law enforcement officers, prompted and even tried to interrogate believers. Veterinarian Dinara Dyusekeyeva and her friend Gaukhar Bektemirova came under investigation about a year after the Polyakovs. In the summer of 2019, a criminal case was also initiated against them, which was connected with the case of Anastasiya and Sergey.\nIn the summer of 2018, the Investigative Committee opened a similar criminal case against Igor Zhukov in Omsk.\nThe court found the believers guilty only because they participated with their fellow believers in peaceful worship and talked with other people about the Bible. In reality, these actions are not prohibited by the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. On the contrary, they are guaranteed by the Constitution of the Russian Federation as fundamental human rights and freedoms.\nThe entire logic of the accusation is based on the speculative thesis that faith in God is \"a continuation of the activities of an extremist organization.\" Among the proofs of the \"guilt\" of the Polyakovs, Bektemirova and Dyusekeyeva - 20 biblical cartoons, which were reproduced at court hearings, and the Bible in different languages.\nThe defendants themselves explained in their testimony that they were exercising their constitutional right to disseminate their religious beliefs, since \"Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation applies to all believers.\" They categorically denied their involvement in extremism and during the appeal hearings tried to explain the essence of their faith to the court. The chairman of the board of the court, Aleksandr Bondarenko, repeatedly interrupted the defendants' speeches with the last word. Without allowing Sergey Polyakov to finish, the panel of judges retired to the deliberation room, after which they announced the decision: in terms of punishment, to leave the sentence in force. Thus, the court equated peaceful believers with dangerous criminals. Convicted persons have the right to appeal against the verdict in cassation, as well as in international instances.\nThe European Union is deeply concerned about the situation surrounding Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia: “As we have already stated many times, all people, including Jehovah's Witnesses, should be able to peacefully enjoy their human rights, including the right to freedom of religion or belief, freedom of association and peaceful assembly and freedom of expression, without discrimination, which is guaranteed by the Constitution of the Russian Federation, Russia's commitments within the OSCE and international commitments”.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-05-28T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/05/311337/image_hu_1e87c853a57ea5a2.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/05/311337/image_hu_9a84e29e1c81fba0.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/05/311337/image_hu_bc61f13464eb69c0.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/05/311337/image_hu_d5fd05ee2b85aed3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/05/311337.html","regions":["omsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","liberty-deprivation","suspended","282.2-2","282.2-1","282.3-1"],"title":"The Court of Appeal in Omsk Upheld the Convictions of Four Jehovah's Witnesses. One of Them Will Go to Prison","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 24, 2021, the judge of the Chekhov City Court of the Moscow Region, Irina Pantela, found four local Jehovah's Witnesses guilty of extremism and assigned them a suspended sentence: Yuriy Krutyakov - 6 years with a probation period of 5 years; Zinaida Krutyakova - 2 years and 3 months with a probationary period of 2 years, Konstantin Zherebtsov - 2 years and 2 months with a probationary period of 2 years, Vitaliy Nikiforov - 2 years with the same probationary period.\nThe verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed. The believers insist on their complete innocence.\n69-year-old pensioner Yuriy Krutyakov has worked all his life in the construction industry and has gone from a foreman to the head of the production and technical department. Yuriy's wife Zinaida has also devoted more than 30 years to the construction industry. Criminal prosecutions for their faith damaged their health and robbed them of their livelihood.\nYuriy Krutyakov spent 445 days in the pre-trial detention center, despite the fact that he voluntarily came to the Investigative Committee, which means that he had no intention of hiding from the investigation. He was placed in a special unit for especially dangerous criminals. The believer suffers from a number of serious diseases, has undergone several operations, including on the eyes, as a result of which his vision has deteriorated sharply. Numerous appeals about proper medical examination and treatment, which Yuri sent to the management of the Moscow SIZO-7, where he was held until his transfer to a new place, remained unanswered.\nVitaliy Nikiforov served as an aircraft technician in the Russian Air Force in various regions, including the Arctic Circle. He took part in the counter-terrorist operation in the North Caucasus, has a war veteran's certificate. He was convicted of faith in God, thanks to which he got rid of alcohol addiction.\n1 2 3 4 5 6 Konstantin Zherebtsov worked hard for many years at various nuclear power plants and other enterprises of the energy complex, he has numerous certificates and letters of thanks on his account. In connection with the criminal prosecution, Konstantin cannot financially support his family. In October 2019, due to stress, his heart problems worsened.\nAfter night searches in October 2019, Zinaida Krutyakova, Konstantin Zherebtsov and Viktor Nikiforov were detained and sent to a temporary detention facility. Then they spent almost 600 days under house arrest.\nA criminal case against Chekhov's believers was initiated on September 30, 2019 and was investigated by the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Moscow Region. The investigation lasted 445 days. On December 18, 2020, the case materials were transferred to the court.\nThe investigation regards the peaceful conversations of believers as extremist activity. The criminal case is based on the testimony of Stanislav Kuznetsky, with whom Yuriy Krutyakov met at the station and later discussed the Bible. As it turned out later, Kuznetsky worked for the FSB and, on instructions from the special services, portrayed an interest in biblical teachings. He called Krutyakov, complained about family troubles, asked for Bible advice and asked about like-minded people. The Zherebtsov, Nikiforov and Krutyakovs were under surveillance, their phones were tapped.\nOne of the investigators, Golovanov, who conducted operational-search measures against believers, admitted at a hearing in the Chekhov City Court that, according to the laws of the Russian Federation, the Bible cannot be recognized as extremist material, so Jehovah's Witnesses can read and discuss it together with others.\nLawyers and human rights activists both in Russia and abroad unanimously condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses. The Government of the Russian Federation emphasized that \"Acts of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation [of 20.04.2017 and 17.07.2017] do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually.\" According to a statement by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, \"members of the liquidated organization [of Jehovah's Witnesses] can independently practice a religious cult, including as part of religious groups that do not require registration.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-05-24T19:38:58+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/05/241938/image_hu_66a4798bf4a99ab3.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/05/241938/image_hu_3d4ff4c79aa0a460.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/05/241938/image_hu_49e8520b220ccc5e.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/05/241938/image_hu_400b79e6b6a0f79b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/05/241938.html","regions":["moscow_obl"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-1","282.2-2","282.2-1.1"],"title":"In Chekhov, the Court Gave Four Believers From Two to Six Years Probation for Discussing the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 21, 2021, Natalya Devyatko, a judge of the Lenin District Court of Novosibirsk, found Vitaliy Popov guilty under Part 2 of Art. 282.2 and part 1 of Art. 282.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation and financing of the activities of an extremist organization). He was sentenced to 3 years of suspended sentence.\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 recommended to the court that Vitaliy Popov be sentenced to 6 years in prison in a general regime colony.\nOn June 27, 2019, a criminal case was initiated against him, which was investigated by the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Novosibirsk Region. Vitaliy Popov spent 2 days in the temporary detention facility, then was under recognizance agreement.\nDue to criminal prosecution, the believer lost his job in an educational institution. According to Vitaliy's wife, former colleagues took his dismissal painfully. The believer says: “They set up an economic blockade for me, blocking my account on the card and adding me to the list of extremists. Then, two months later, they called at my workplace and forced my employer to fire me of my own free will, although the director clearly did not want to let me go. As a result, I lost my job and cannot get a job because of a criminal case. At first I tried to earn extra money, but when the trials began about twice a week, I could no longer take care of the material needs of my family.”\nVitaliy Popov in the courtroom on the day of the verdict Vitaliy Popov with his wife near the courthouse Leninsky District Court of Novosibirsk It took almost a year to collect evidence of the believer's “guilt”. During this time, he faced psychological pressure: during a four-hour interrogation, the investigator for especially important cases A. Bryuzgin tried to force him to incriminate himself. “The investigator constantly pressed on me, rushed me so that I could read 22 volumes in a week [about 5000 pages], provoked me to self-incrimination,” Vitaliy recalls. Through the efforts of the same investigator, another resident of Novosibirsk, 67-year-old Yuriy Savelyev, was sentenced to six years in prison for his faith.\nOn June 18, 2020, the case against Vitaliy Popov was transferred to the court for consideration by judge Irina Tsygankova. On August 13, the state prosecutor challenged her on the grounds that earlier, under her chairmanship, court decisions had been taken in the criminal case of Yuriy Savelyev. The court agreed with the arguments of the prosecution and granted the motion to challenge Tsygankova. The case was referred to Judge Natalya Devyatko.\nVitaliy Popov, even during the investigation, stated that he did not plead guilty and considered the criminal case against him as repressions for his faith, since his religion was the only reason for the persecution.\n“Your Honor, I cannot understand what is my fault?” said the believer in his last word. “The fact that I love to read the Bible together with my fellow believers and live according to it, share with others what I learned from it—this is my constitutional right, and I just practiced this right. Someone may agree or disagree with Jehovah's Witnesses’ beliefs, but that is another matter. The Russian Federation is a multi-confessional country, and many religions are taught in different ways and May contradict each other, but this is not a reason to consider them extremists.”\nThe same opinion was expressed by Russian and foreign human rights activists. 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":"2021-05-21T13:36:58+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/05/211336/image_hu_2c1036b80d837275.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/05/211336/image_hu_6300d4228d71e917.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/05/211336/image_hu_76f600f621c2fcde.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/05/211336/image_hu_796aee5a9b21de58.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/05/211336.html","regions":["novosibirsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-2","282.3-1"],"title":"54-year-old Vitaliy Popov Received 3 Years of Suspended Sentence. The Second Resident of Novosibirsk Suffered for Faith in Jehovah","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_810ad76c4df4c7df.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/05/191340/image_hu_762a68027e2be73.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/05/191340/image_hu_f20b94bb7a6ac5bd.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/05/191340/image_hu_7c76a9f5eda03c1a.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/index.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_cd5a9c3629660140.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/05/181732/image_hu_2edf4e88b437d27.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/05/181732/image_hu_9ffa1cc7216750c9.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/05/181732/image_hu_2841918ae78c5650.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/index.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_a51e0c6a2dc52cee.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/05/141410/image_hu_ce65e347f5304aa.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/05/141410/image_hu_63b22e9701ca3fe1.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/05/141410/image_hu_d602d34c20120258.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":"On May 13, 2021, the Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region toughened the verdict handed down to Yuliya Kaganovich by the court of first instance for participating in the activities of a banned organization. Judges replaced the previously appointed monetary fine for 2.5 years of imprisonment with a suspended sentence of 1 year.\nThe verdict entered into force. The believer still insists on her innocence. She has the right to appeal against the verdict in cassation, as well as in international instances.\nOn February 16, 2021, the judge of the Birobidzhan District Court, Vladimir Mikhalev, found Yuliya Kaganovich guilty under Part 2 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. She was fined 10,000 rubles with a 5-month payment plan. The verdict was appealed against by the prosecutor Anton Vyalkov. He requested a punishment for the believer in the form of imprisonment for a term of 4 years plus 2 years of restrictions. An appeal against the verdict was also filed by the convicted woman, who, despite the mild punishment, did not agree with her conviction.\nThe health of 55-year-old Yuliya Kaganovich has seriously deteriorated in connection with the criminal prosecution and court proceedings. Her husband was also diagnosed with serious illnesses. In addition, the believer is caring for an elderly mother who suffered a heart attack and stroke during the criminal prosecution of her daughter.\nIn her last word, Yuliya Kaganovich noted: “The confession of me guilty does not correspond to either the letter or the spirit of the criminal law. I have always led a quiet and peaceful life. Even in the conclusion of the psychological and psychiatric examination it is said that I have “the most pronounced features - empathy with other people, responsiveness, kindness, sympathy with other people's successes.” With such personal qualities, it was unthinkable for me to do something extremist or something that could harm a person, society or state. \"\nDue to her recognizance not to leave, the woman has been restricted in her right to move freely since October 2019. The persecution of Yuliya Kaganovich began almost a year and a half after a large-scale operation codenamed \"Judgment Day\" with the participation of 150 security officials.\nThe charges are based on audio recordings of the believers' telephone conversations. However, in these records, Yuliya Kaganovich's phone number does not appear, and she is not mentioned in the conversations.\nYuliya Kaganovich, using the right guaranteed to her by the Constitution of the Russian Federation, professed her religion among her fellow believers. The authorities considered the talks about the Bible to be a threat to the security of the state and added the woman to the list of extremists and terrorists of Rosfinmonitoring.\nIn the Jewish Autonomous Region, 18 similar criminal cases were initiated against 23 believers. In addition to Yuliya Kaganovich, five more women were convicted, and the court of appeal has already toughened the sentences for some of them.\nRussian and foreign leaders and organizations unanimously condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. Among them is Richard Clayton, QC, British Representative to the Venice Commission. “Recognition of Jehovah's Witnesses as extremists will in no way help Russia to consolidate its reputation as a civilized country,” he notes. “This application of laws forms the image of religious freedom in Russia as extremely negative: what am I telling 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":"2021-05-13T15:16:12+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/05/131516/image_hu_a1b73e42cdadb4c8.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/05/131516/image_hu_30f502c9e0627c3.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/05/131516/image_hu_1071fc2e0571846e.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/05/131516/image_hu_8b0e141e5ec17de.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/05/131516.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","suspended","282.2-2"],"title":"An Appeal in Birobidzhan Toughens the Sentence Against Yuliya Kaganovich—the Believer Was Given a 2.5-Year Suspended Sentence","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 13, 2021, the Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region upheld the sentence to Konstantin Guzev from Birobidzhan - 2.5 years of suspended imprisonment with restriction of liberty for 1 year.\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.\nOn February 18, 2021, the judge of the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region, Aleksey Ivashchenko, sentenced law-abiding builder Konstantin Guzev to 2.5 years of suspended imprisonment under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation with restriction of liberty for 1 year. He was assigned a probationary period of 2 years with the obligation to report to the supervisory authority once a month.\nThe prosecutor asked for a punishment for the believer in the form of 4 years of imprisonment in a general regime colony.\nKonstantin's wife, Anastasiya Guzeva, is also persecuted for her faith in God. Due to discrimination on religious grounds, the spouses were forced to resign from the music school where they worked. The leadership motivated this by the fact that there is no place for “extremists” in a children's institution. Guzev spent the last year and a half under recognizance not to leave.\nIn his appeal to the Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region, the believer stated: “Singing religious songs based on the Bible, praying to God, reading and discussing the Bible together is a way for a believer to practice his religion, guaranteed by both national and international law. . . . The decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation in 2017 did not oblige me to give up my faith in God and stop worshiping based on my religious beliefs. . . . Thus, the actual purpose of the sentence is to violate my fundamental rights and force me, on pain of criminal prosecution, to change my religion or leave the Russian Federation. ”\nOn May 17, 2018, a large-scale operation codenamed “Judjement Day” took place in Birobidzhan with the participation of 150 security officials, which resulted in a series of searches and arrests. The security forces tried to get to the Guzevs, claiming that their neighbors had a burglary. The owners did not believe them, but were forced to let the operatives in after the threat of breaking the doors.\nDescribing his feelings in connection with the criminal prosecution, Konstantin shared: “The interrogations and constant humiliation by the investigators hurt me a lot. For twenty years I have completely lost the habit of rudeness, humiliation, insults and constant lies. This was perhaps the most difficult for me. \"\nIn the Jewish Autonomous Region, one of the regions with the largest number of criminal cases against Jehovah's Witnesses, 19 cases were initiated against 23 believers.\nThe charge against Konstantin Guzev was based on video recordings secretly filmed during the services, and on the testimony of police officer Yulia Zvereva, who could not tell anything about the events imputed to the believer.\nKonstantin Guzev, like many of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, was convicted under a criminal article only for the peaceful confession of faith in God.\nThe delegation of the Russian Federation has repeatedly assured the OSCE that \"individual Jehovah's Witnesses can practice their religion at home, since permission is not required to pray in Russia.\" However, representatives of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe note that \"they have repeatedly witnessed that in the case of Jehovah's Witnesses, any manifestation of faith can lead to a search, lengthy detention, criminal prosecution and imprisonment.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-05-13T13:12:19+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/05/131312/image_hu_342440632467088a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/05/131312/image_hu_dd88573228477365.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/05/131312/image_hu_78d02f81b21fdec5.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/05/131312/image_hu_b454ee1707b92099.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/05/131312.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","suspended","282.2-2"],"title":"An Appeal in Birobidzhan Upheld the Conditional Sentence of 56-Year-Old Believer Konstantin Guzev","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 12, 2021, the court of the Jewish Autonomous Region increased the sentence of Svetlana Monis, who was previously found guilty of extremism because of her belief in the Jehovah God. She was sentenced to 2.5 years of imprisonment conditionally with a probation period of 2 years.\nThe believer was also sentenced to 1 year of restriction of freedom. She is not allowed to change her place of residence, must report to the Federal Penitentiary Service on a monthly basis and not to leave the boundaries established by the Service.\nThe verdict entered into force. The believer still insists on her innocence. She has the right to appeal against the verdict in cassation, as well as in international instances.\nOn February 15, 2021 Vladimir Mikhalev, Judge of the Birobidzhan District Court of the EAO, found the believer guilty of participating in the activities of a banned organization and sentenced her to a fine of 10 thousand rubles. Despite the mildness of the first instance court verdict, Svetlana Monis appealed it.\nThe prosecution of 44-year-old Svetlana Monis, a foreign-language teacher, began a year and four months after the opening of a criminal case against her husband, Alam Aliyev, who is accused of Part 1 of the same article. In parallel with the court hearings, Svetlana has to take care of her elderly grandmother, who lives separately.\nSpeaking in court, Svetlana Monis said: \"I did not commit a crime against the state or against its constitutional order. I was not involved in any extremist organization. I would like to draw the court's attention once again to the fact that I am standing before you not because I committed any crime, but precisely for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and his Father, Jehovah God.\"\nSvetlana had been under house arrest for more than 16 months, and in October 2019 the court seized her car.\nThe criminal prosecution of the believer was the result of a large-scale operation codenamed \"Judgment Day,\" which took place in Birobidzhan on May 17, 2018. About 150 law enforcement officers took part in it.\nAs a result, 23 people, including Svetlana Monis and her husband, became the subjects of 19 criminal cases. Ten believers have already been sentenced to fines or suspended sentences. On appeal, Elena Reino-Chernyshova and Larisa Artamonova, whose cases were similar to those of Svetlana Monis, received harsher sentences and received suspended sentences instead of a fine.\nOne of the witnesses for the prosecution in the Svetlana Monis case was police officer Yulia Zvereva, who allegedly identified Monis on the videos. However, during the preliminary investigation witness Zvereva did not identify Svetlana Monis, so the information she gave in court was unreliable.\nYulia Zvereva herself, who acted as a witness for the prosecution in several trials against believers from Birobidzhan, admitted that she had not heard any extremist appeals from any of them. According to her, the services were peaceful, and the topics of family and child-rearing were discussed.\nThe Memorial Human Rights Center considers Jehovah's Witnesses in pre-trial detention and under house arrest to be political prisoners. \"They are persecuted solely and directly for their faith and beliefs, for the exercise of their rights to freedom of conscience and association, guaranteed both by the Constitution and international norms,\" said Sergei Davidis, a member of the Council and head of the \"Support for Political Prisoners\" program.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-05-12T19:09:34+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/05/121909/image_hu_8b3a0767f2e9cbf4.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/05/121909/image_hu_b455e3c6ad46df34.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/05/121909/image_hu_cd0bdeb13f90304a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/05/121909/image_hu_2bda4d085e142cf4.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/05/121909.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","suspended","282.2-2","families"],"title":"The Appeal in Birobidzhan Toughened the Sentence Against Svetlana Monis: She Was Sentenced to 2.5 Years of Suspended Imprisonment","type":"news"},{"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/index.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_9053b470be62e4a3.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/05/121552/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/05/121552/image_hu_5ffd24a0805d3da8.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/05/121552/image_hu_49413a51dbc4b8f4.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":"On April 29, 2021, the Jewish Autonomous Region Court upheld Birobidzhan-based Igor Tsarev's two-and-a-half-year suspended sentence with a year of the restriction of freedom and a probationary period of two years. The court determined that peaceful practicing of the faith of Jehovah's Witnesses to be participation in the activities of a banned organization.\nA criminal case under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation against the 46-year-old father of a minor child was initiated on July 30, 2019. The trial lasted almost 14 months, and on February 12, 2021, the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region sentenced Igor Tsarev to suspended imprisonment for continuing to read and discuss the Bible with others. The believer considered the verdict unfair and appealed against it.\nDuring the appeal hearing, Igor Tsarev noted that neither the investigation nor the state prosecutor distinguished between the meetings of ordinary believers and the activities of prohibited associations, but focused on proving the believer's belonging to Jehovah's Witnesses, which no one hid. “So it turned out: if I profess the faith of Jehovah's Witnesses, then I am an extremist, albeit without extremism, a criminal without a real crime. What other conclusion can be drawn when only one conclusion suggests itself? I am on trial for my faith in God, ”said the believer to the panel of judges.\nNevertheless, the appellate instance upheld the decision of the lower court unchanged. The verdict entered into force, but the believer can appeal against it in cassation procedure, as well as in international instances.\nThe Jewish Autonomous Region holds the record for the number of cases filed against Jehovah's Witnesses. Igor Tsarev is one of 23 residents of Birobidzhan persecuted for their faith.\nRussian human rights activists and the world community consider it unauthorized to prosecute Jehovah's Witnesses for the faith. Jean-Marie Delarue, member of the French Council of State and former director of civil liberties at the French Ministry of the Interior, says: “I believe that a democratic society should clearly define what it means to violate public order, to harm the common interest. A democratic country can blame and condemn someone in clear terms. Extremism is an obscure concept. Each of us will always be an 'extremist' for someone.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-04-29T16:15:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/04/25/image_hu_8d34351620d44e7.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/04/25/image_hu_feaf870fc5ae7982.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/04/25/image_hu_35d9364713618248.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/04/25/image_hu_6378d07f31e0d95d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/04/25.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","suspended","282.2-2","minors"],"title":"An appeal in Birobidzhan upheld the suspended sentence for Igor Tsarev, one of Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 23, 2021, the Industrial District Court of Smolensk found Valeriy Shalev, Yevgeniy Deshko and Ruslan Korolev guilty of organizing extremist activities in connection with their practice of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Instead of the imprisonment requested by the prosecutor, the believers were assigned suspended sentences.\nJudge Marina Masalskaya sentenced Valeriy Shalev and Ruslan Korolev to 6.5 years of conditional imprisonment with a probationary period of 5 years, 1 year of restriction of liberty and a ban on holding positions in religious organizations for a period of 4 years; Evgeniy Deshko – to 6 years probation with a probationary period of 4 years, 1 year of restriction of freedom and a ban on holding positions in religious organizations for a period of 3 years. Viktor Malkov was also found guilty under Part 1 of Art. 282.2, his case was dismissed due to the death of the defendant.\nThe verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed. The believers insist on their complete innocence.\nThe case against Shalev, Deshko, Korolev and Malkov was initiated on April 25, 2019 under Art. 282.2 (2) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation - participation in extremist activities. The Investigative Department of the FSB of Russia for the Smolensk Region investigated this case for almost a year (350 days). During this time, the charge was reclassified into articles of the Criminal Code, for which a more severe punishment is provided: the organization and financing of extremist activities. The criminal case was received by the Industrial District Court of Smolensk on April 9, 2020.\nThe investigation established that Shalev, Deshko, Korolev and Malkov, being believers, peacefully gathered together with fellow believers to pray to God and discuss the Bible. This was seen as a threat to the security of the state. It is noteworthy that the ruling on bringing them into custody states that, according to the investigation, the believers “organized [and] and conducted [and] a joint prayer to Jehovah, [and] demonstrated video clips ...”.\nDespite the fact that there is not a single victim in the case, the prosecutor asked the court to sentence Deсhko and Shalev to 8 years of actual imprisonment, and Korolev to 9 years.\nDuring the investigation, the believers spent 4 to 8 months in jail and another 3 to 7 months under house arrest. Exactly one year after the initiation of the criminal case, one of the accused, Viktor Malkov, died. In the pre-trial detention center and under house arrest, he did not receive proper treatment, which undermined his health.\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":"2021-04-26T14:15:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/04/24/image_hu_f99953a54bb099a8.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/04/24/image_hu_23db845447cfbe08.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/04/24/image_hu_22c3629a8446748a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/04/24/image_hu_b0fbf1abdcef4e59.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/04/24.html","regions":["smolensk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-1","died","case-dismissed"],"title":"A Court in Smolensk Sentenced Three of Jehovah's Witnesses to a Suspended Sentence of 6 to 6.5 Years for Reading the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 22, 2021, the judge of the Sychevka District Court of the Smolensk Region, Arkadiy Likhachev, found Mariya Troshina and Nataliya Sorokina guilty of allegedly organizing the activities of an extremist organization. For their faith in Jehovah God, they were sentenced to 6 years of suspended imprisonment with a probation period of 3 years.\nDespite the lack of victims in the case, the prosecution asked the court to sentence Mariya Troshina to 6 years and 8 months in prison, and Nataliya Sorokina to 6 years and 6 months.\nThe verdict has not entered into force. The believers insist on their complete innocence and will appeal.\nDuring the court hearings, the women and their defender repeatedly stressed that the charges were based on an incorrect interpretation of the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation that banned legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses on the territory of Russia.\n“The operational officers and the investigator did not understand the essence of the decision of the Supreme Court. [...] The FSB of Russia ... opened a criminal case only because the two women did not change their religion after 2017,” said the defendants' lawyer.\nNataliya Sorokina and Mariya Troshina from the city of Sychevka, Smolensk Region, were detained on October 7, 2018 after officers of the FSB, CPE and SOBR raided the homes of peaceful believers in the Smolensk Region. The case against the two women was initiated on September 19, 2018. Initially, they were charged with participation in the activities of a banned organization (part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). In the summer of 2019, the charge was reclassified into organizing the activities of an extremist organization (part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).\nIt took the Investigative Department of the FSB Directorate for the Smolensk Region 1 year and 2 months to investigate the case. It was transferred to the Sychevka District Court on November 21, 2019; hearings began in December.\nThe believers are accused of organizing the activities of the “Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.” “I have never been a member of any banned organization,” Nataliya Sorokina noted at the trial. “I have no idea how the meetings of the ’Administrative Center’ were held. I have never attended such meetings and learned about them from the case file ... Nowhere in the case file is there evidence that I am an employee of the ‘Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.’ There is no factual evidence that someone appointed me, there is only interpretation and attribution of certain motives.”\nMariya Troshina, in turn, emphasized: “My beliefs are not the beliefs of any legal entity. These are the views of a believer based on the Bible, not blind assertions or blindly following someone.”\nAt the hearing, the judge had to read out the previously given testimonies of the FSB officers, since they did not remember them. In the materials of the case, the investigation erroneously named the women members of a certain “foreign religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses.” At one of the sessions, the prosecutor argued that the believers, “realizing the social danger,” were hiding from the state, which the defendants denied.\nThe court heard audio recordings of divine services and religious conversations with the participation of Nataliya and Mariya. The believers' lawyer emphasized that the recordings revealed the counsel on how to apply the knowledge from the Bible: respect all people, including those in power, take care of the family, and imitate the example of Jesus Christ. The audio materials did not contain calls to change or overthrow the constitutional order, thoughts about the superiority of any group of people, and any mentions of the “Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.”\nThe women spent more than six months in prison. In the spring of 2019, they left the detention center and were under house arrest until the fall of the same year. After that, the court released them on their own recognizance. Natalia, who suffers from asthma, had exacerbated health problems while she was in jail.\nIn the Smolensk Region, a total of eight Jehovah's Witnesses face criminal prosecution on the basis of their religion.\nLawyers and human rights activists both in Russia and abroad unanimously condemn the actions of the authorities against Jehovah's Witnesses in the Russian Federation.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-04-23T13:39:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/04/23/image_hu_2bf8684e767a1088.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/04/23/image_hu_12c7bf0d332f52d7.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/04/23/image_hu_1ea2b1e0403d0a5f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/04/23/image_hu_5a3e83deca8fecf8.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/04/23.html","regions":["smolensk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","282.2-1","suspended"],"title":"In the Smolensk Region, Mariya Troshina and Nataliya Sorokina Received 6 Years of Suspended Sentence for Reading the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"Judge of the Industrial District Court of Smolensk, Marina Masalskaya, finds the believers guilty of extremism and imposes 6.5 years of suspended imprisonment on Valeriy Shalev and Ruslan Korolev with a probationary period of 5 years, 1 year of restriction of liberty and a ban on holding positions in religious organizations for a period of 4 years; Yevgeniy Deshko was sentenced to 6 years probation with a probationary period of 4 years, 1 year of restriction of freedom and a ban on holding positions in religious organizations for a period of 3 years. Viktor Malkov was also found guilty under Part 1 of Article 282.2, his case was dismissed due to his death.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shalev and Others in Smolensk","date":"2021-04-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/smolensk2/index.html#20210423","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On April 22, 2021, the court of the Jewish Autonomous Region dismissed the appeal of Yelena Reyno-Chernyshova and satisfied the appeal of the prosecutor by toughening her sentence to 2.5 years of probation and 1 year of restraint.\nThe verdict for allegedly participating in the activities of an extremist organization came into force. The believer still insists on her innocence. She has the right to appeal the verdict in cassation, as well as in international instances.\nTwo months earlier, Yelena was convicted by the judge of the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region Vladimir Mikhalev. The prosecutor asked for a real term of imprisonment of 4 years, but the court sentenced the believer to a fine of 10,000 rubles. After that, Reyno-Chernyshova appealed against the verdict in a higher court. The deputy prosecutor of Birobidzhan A.A. Vyalkov also submitted an appeal, considering the verdict, on the contrary, too lenient.\nDuring the debate in the court of appeal, the believer noted: “After the verdict was passed, my relatives, acquaintances and colleagues immediately asked me if I would appeal or plead guilty, and I would agree with such a punishment because it was small. But the point here is not how much was awarded, but that I am innocent. How can I agree with the verdict if I have not done anything illegal?”\nAt the appeal stage, the prosecution continued to insist on the need to deprive Yelena Reyno-Chernyshova of her freedom for 4 years, arguing that the woman “needs to be corrected”. However, no evidence of her illegal activities was provided.\n“What do I need to correct !?” Yelena wondered at the hearing. “I try to live in harmony with the principle ‘to love God and your neighbor, not in words, but in deeds.’ How can you be an extremist by living up to these commandments?”\nYelena Reyno-Chernyshova has been under recognizance agreement for over a year and a half. Due to criminal prosecution, she was fired from her job and her accounts were blocked. The hardships experienced undermined the health of the whole family: Yelena's husband was recently diagnosed with a serious illness, and her mother's heart problems worsened.\nYelena is one of 23 defendants in criminal cases against Jehovah's Witnesses in Birobidzhan. The persecution of these peaceful civilians began after “Operation Doomsday.” To date, the courts of the Jewish Autonomous Region have already approved four convictions.\nThe groundlessness of the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia has been repeatedly emphasized by Russian and foreign scholars and human rights activists. Historian Aleksandr Guryanov, during a recent roundtable dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the deportation of Jehovah's Witnesses to Siberia, noted: “There is some particular bitterness on the part of the government towards this particular confession.”\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-04-22T15:41:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/04/22/image_hu_d8f91daafccfb8b2.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/04/22/image_hu_abebe8598fb55580.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/04/22/image_hu_a4125409e977c791.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/04/22/image_hu_dc46e73790ed5c60.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/04/22.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","suspended","complaints","fine","282.2-2","recognizance-agreement","work-restrictions","health-risk"],"title":"Appeal Court in Birobidzhan Toughens the Sentence for YYelena Reyno-Chernyshova for Her Faith. The Fine was Replaced with a Suspended Sentence","type":"news"},{"body":"Judge Arkady Likhachev sentences Sorokina and Troshina to 6 years of suspended imprisonment with a probationary period of 3 years.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Sorokina and Troshina in Sychevka","date":"2021-04-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sychevka/index.html#20210422","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["sentence","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On April 20, 2021, the court of the Jewish Autonomous Region, having considered the prosecutor's submission and Larisa Artamonova's complaint against the verdict, replaced a fine of 10,000 rubles for 2.5 years of probation and 1 year of restraint of liberty. She is condemned for believing in Jehovah God. The verdict entered into force.\nOn February 12, 2021, the judge of the Birobidzhan District Court, Vladimir Mikhalev, found Larisa Artamonova guilty of participating in the activities of an extremist organization, but imposed a penalty below the lowest - a fine. The court found it a crime that she read the Bible with her fellow believers and discussed Christian teachings. As proof of the presence of the believer at one of the religious meetings, the prosecutor's office presented a screenshot from the video, which depicts a shadow allegedly belonging to Larisa. She was not charged with any real crimes. Nevertheless, the prosecution asked to send the believer to a colony for 4 years.\n“Who have I hurt? Who suffered from my actions? Where are the victims? No one knows!”- said Larisa Artamonova in court before the decision was made.\n“The indictment says that Jehovah's Witnesses 'incited religious discord by determining the superiority or, on the contrary, inferiority of a person, based on his religious affiliation.' However, what confirms these actions, who exactly committed them and which court of the Russian Federation established this is not the case in the verdict, - she said. - Neither the court of first instance, nor I have found a description of my criminal acts in the criminal case”.\nA believer can appeal against the verdict in cassation, as well as in international instances.\n“At first glance, a suspended sentence is a rather mild measure. But it only seems so. The suspended sentence at any time can be replaced with a real one, if law enforcement officers again consider the discussion of the Bible a violation of the law. Jehovah's Witnesses do not cease to be believers after being sentenced. Therefore, a suspended sentence is a form of suppression of the fundamental right to faith,” said Yaroslav Sivulskiy, a representative of the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses, on the verdict.\nThe criminal prosecution of Larisa Artamonova began shortly after the special operation of the FSB, codenamed “Judgment Day,” in May 2018, in which 150 security officials took part. The investigation against the believer was conducted by the same security official who initiated the persecution of 15 more fellow believers of Larisa - D. Yankin from the Investigation Department of the FSB of Russia for the Jewish Autonomous Region.\nDue to her recognizance not to leave, Larisa Artamonova was restricted in her right to move freely for more than a year and a half. In addition, the believer was included in the list of terrorists and extremists of Rosfinmonitoring, so all her bank accounts are blocked, and her good name is defamed.\nTo date, 23 people have been persecuted for their faith in God in the Jewish Autonomous Region, including 12 women and 11 men.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-04-20T15:28:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/04/20/image_hu_da19b397c495d995.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/04/20/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/04/20/image_hu_c1d08624aab2a299.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/04/20/image_hu_3bc887abba2edf79.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/04/20.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","fine","suspended","complaints","recognizance-agreement","rosfinmonitoring"],"title":"The Court of Appeal Toughened the Verdict for Faith to Larisa Artamonova From Birobidzhan. The Fine Is Replaced With a Suspended Sentence","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 8, 2021, the court of the Jewish Autonomous Region did not satisfy the appeal of a resident of Birobidzhan, 35-year-old Artur Lokhvitskiy, who had previously been sentenced to 2.5 years of probation for his faith. During the hearing, the judge forbade the believer to quote the Bible, threatening additional punishment.\nOn February 2, 2021, the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region sentenced Artur Lokhvitskiy to 2 years and 6 months of suspended imprisonment with a 3-year probationary period and the obligation to report to the police once a month. The prosecution requested 4 years in prison. The verdict was passed under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation in the activities of an extremist organization). The believer appealed against this decision in the appellate instance - the regional court.\nThe appeal hearing on April 8 began with Judge Vladimir Shibanov emphatically forbidding a believer to talk about God and his faith, despite the fact that the right to profess religion is enshrined in the Russian Constitution; the faith of Jehovah's Witnesses is also not forbidden. During the believer's speech, the judge repeatedly interrupted him, threatening to \"call him to justice.\"\nArtur himself said that he had not committed anything criminal: “The court [of the first instance] followed the lead of the state prosecutor, who proceeded from the erroneous assumption: everything that is somehow connected with the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, everything is extremist and everything that is prohibited, and therefore, it is only necessary to prove that a person professes the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, then the crime is proven. \"\nIn the last word in the court of appeal, Artur reasoned: “From the Bible I learn that it is necessary to love neighbors, to love enemies and not to repay evil for evil. Agree, would an extremist do this? This is some kind of strange extremist! [...] The case does not contain victims and other data on the nature and amount of harm. In this whole case, my family and I were the victims. [...] Hours of video, which were examined in court, captured the usual religious activities: believers pray, perform religious chants, read and discuss the Bible and spiritual topics, talk about their faith in God. There are no extremist appeals, no mass distribution of extremist materials. There is not even a single offensive or obscene word. \"\nThe court did not heed the arguments and upheld the conviction, which took effect immediately. Nevertheless, a believer has the right to appeal against it in cassation procedure, as well as in international instances.\nArtur Lokhvitskiy is an electrician by profession, works in the fire department. He spent about one and a half years under recognizance not to leave. Artur's family was also affected by the criminal prosecution. Following him, his wife, Anna, and his mother, Irina, became accused under a similar article. As a result of the criminal prosecution, Anna suffered serious emotional trauma and had to undergo expensive treatment.\nSecurity officials have been monitoring believers in Birobidzhan, wiretapping their telephone conversations and conducting covert video filming since the spring of 2017. In May 2018, a special operation of the FSB took place in the city, codenamed \"Judgment Day\", in which 150 law enforcement officers took part. As a result, 19 criminal cases were initiated against 22 believers, among whom was Artur Lokhvitskiy.\nThe investigation into the Lokhvitskiy case lasted 5 months. On December 24, 2019, the case went to court. During the trial, there was no evidence that the believer had committed at least one real criminal act. The entire logic of the accusation was based solely on the fact that Artur is one of Jehovah's Witnesses and he discusses the Bible with others. Even the prosecutor's office admitted that there are no extremist actions of the defendant in the videos of the services with the participation of Artur Lokhvitskiy.\nIn the Jewish Autonomous Region, 10 believers have already received various sentences. With regard to 10 more believers, court decisions are on the way.\nBoth in Russia and abroad, there are regular calls to stop mass religious repression that violates Russian law and the Constitution. Even the Russian government 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":"2021-04-08T21:27:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/04/12/image_hu_7db50eb8523616ef.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/04/12/image_hu_cc9a0a060c24914.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/04/12/image_hu_eaa0134f6e5fccf5.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/04/12/image_hu_8428ab5fce438c8f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/04/12.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","suspended","282.2-2","families"],"title":"An appeal filed in Birobidzhan upheld Artur Lokhvitskiy's conviction for practicing his faith - a two-and-a-half year probation","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 1, 2021, Yuliya Tsykina, judge of the Birobidzhan District Court, found Tatyana Zagulina guilty of participating in the activities of a banned organization. She was sentenced to 2 years and 6 months of suspended imprisonment and 2 years of restriction of freedom.\nTatyana's religious convictions as a Jehovah's Witness were the only grounds for the verdict. It has not entered into force and can be appealed. The believer insists on her complete innocence.\nDespite the absence of victims in Tatyana Zagulina's case, the prosecutor asked the court to send her to a general regime colony for 4 years.\nA criminal case was opened against the 36-year-old mother of a minor child a year after her husband Dmitriy Zagulin was charged in another criminal case, also under an “extremist” article.\n“I personally have never allowed not only statements, but even hints of the possibility of ethnic and religious hatred or the need to commit any illegal actions,” Tatyana said in her last plea. “It turns out that I am in the dock for the wrong reason, not because I committed some real crime and therefore dangerous to society, but for being a Christian, for being Jehovah's Witness. When FSB officers came to raid our home, I asked them what they were looking for. They answered: ‘Everything related to the Bible.’ It turns out they were looking not for something that could be really connected with extremism, but for something that is connected with faith in God.\"\nThe case against Tatyana Zagulina was initiated on February 6, 2020. It was investigated by the investigative department of the FSB of Russia for the Jewish Autonomous Region. The accused was under recognizance agreement for 400 days. After 6 months of investigation, on August 19, 2020, the case was brought to court.\nThe prosecution witness, an employee of the cafe where Tatyana and her friends held weddings and get-togethers with their children, confirmed in court that they only partied in the cafe, behaved “decorously and nobly, ate, drank tea, danced, no problems arose \". However, the prosecution tries to portray such get-togethers as meetings of a banned organization.\nAnother witness, a police officer Zvereva, noted in court that she had not heard any extremist calls from either Zagulina or any other Jehovah's Witness. According to her, Tatyana was a simple listener at worship sessions, and the meetings themselves were held peacefully, the topics of family and raising children were discussed.\nIn total, 19 criminal cases were initiated in the Jewish Autonomous Region against 23 Jehovah's Witnesses. Currently, 12 believers from Birobidzhan are forced to prove their innocence in court and defend their peaceful convictions.\nIn Russia, as in other countries, calls are regularly heard to stop the massive repression of Jehovah's Witnesses. Sociologist Massimo Introvigne, director of the International Center for the Study of New Religions (Italy), wrote about the members of this religion: “They are peaceful people who reject violence and have never used violence themselves. The only connection between Jehovah's Witnesses and violence is that they are victims of violence.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-04-02T10:06:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/04/2/image_hu_82e871d33fe06f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/04/2/image_hu_42d1d7dbe052ea8f.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/04/2/image_hu_353e2155b588ddaf.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/04/2/image_hu_dce0fac0a6ace1e6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/04/2.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","families","minors","282.2-2"],"title":"Birobidzhan-based Tatyana Zagulina was handed a two-and-a-half year probation for reading the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"Judge Yulia Tsykina finds Tatyana Zagulina guilty and sentences her to 2 years and 6 months of suspended imprisonment and 2 years of restriction of liberty.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zagulina in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-04-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan15/index.html#20210401","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["sentence","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On March 29, 2021, the Rostov Regional Court confirmed the sentence to Semyon Baybak in the form of 3.5 years of suspended sentence. The Rostov resident was found guilty of extremism for peaceful religious beliefs. The verdict entered into force, but it can be appealed in cassation and in international instances.\nSemyon Baybak, who since childhood has professed the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, was detained in June 2019. After a day in a temporary detention center, the court sent him to house arrest for more than a year and a half.\nSemyon was accused of collecting funds to rent premises for religious meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses. In this, the investigator Kalnitsky saw \"financing of an extremist organization.\" The prosecution witness, who has known the believer for more than 13 years, explained to the court that the donated funds were used not to finance a prohibited legal entity, but to help fellow believers. According to him, the investigator falsified the materials of the case, adding wording at his own discretion into the testimony.\nOn December 21, 2020, Vladimir Barvin, judge of the Leninsky District Court of Rostov-on-Don, found Semyon Baybak guilty under Articles 282.2 (2) and 282.3 (1) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The court assigned him a conditional imprisonment with a probationary period of 4.5 years and 1 year of restriction of liberty. The prosecutor demanded 4 years of suspended imprisonment for the believer with a probationary period of 5 years. Semyon Baybak pleaded not guilty and appealed the sentence, since his beliefs are incompatible with violence, incitement to hatred and other forms of extremism. As a teenager, he even refused to take up arms and, instead of serving in the army, did alternative civilian service in the children's clinical hospital.\nAt the moment, 16 peaceful believers have been prosecuted in the region. Sentences have already been passed against three of them.\nRussian and foreign public figures and organizations condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. 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.\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":"2021-03-29T15:57:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/03/19/image_hu_d467e92519c2220c.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/03/19/image_hu_8dcd982b815a1cbb.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/03/19/image_hu_550112ac95c21741.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/03/19/image_hu_77ad59d4a6289475.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/03/19.html","regions":["rostov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","282.2-2","282.3-1","suspended"],"title":"Appeal in Rostov-on-Don Upheld the Verdict of Semyon Baybak, Convicted of Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 22, 2021, the Rostov Regional Court considered Galina Parkova's complaint against the verdict of the lower court. She asked to be found not guilty of committing a crime under the article \"participation in the activities of a banned organization.\" But the appellate panel upheld the verdict.\nThe verdict entered into force. The believer still insists on her innocence. She has the right to appeal against the verdict in cassation, as well as in international instances.\nEarlier, the Lenin District Court of Rostov-on-Don sentenced Galina Parkova to 2 years and 3 months of suspended imprisonment with a probationary period of 2 years and 3 months.\nRepresentatives of the prosecutor's office, A.P. Chebrikov and I.V. Napalkova, requested 3 years of probation for the believer and 1 year of restriction of freedom with a 4-year probationary period.\nThe criminal prosecution divided Galina's life into “before and after”. She is forced to do odd jobs in order to provide for herself, as well as support her husband, who has been in custody for over a year and a half on charges of “extremism”.\nGalina Parkova herself has been under recognizance agreement for about 7 months, her bank accounts have been blocked. Together with her husband, they are included in the list of Rosfinmonitoring: a list of individuals allegedly related to extremist activities or terrorism.\nOn May 22, 2019, officers of the Investigative Committee of Russia conducted searches in at least 15 houses of Rostov citizens who were suspected of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. So the husband of Galina Parkova ended up behind bars, and two weeks later, on June 6, 2019, a criminal case was instituted against her.\nOn the same day, investigator Kalnitsky opened criminal cases for faith under Part 2 of Art. 282.2 also against Olga Ganusha and Lyudmila Ponomarenko. Now women are under recognizance agreement.\nGalina Parkova, using her freedom of religion, invited fellow believers to her home and discussed the Bible with them, and also shared her beliefs with neighbors and relatives. The investigation interprets this as participation in the activities of a banned organization and campaigning to persons who are not followers of the religious teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses. However, all these actions are the right of every person, guaranteed by the Constitution of the Russian Federation.\nRussian and foreign opinion-makers and organizations unanimously condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-03-23T15:42:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/03/14/image_hu_211072adbca23f5e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/03/14/image_hu_83d116eea969661.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/03/14/image_hu_592ef7c081bebe27.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/03/14/image_hu_3fa96e0821bfe6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/03/14.html","regions":["rostov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","282.2-2","suspended","families"],"title":"A Rostov-on-Don appeals court upheld Galina Parkova's guilty conviction for practicing her faith","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 16, 2021, the Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region, having considered Evgeniy Golik's appeal against the verdict of the Birobidzhan District Court, left the suspended sentence - 2.5 years - unchanged. The verdict entered into force, but can be appealed at the cassation instance.\nOn January 20, 2021, the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region found Yevgeniy Golik guilty of participating in the activities of an extremist organization (part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) for discussing the Bible with other Jehovah's Witnesses during religious meetings. The believer was sentenced to two and a half years of suspended imprisonment with a probationary period of 3 years and restriction of liberty for 1 year. Evgeniy Golik appealed against the verdict.\nThe appeal hearings were held at the Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region. Judge of the panel of judges Angela Sizova did not allow the believer to fully express his position. She interrupted his speech during the debate, arguing that those present were \"of a different faith.\"\nIn his appeal to the court, Yevgeniy Golik stressed that he was accused of extremism for Christian activities, which have nothing to do with crimes. He also recalled that the Supreme Court did not ban the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n“Who suffered from my actions? From my faith? From my prayers? If there are victims in this case, it is me and my family. Recognition as an extremist limits my rights. My bank card is blocked. How can I provide myself and my family with honest labor? ” The believer asked the court questions.\nAddressing the panel of judges, Yevgeniy Golik said: “Today believers are hated and persecuted, it seems, only because they are somehow different from the majority. But to be different does not mean to be an extremist. \"\nAfter hearing the arguments, the judges partially satisfied the appeal of the prosecutor, who asked not to indicate a specific city when imposing an additional sentence in the form of restricting the freedom of the defendant. The rest of the verdict remained unchanged.\nIn recent years, 23 residents of the Jewish Autonomous Region have been prosecuted for their peaceful religion, 9 believers, including Yevgeniy Golik, have already been convicted, 12 people are under consideration in court.\nThe Russian and international community are outraged by the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. In a joint statement from 36 human rights and public organizations in Russia, it is said: “We call on the Russian authorities to stop [violation of rights], interrogations and prosecutions for the peaceful religious activities of Jehovah's Witnesses. We ask international organizations and governments of democratic states to call on the Russian government to end the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses. […] After Jehovah's Witnesses were outlawed in Russia, the number of acts of intolerance, violence and discrimination on the basis of religion against members of this community is constantly growing. ”\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-03-16T15:41:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/03/10/image_hu_585561ed26db4fc1.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/03/10/image_hu_c3f12a477b982be5.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/03/10/image_hu_e8bde7d3adb34f39.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/03/10/image_hu_7e500f1e4a53613a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/03/10.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["suspended","appeal","282.2-2"],"title":"The Jewish Autonomous Region court confirmed Yevgeniy Golik's conviction of a two-and-a-half year probation for discussing the Bible","type":"news"},{"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_a982ff469768c2e7.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/03/9/image_hu_fd66f4596d1a2c6d.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/03/9/image_hu_28d0ed3a6537bad5.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/03/9/image_hu_2e5144b212b7693b.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/index.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_ad7a23b1320e9e5e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/03/8/image_hu_e0fd54d879ed5b37.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/03/8/image_hu_964830f61c868b19.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/03/8/image_hu_15b964e22bf71210.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":"On March 11, 2021, the court of the Jewish Autonomous Region upheld the suspended sentence of 43-year-old Anastasia Sycheva from Obluchye. The verdict has entered into force. The believer insists on her innocence. She has the right to appeal the verdict in cassation, as well as in international instances.\nOn January 21, 2021, Olga Afanasyeva, judge of the Obluchensky District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region, found Anastasiya Sycheva guilty of participating in a banned organization and sentenced her to 2 years of suspended imprisonment with a 2-year probationary period and 6 months of restriction of freedom. This is the kind of punishment the prosecutor requested.\nAt the hearing in the court of appeal, Anastasiya described the charge in the following words: “There is no logic. It is absent. After all, I'm not being judged for real crimes, but for my faith in God. But a good sense of humor helps out. Otherwise, you can get crazy if you take all this seriously.\"\nIn addition to criminal prosecution, Anastasiya had many life’s trials: in just one year, her older sister died of cancer, and later she lost her mother and brother. She has raised two nephews, and now she is caring for her sick father. She spent almost a year and a half under recognizance not to leave, which limited her free movement outside the region.\nIn total, 19 similar criminal cases were initiated in the administrative center of the Jewish Autonomous Region, Birobidzhan, against 23 believers who peacefully profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. The accusation against Anastasia Sycheva and a number of believers from Birobidzhan is based on the testimony of the only witness for the prosecution - police officer Yulia Zvereva. However, in court, she stated that she did not know anything about the events in which Sycheva was accused. According to the defendant, in the minutes of the court sessions of the first instance, \"what did not actually happen and was not said was added.\"\nActions such as divine services, prayers and chants are not prohibited by the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. On the contrary, they are guaranteed by the Russian Constitution as fundamental human rights and freedoms. In February 2021, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated: “During 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. […] Members of a liquidated organization can independently practice their religion, including as part of religious groups that do not require registration. \"\nDespite this, Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia continue to be sentenced to prison terms because of their faith. Russian and foreign human rights organizations unanimously condemn the persecution of believers in Russia. 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, religion and religious associations.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-03-12T09:09:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/03/6/image_hu_479d6aa608eadfab.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/03/6/image_hu_824b107e47b396aa.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/03/6/image_hu_d2314052e1d55a9e.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/03/6/image_hu_8056ae6cdba047d0.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/03/6.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["suspended","appeal","fabrications","282.2-2"],"title":"Jewish Autonomous Region court upholds Anastasiya Sycheva's suspended sentence for participating in Jehovah's Witnesses worship services","type":"news"},{"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/index.html#20210311","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["sentence","elderly","suspended","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On March 5, 2021, Denis Kiselyov, a Prioksky District Court judge, found Sergey Verkhoturov guilty of organizing the activities of a banned organization and sentenced him to a six-year suspended sentence with a four-year probationary period. The believer is insisting he is completely innocent.\nAlthough there is not a single victim in the case, the prosecutor recommended that the court impose a sentence of 7 years in prison and another 1 year of restriction of liberty on Verkhoturov. The verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed.\nSpeaking in court with the last word, Sergey voiced the reason for his criminal prosecution: “I am being tried for my religious beliefs, for my belief that no harm should be done to people, society, or the state. I am being judged for what I have encouraged and will continue to encourage all people to love each other, avoid any violence, and strengthen family relationships.\"\nFor 19 months Sergey has been banned from certain actions: he is forbidden to leave his home after 21:00, use communications and communicate with other citizens.\nOn July 16 and 17, 2019, in Nizhny Novgorod and the city of Pavlovo (Nizhny Novgorod region), searches were carried out in several houses of believers at once. In total, over 30 families and individual believers were affected. The criminal case against Verkhoturov was initiated on June 4, 2019 under Part 1 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. He was investigated by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia in the Nizhny Novgorod region for 1 year and 2 months.\nA year before the initiation of the case, on the basis of a court order, the police obtained the right to wiretap Sergei Verkhoturov's telephone conversations for 90 days. On July 30, 2020, the case went to court.\nLaw enforcers in the Nizhny Novgorod region, under the guise of fighting extremism, are actively prosecuting Jehovah's Witnesses. They consider peaceful religious services, during which believers read the Bible and pray, as a \"crime\". In total, criminal cases have been initiated in the region for their faith against 14 Jehovah's Witnesses, including the wife of Sergey Verkhoturov, Victoriya (participation in the activities of a banned organization). 10 cases are under investigation, 4 have been transferred to the court.\nRussian and foreign leaders and organizations unanimously condemn 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.\" According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Jehovah's Witnesses have the right to practice their religion both individually and in groups.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-03-05T15:52:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/03/3/image_hu_f9f0676d1e6c108f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/03/3/image_hu_c6a3583a6c1bed5c.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/03/3/image_hu_9503bdca299bf163.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/03/3/image_hu_58d59d3fd235ae5d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/03/3.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","prohibition-of-actions","282.2-1"],"title":"A Nizhny Novgorod court sentenced Sergey Verkhoturov to six years of suspended sentence for reading the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 1, 2021, the Rostov Regional Court upheld the sentence against Ruslan Alyyev. The appellate court recognized him as a member of a banned organization. The believer will be conditionally imprisoned for 2.5 years.\nThe verdict has entered into force, but Ruslan Alyev still insists on his innocence. He has the right to appeal the verdict in cassation, as well as in international instances.\nEarlier, the judge of the Leninsky District Court, Vladimir Strokov, found Ruslan Alyev guilty and sentenced him to 2 years and 6 months of suspended imprisonment with a probationary period of 2 years 6 months and the obligation to report for registration once a month. Prosecutor Levchenko demanded 3 years of probation for Ruslan Alyev with a probation period of 4 years.\nRuslan Alyev and Semyon Baibak were detained at their places of residence in Rostov-on-Don on June 10, 2019, less than a month after a mass raid on the homes of Rostovites who were suspected of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. The next day, the court placed the detainees under house arrest.\nFor the entire time of the investigation and consideration of the case in the court of first instance, Ruslan Alyev spent a day in a temporary detention facility, and then over a year and a half under house arrest. The same fate befell Semyon Baibak.\nAmong the evidence against Ruslan Alyev is the testimony of an anonymous, secret witness, whose words the court accepted even without questioning. Thus, the defense did not have the opportunity to ask the witness questions and make sure that he did not answer according to someone else's instructions.\nThe court found the believer an extremist without evidence that he had carried out at least one of the extremist actions listed in the legislation. In addition, according to the decision of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, crimes of an extremist nature can be committed only with direct intent. However, the court did not provide a single piece of evidence of the defendant's intent.\n\"The convict was found guilty only because he remained a believer after the liquidation of legal entities. This is reminiscent of the totalitarian regime in Soviet times, when Jehovah's Witnesses were exiled to concentration camps and shot for their faith in God. Later, by the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation, they were recognized as victims of political repression, \"the appeal says.\nOn March 29, 2021, the court is due to make an appeal decision in the case of Semyon Baibak, whom the court of first instance sentenced to 3.5 years of suspended imprisonment with a probation period of 4.5 years on charges of extremism. The believer also does not admit his guilt.\nThe case of three other believers - Arsen, Vilen Avanesov and Alexander Parkov is now being considered in the Leninsky District Court of Rostov-on-Don. According to investigators, they organized and financed the activities of the banned organization. For more than a year and a half, Rostovites have been kept in pre-trial detention.\nRussian and foreign leaders and organizations unanimously condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. Among them are 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, as well as many foreign organizations, human rights activists and scientists. Even 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":"2021-03-02T12:18:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/03/2/image_hu_30c83507dabf967e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/03/2/image_hu_ca7490659d3eeab7.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/03/2/image_hu_760ace7ed2fc6a7e.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/03/2/image_hu_dd31c937852af853.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/03/2.html","regions":["rostov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","282.2-2","suspended"],"title":"A Rostov-on-Don appeal upheld the conviction of believer Ruslan Alyyev","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 26, 2021, the Kostroma Regional Court, having considered the appeal of the Rayman spouses, canceled the longest suspended sentence for faith - 8 and 7 years. Earlier, a lower court found Sergey and Valeriya guilty of organizing and participating in extremist activities.\nThe Court of Appeal excluded the \"organization\" from the charges against both believers (part 1 of Art. 282.2) and commuted Sergey's and Valeriya’s sentences to 3 and 2 years of suspended imprisonment respectively.\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.\nOn October 9, 2020, Dmitriy Balayev, judge of the Sverdlovsk District Court of Kostroma, sentenced Jehovah's Witnesses Sergey and Valeriya Rayman to 8 and 7 years of suspended sentenced, respectively. With the filing of the state prosecutor Ivan Bogomolov, the court found the believers guilty of both organizing and participating in extremist activities (parts 1 and 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). The state prosecution asked the court to give them a suspended sentence of 7 years of imprisonment for both.\nThe couple have been married since 2015. Sergey is an interior decoration specialist, and in his free time he is engaged in cooking and video filming. Valeriya is a makeup artist and hairdresser who loves to bake and make interior items from concrete.\n“The religion of Jehovah's Witnesses has not been prohibited by any court,” Valeriya told the Court of Appeal in her last word. “I led the ordinary life of a believer. My life, my beliefs and views have nothing to do with extremism. I have not committed any crime. I ask you to look at this situation from the point of view of common sense and give us back our good name. \"\n“We live in a state governed by the rule of law,” Sergey Rayman said in his last word. “Not so long ago, even Human Rights Day was celebrated. And according to Article 28 of the Constitution, I have the right to have religious beliefs, disseminate and act in accordance with them. \"\nSergey Rayman was placed in a cramped solitary confinement cell for 2 months with a ban on correspondence and reading the Bible because of the map of ancient Palestine it contains. He then spent a month under house arrest with an electronic tracking bracelet on his leg and 90 days under a ban on certain actions. Valeria had to spend 2 days in the temporary detention facility and 179 days under the ban on certain actions. The spouses could not communicate with each other for some time because of the court decision.\nThe pursuit of the Ryman spouses began in the early morning of July 25, 2018, when armed special forces used crowbars to smash the door to their apartment at gunpoint. Law enforcement officers accompanied their actions with caustic comments regarding the religion of believers. Friends who came to the Rayman spouses found the apartment empty with signs of a burglary on the door. Sergey and Valeria were sent to a temporary detention center.\nIn September 2019, the Sverdlovsk District Court of Kostroma returned the Rayman criminal case to the Kostroma prosecutor's office. At the same time, the court emphasized that in the case of spouses \"there is a legal right to practice the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, which has not been prohibited.\" The court pointed to the \"vague\" wording of the indictment. Neither in the materials of the criminal case, nor in the register of legal entities, nor in any other documents, there was no confirmation that the young people were founders or members of a local religious organization in Kostroma. The accusation is unfounded in relation to the fact that the Rayman couple held meetings of a religious organization. At the same time, not a single name of the participants in such meetings is given.\nThe Sverdlovsk District Court of Kostroma is hearing the case of another local believer, Dmitriy Terebilov.\nRussian and foreign leaders and organizations unanimously condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. The conclusion of the state religious expert examination on the doctrine and the corresponding practice of the religious association of Jehovah's Witnesses says: spreading faith, violates the rights of other citizens. On February 20, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced that Jehovah's Witnesses have the right to practice their religion both individually and collectively.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-02-26T20:00:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/02/18/image_hu_507117618ca38aae.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/02/18/image_hu_b06ec1ed7eb2d65b.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/02/18/image_hu_bdab805b3f54039a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/02/18/image_hu_f552189b192a30e4.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/02/18.html","regions":["kostroma"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","mitigation","282.2-1.1","282.2-2","suspended","families"],"title":"A Kostroma appeals court commuted Sergey and Valeriya Rayman's strict sentence","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 18, 2021, Aleksey Ivashchenko, a Birobidzhan District Court judge of the Jewish Autonomous Region, handed a two-and-a-half year suspended sentence to Konstantin Guzev, a law-abiding construction worker, for participation in extremist activities. In addition, Guzev was given a two-year probation period with the obligation to report once a month to a supervisory authority.\nThe prosecutor asked for 4 years of imprisonment in a penal colony of general regime and an additional 1-year restriction with the obligation to report once a month to the supervisory authorities. The verdict has not come into force. There are no victims in the case. The believer pleaded not guilty and would appeal the verdict. Konstantin Guzev spent the last year and a half being released on his own recognizance.\nThe Birobidzhan District Court is also hearing the case of Konstantin's wife Anastasia, accused of a similar article. The couple faced discrimination on religious grounds - they were forced to resign from the music school. The management motivated this by the fact that \"extremists\" in the children's institution had no place.\nOn May 17, 2018, a large-scale operation codenamed \"Judgment Day\" took place in Birobidzhan, involving 150 law enforcement officers.\nThe criminal case for faith against Konstantin Guzev was initiated on July 29, 2019. The case was separated from the materials of the criminal case against Alam Aliyev. The case was investigated by the Department of the Federal Security Service of Russia in the Jewish Autonomous Region. The investigation lasted about 5 months. The prosecution was based on video footage secretly filmed during religious meetings of believers, and on the testimony of police officer Zvereva, who also acted as a prosecution witness in the cases of Evgeny Golik, Anastasia Sycheva and Tatiana Zagulina.\nOn December 23, 2019, the case went to the Birobidzhan District Court of the EAD. During the court hearings, the prosecutor officially declared the defendant's house the scene of the crime. The charges essentially boiled down to the fact that Konstantin Guzev was reading the Bible with friends at his home via Skype. In court, the believer noted, \"The evidence presented by the prosecutor only confirms that I practice the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. In other words, it proves that there was no corpus delicti in my actions.\"\nIn the Jewish Autonomous Region, one of the regions with the largest number of criminal cases against Jehovah's Witnesses, 19 cases were brought against 22 believers. Eight local Jehovah's Witnesses have already been convicted for these peaceful people exercising their constitutional right to freedom of religion. Earlier, Judge Alexei Ivaschenko sentenced another believer, Igor Tsarev, to 2.5 years of suspended imprisonment. Ivaschenko is also considering the case of Yevgeny Yegorov.\nKonstantin Guzev became the 70th resident of modern Russia to be punished under a criminal article merely for his profession of faith in the God Jehovah. A suspended sentence with probation condemns the believer to a life of constant fear, since he could go to prison at any time if law enforcement authorities deem his individual confession of faith \"an extension of the organization's activities.\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 stated repeatedly that the Russian courts' decisions to liquidate and ban Jehovah's Witnesses organizations 'do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses and contain no restriction or prohibition to individually profess the aforementioned doctrine'. At the end of January 2021, Russian President Vladimir V. Putin again instructed the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to deal with \"violations of the legislation on freedom of conscience, freedom of religion, and religious associations.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-02-18T12:32:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/02/12/12_2_hu_24a7328428e5d472.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/02/12/12_2_hu_25c39a40800174b1.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/02/12/12_2_hu_4cc118e59441bbc.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/02/12/12_2_hu_5978365e5393beea.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/02/12.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","families","suspended","work-restrictions","282.2-2"],"title":"A sentencing for a 70th Jehovah's Witness. A Birobidzhan court handed Konstantin Guzev a two-and-a-half year suspended sentence for practicing his faith","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 12, 2021 judge of the Birobidzhan district court of EAD Aleksey Ivaschenko sentenced the peaceful believer to 2,5 year suspended sentence with restriction of freedom for 1 year and with probation for 2 years. He was declared guilty of participating in extremist activities (Part 2, Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). The sentence has not entered into force. He will be under house arrest until the verdict comes into force.\nAlthough there were no victims in the case, the prosecutor asked for four years in prison for the believer. 46-year-old Igor Tsarev and his wife are raising a schoolgirl daughter. His suspended sentence condemns him to a life of constant fear, as he may go to jail at any time if law enforcement officials deem his individual faith \"an extension of the organization.” The believer insists on his innocence and will appeal his sentence.\nReading the Bible with friends and improving his communication skills on spiritual topics was equated by the investigation with criminal activity. \"I am a Jehovah's Witness, but that does not automatically make me a criminal,\" Tsarev told the court shortly before the verdict was read, \"As a people, we are known for our peacefulness. Jehovah's Witnesses form an international brotherhood based on love and mutual respect. The Bible taught me to be a decent man, a responsible husband, a good father, a devoted friend... not to repay evil for evil to anyone. Is this extremism in the sense of our legislation?\"\nIn Birobidzhan, security forces have been harassing peaceful believers since the fall of 2015. It was then that the first planting of banned literature in the worship buildings of Jehovah's Witnesses was recorded. Jehovah's Witnesses from Birobidzhan learned about the beginning of repression for the faith in 2018 when a special operation involving 150 law enforcement officers was carried out against them. The Federal Security Service of Russia in the Jewish Autonomous Region initiated a criminal case against Igor Tsarev on July 30, 2019. The believer has been under house arrest for about 1.5 years (since August 13, 2019).\nThe preliminary investigation into Igor Tsarev's case lasted about 5 months. The charges were based on video footage obtained by FSB officers during covert filming of worship services. On December 23, 2019, the case went to court. Most of the hearings were held behind closed doors at the request of the prosecutor. In his opinion, this was necessary to \"secure\" the participants in the trial from the religious beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses. The trial lasted almost 14 months.\nThe Jewish Autonomous Region is one of the regions with the largest number of criminal cases against Jehovah's Witnesses. Nineteen criminal cases against 22 Jehovah's Witnesses are in various stages of review by the EAO courts. Three local Jehovah's Witnesses, Yevgeniy Golik, Artur Lokhvitskiy, and Anastasiya Sycheva, have already been convicted for these peaceful people exercising their constitutional right to freedom of religion. Igor Tsarev became the 64th resident of modern-day Russia to be criminally convicted for practicing his faith in Jehovah.\nDuring the hearings on Tsarev's case, the prosecutor acknowledged the right, enshrined in Article 28 of the Russian Constitution, for citizens \"to practice any religion individually or in association with others.\" At the same time, he claimed that Igor Tsarev was allowed to believe \"only within himself\" and was not allowed to participate in biblical discussions with co-religionists.\nRussian and foreign figures and organizations unanimously condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. 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 restrict or prohibit the individual practice of the above-mentioned doctrine.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-02-12T12:42:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/02/5/image_hu_a59f7b754ce2ae3.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/02/5/image_hu_54089242d9e1f130.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/02/5/image_hu_3b866f456a3b357e.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/02/5/image_hu_bcea6beca6b4847c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/02/5.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-2","hidden-surveillance","minors","recognizance-agreement"],"title":"The verdict has been announced for the 65th Jehovah's Witness. In Birobidzhan, Igor Tsarev was given a suspended sentence of 2.5 years for reading the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 2, 2021, Olga Klyuchikova, judge of the Birobidzhan district court of the Jewish Autonomous Region, sentenced 35-year-old Artur Lokhvitskiy to 2 years and 6 months in prison conditionally with a 3-year probation period and the obligation to report to the police once a month. The sentence has not come into force.\nThe verdict was handed down under Article 282.2 (2) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The judge considered the discussion of the Bible among fellow believers to be participation in the activities of an extremist organization. The state prosecutor N. Breycher demanded four years in a penal colony and one year of additional restrictions for a peaceful believer. At the same time, there is not a single victim in the case. The defendant does not plead guilty and notes that even the prosecution did not prove the existence of a crime.\n\"In my opinion, the entire judicial investigation proved that the worship meetings that I am charged with are exclusively peaceful, lawful, non-threatening religious activities that were not prohibited by any court. Therefore, there was no crime,\" said Artur Lokhvitskiy, speaking in court with his last word.\nSince the spring of 2017, believers' phones have been tapped and there has been hidden video recording of their worship meetings. In May 2018, in the city of Birobidzhan, an FSB special operation with the participation of 150 law enforcement officers, code-named \"Judgment Day,\" took place against local Jehovah's Witnesses. As a result, 19 criminal cases were initiated against 22 believers.\nThe case against Artur Lokhvitskiywas initiated on July 31, 2019. It was investigated by the Federal Security Service of Russia in the Jewish Autonomous Region. The investigation lasted five months. The accusation brought against the believer was based on secretly made video recordings of worship services, where moral and spiritual topics were discussed. On December 24, 2019, the case went to trial. Hearings had been going on for more than a year. The conviction of Artur Lokhvitskiy was the 3rd conviction of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Jewish Autonomous Region.\nArtur Lokhvitskiy is an electrician by profession and works in the fire department. He spent about a year and a half under house arrest. Arthur was followed by his wife, Anna, and mother, Irina. His wife, Anna, suffered serious emotional trauma as a result of the criminal prosecution and had to undergo expensive medical treatment.\nArtur Lokhvitskiy became the 62nd believer in Russia to be convicted after the Russian Supreme Court liquidated the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia and 395 local religious organizations.\nRussian and foreign figures and organizations unanimously condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. These include the RF Commissioner for Human Rights, the RF Presidential Human Rights Council, the RF President, prominent Russian public figures, the European Union External Action Service, observers of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. 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 and do not contain restrictions or bans on the individual practice of the above-mentioned doctrine.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-02-02T17:07:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/02/2/2_2_hu_2022a223e5b42701.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/02/2/2_2_hu_a14502378ab87a07.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/02/2/2_2_hu_23b3f46917883c62.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/02/2/2_2_hu_ba4158e552c64a45.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/02/2.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-2","families","hidden-surveillance"],"title":"A Birobidzhan court handed a sentence for believing in God. Artur Lokhvitskiy received a two-and-a-half-year suspended sentence","type":"news"},{"body":"On January 26, 2021, judge of the Leninsky District Court of Rostov-on-Don, Snezhana Fedorova, sentenced Galina Parkova to 2 years and 3 months on probation with the same probation period. The court considered the participation of a believer in peaceful religious meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses as extremism.\n“I am allegedly being judged not for my faith, but for extremism, but no signs of this grave crime have been found. During the trial, we examined the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses, and the indictment now and then flashes phrases: “bowed her head for prayer”, “sang along” ... There is a substitution of concepts. The religious life of an individual is presented as the activity of a prohibited legal entity, ”Galina Parkova said in her last word to the court on the eve of the verdict. She drew attention to the fact that there are no victims in the case, and her convictions are aimed at helping, not harming people. “An extremist without extremism, like borscht without vegetables, does not exist! My conscience is clear before God and before the law, ”said the believer.\nThe criminal case under Part 2 of Art. 282.2 (participation in the activities of an extremist organization) against Galina Parkova was initiated on June 6, 2019. The investigation was supervised by the First Investigation Department of the Main Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation.\nGalina and two of her fellow believers (the cases of Olga Ganusha and Lyudmila Ponomarenko are separated into separate proceedings) were accused of participating in meetings at which prayers were sounded and Bible discussions were held, which the security officials considered a threat to the security of society and the state. The logic of the accusation was based on the erroneous thesis that the confession of faith of Jehovah's Witnesses is \"a continuation of the activities of an extremist organization.\" As a consequence of this approach, instead of searching for and proving the guilt of the defendants, the prosecutor's office was busy \"proving\" that they professed a certain religion, despite the fact that the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia is not prohibited. Having “proved” the religion of the defendants, which they did not hide anyway, the investigation proposed to interpret this fact as the activity of a banned legal entity. On these grounds, the prosecutor recommended for Galina Parkova 3 years of probation, 1 year of restriction of freedom with a 4-year probationary period.\n\"The absurdity of the logic of the prosecution did not embarrass Judge Fedorova, and she passed a guilty verdict, equating a peaceful believer with dangerous criminals. The verdict has not yet entered into force,\" said Yaroslav Sivulsky, a representative of the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nDuring the criminal prosecution Galina Parkova is under recognizance not to leave. She is forced to do odd jobs in order to support herself and help her husband Alexander, who, together with two other co-religionists, has also been in jail for more than a year and a half for their faith.\nThe case of Galina Parkova is one of 9 criminal cases for her faith in the Rostov region. In relation to Ruslan Alyev and Semyon Baibak, the court has already passed convictions. Alyev was sentenced to 2.5 years suspended imprisonment, and Baybak - 3.5 years suspended. Believers will appeal against sentences. Galina Parkova became the 62nd inhabitant of modern Russia, in respect of whom the court has already passed a guilty verdict for their faith.\nRussian and foreign leaders and organizations unanimously condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. Among them are 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 foreign policy service of the European Union, 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 teaching individually.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-01-26T16:54:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/01/6/image_hu_b8dd6a2eebbeb6d6.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/01/6/image_hu_49a772ca518cbe69.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/01/6/image_hu_3b9c449d5692e0df.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/01/6/image_hu_d381aa3c20175d31.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/01/6.html","regions":["rostov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-2","families"],"title":"A sentence for discussing the Bible has been imposed in Rostov-on-Don. Galina Parkova received a two-year-three-month suspended sentence","type":"news"},{"body":"Judge of the Leninsky District Court of Rostov-on-Don Snezhana Fedorova sentences Galina Parkova to 2 years and 3 months of probation with a probation period of 2 years and 3 months.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Parkova in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2021-01-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don5/index.html#20210126","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sentence","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On January 21, 2021, the judge of the Obluchensky district court of the Jewish Autonomous Region, Olga Afanasyeva, found Anastasiya Sycheva a member of a forbidden organization and sentenced her to 2 years of suspended imprisonment with a 2-year probation period and 6 months of restricted freedom. This punishment was recommended by the state prosecutor.\nAnastasiya Sycheva from Obluchye was sentenced only for participation in worship services and communicating with fellow believers. The believer explained to the court that the services teach compassion, mercy, patience, and other Christian qualities, encouragement to avoid violence and immorality. \"What kind of extremism are we talking about? I don't understand,\" she stressed.\nAfter 2017, Anastasiya Sycheva became the 61st Russian citizen found guilty of extremist activity for practicing faith in Jehovah God. The sentence has not entered into legal force. The believer does not admit her guilt and will appeal it. She notes: \"...there are no victims in the criminal case. Not a single person was harmed by my actions. After watching the video recordings of the worship services in court, Anastasiya Sycheva explained that during the discussions of the biblical teachings there were not extremist ideas, but appeals to compassion for others, which helps those who lead asocial lives to reform. The prosecutor was never able to answer Anastasia's question about which of these he saw as extremism. On January 15, 2021, Anastasia gave her final word, pointing out to the court that \"a minister of God must hate the evil that hurts others. The believer emphasized: \"We try just not to hate people, but even to eradicate such thoughts. I cannot be a friend of God by hurting my neighbor. None of the participants of the trial noted that I had a hatred for other people. [...] Jehovah's Witnesses are in no way associated with extremism, on the contrary, they show love for each other and other people.\"\nAlmost three years earlier, in May 2018, in the city of Birobidzhan, an FSB special operation with the participation of 150 security officials, code-named \"Judgment Day,\" took place against local Jehovah's Witnesses. As a result, 19 criminal cases were initiated against 22 believers. The case against Sycheva was initiated on September 25, 2019. For more than a year, the believer has been under recognizance not to leave (since October 1, 2019). The case was investigated for 5 months by the Investigation Department of the FSB of Russia for the Jewish Autonomous Region. The case is based on video footage of worship services and recordings of Anastasia's telephone conversations, which, in her opinion, not only lack signs of extremism, but, on the contrary, show respect for the interlocutors.\nOn 4 March 2020, the case went to court. The hearings lasted more than 10 months. There are at least 26 volumes in the case. A witness for the prosecution, police officer Zvereva, who knew nothing about the events Anastasiya Sycheva was accused of, was questioned in court. Zvereva was involved in the formation of administrative offense cases against the Local Religious Organization and its leaders in 2015-2016, who were found guilty by courts for possession of extremist materials, although they were planted by believers. Also, believers reported to the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation about the crime committed by law enforcement officers, namely planting prohibited items on them. This report is available in the materials of the criminal case. There was no proper response to this statement from the state.\nAnastasia faced many difficulties in her life. Her older sister died of cancer in one year, and later her mother and brother passed away. The believer took care of and raised two nephews, and now cares for her ailing elderly father. Ten years ago Japanese television made a program about the Sychev family. The program was about family values and human relationships. Journalists liked this large, friendly family, and in the summer of 2020, Japanese reporters found Anastasia again. They reported that the program about their family was being re-run. Ironically, in Russia, this well-meaning woman was accused of \"participating in extremist activities\" (part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Russian Criminal Code).\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":"verdict","date":"2021-01-23T14:24:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/01/3/image_hu_4b868e1ebcbe2ff2.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/01/3/image_hu_2dca2ddb4e136f7d.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/01/3/image_hu_21a07aae475aad65.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/01/3/image_hu_7ea248ac319f5d67.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/01/3.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-2","recognizance-agreement","hidden-surveillance"],"title":"A Jewish Autonomous Region court sentenced the 43-year-old nurse Anastasiya Sychyeva to two years of suspended sentence for her belief in Jehovah's God","type":"news"},{"body":"On January 20, 2021 Olga Klyuchikova, judge of the Birobidzhan district court of the Jewish Autonomous Region, sentenced Yevgeny Golik under part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code (participation in the activities of an extremist association): 2.5 years of suspended sentence with a probation period of 3 years and restriction of freedom for 1 year.\nThe state prosecutor requested that he be sentenced to 4 years in a penal colony. There were no victims in the case. The believer pleaded not guilty and asked for a full acquittal. The verdict did not come into force.\n\"I am against extremism, violence and brutality. I have never felt hatred towards people and have never encouraged anyone to do so. All my actions were presented on video. I studied the Bible with the perpetrators, and this was not prohibited by the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation,\" Golik said in the defendant's last statement.\nBefore becoming a Jehovah's Witness, Yevgeniy Golik served in the army in Chechnya and has state awards for participation in combat operations. After becoming acquainted with the Bible, he got rid of drug addiction.\nFor almost a year and a half, he has been under house arrest, which limits his freedom of movement. It all began in May 2018, when an FSB special operation with the participation of 150 law enforcement officers, code-named \"Judgment Day,\" took place against local Jehovah's Witnesses in the city of Birobidzhan. As a result, 19 criminal cases were opened against 22 believers. On July 30, 2019, a criminal case was opened against Yevgeniy Golik. His case was investigated by the Investigative Department of the Federal Security Service of Russia in the Jewish Autonomous Region. The investigation went on for about five months, and on December 23, 2019, the materials were transferred to court. The trial lasted 13 months.\nDuring the appearance in court, a witness for the prosecution, a police officer, was unable to explain what exactly the \"crime\" of Yevgeniy Golik consisted in. She only referred to the fact that the townspeople were unhappy with the defendant's religion. They didn't hear any extremist slogans from the believers. Believers gathered to pray and discuss the Bible with co-religionists, which the security forces considered a threat to state security and the constitutional order. The entire logic of the accusation was based on the speculative thesis that belief in God is \"an extension of the activity of an extremist organization. As a consequence of this approach, instead of searching for and proving the guilt of the defendants, the prosecutor's office was busy \"proving\" that they practiced a particular religion, even though no religion is banned in Russia. Having \"proved\" the defendants' confession, which they had never concealed, the investigation suggested that this fact should be automatically interpreted as the activities of a banned legal entity. The absurdity of this logic did not embarrass the court, and it equated peaceful believers with dangerous criminals.\nThe conviction of Yevgeniy Golik was the first in the Jewish Autonomous Region. In January 2021 several more sentences for believers in this region are scheduled to be announced. Yevgeniy Golik became the 60th resident of modern Russia to be convicted of believing in God after the Russian Supreme Court liquidated the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia and 395 local religious organizations.\nRussian and foreign figures and organizations unanimously condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. These include the RF Commissioner for Human Rights, the RF Presidential Human Rights Council, the RF President, prominent Russian public figures, the European Union External Action Service, observers of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. 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 and do not contain restrictions or bans on the individual practice of the above-mentioned doctrine.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-01-22T09:23:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/01/2/image_hu_7c4ea7588ce7cb9f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/01/2/image_hu_8228481b0358385c.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/01/2/image_hu_6b227b22e6641183.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/01/2/image_hu_b95a99ed144d43ee.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/01/2.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","families","suspended","282.2-2"],"title":"Yevgeniy Golik, 44, of Birobidzhan was convicted for his faith. He received a two-and-half year suspended sentence","type":"news"},{"body":"A conscientious objector, whose faith does not allow him to take up arms, was convicted under \"extremist\" articles 282.2 and 282.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Vladimir Barvin, a Leninskiy District Court judge, issued the verdict on December 21, 2020. Several days earlier, the same court handed down a two-and-a-half-year suspended sentence to another Jehovah's Witness, Ruslan Alyyev.\nSemyon Baybak was sentenced to 3.5 years suspended imprisonment with a probation period of 4.5 years, 1-year restriction of freedom, namely: it is forbidden to leave home from 22:00 to 6:00, it is forbidden to visit institutions where alcoholic drinks are sold, it is forbidden to leave Rostov-on-Don, change the place of residence and work, it is ordered to come twice a month to a supervisory body for registration. The believer was immediately released from the measure of restraint in the form of house arrest.\nAnother 14 law-abiding residents of Rostov-on-Don are currently prosecuted under a similar scheme. The investigation interprets the unprohibited observance of religious rules — reading the Bible, praying, singing, and Biblical conversations — as participation in the activities of an organization banned by a court in Moscow in 2017.\nOn December 18, 2020, addressing the court with his last word, Semyon Baibak said: \"I am not the first Jehovah's Witness in this court and, unfortunately, not the last. My other co-religionists will be here for some time yet... Jehovah's Witnesses in general, as a religion, are absolutely alien to extremism in all its manifestations. Let me give you an example from history. Bergen-Belsen, Bohr, Buchenwald, Wevelsburg, Gros Rosen, Dachau, Sachsenhausen, Lichtenburg, Majdanek, Mauthausen, Mittelbau-Dora, Niederhagen, Neuengamm, Oswiecim, Ravensbrück, Stutthof, Esterwegen... These are all names of Nazi concentration camps. The Jehovah's Witnesses, a group of people marked with a purple triangle patch on their uniforms, were held . . . in each of them. Sent to these terrible places for their religious beliefs, for refusing to say \"Heil Hitler!\" and for refusing to participate in that war. So why did they refuse? The Bible calls, \"As far as possible on your part, be at peace with all men.\" For Jehovah's Witnesses, these are not just words. It is a directive from God that we honor sacredly.\"\nSemyon Baibak did not admit his guilt of participating in an extremist organization. He considers his criminal case to be nothing but religious persecution. At the same time, he told the court: \"I don't feel depressed or hate that such things touched me as well. But I intend to prove my innocence to the very end. I would like to end with a passage from the Bible that I like very much: \"We are constrained in every way, but not driven into a corner; we are confused, but our situation is not hopeless; we are persecuted, but not abandoned; subverted, but not destroyed.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2020-12-22T18:29:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/12/8/image_hu_6762db9cfce68be2.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/12/8/image_hu_8c09ab7371274c24.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/12/8/image_hu_eea9b00288f1cb0a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/12/8/image_hu_f00b1423fef2f32b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/12/8.html","regions":["rostov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-2","282.3-1"],"title":"Another verdict for practicing faith: a three-and-a-half year suspended sentence for the 23-year-old Rostov-on-Don-based Semyon Baybak","type":"news"},{"body":"In the Leninsky District Court of Rostov-on-Don, Judge Vladimir Barvin announces the verdict: to find Semyon Baybak guilty under Articles 282.2 and 282.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The believer was sentenced to 3.5 years of suspended imprisonment with a probationary period of 4.5 years, 1 year of restriction of freedom, namely: it is forbidden to leave home from 22:00 to 6:00, it is forbidden to visit institutions where alcoholic beverages are sold, it is forbidden to travel outside Rostov-on-Don, change the place of residence and place of work, it is ordered to appear 2 times a month in the supervisory authority for registration. The believer must be immediately released from the measure of restraint in the form of house arrest.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Baybak in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2020-12-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don2/index.html#20201221","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sentence","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On 17 December 2020, Vladimir Strokov, judge of the Leninskiy District Court of Rostov-on-Don, found a law-abiding believer guilty of participating in the activities of a banned organization just because he observes the customs of his religion: he reads the Bible and recommends it to others. The verdict did not take effect.\nTogether with the suspended sentence, Ruslan Alyev was put on probation for 2.5 years with the obligation to report for registration once a month.\nRuslan Alyev, a Chinese language tutor, spent about a year and a half under house arrest after the Investigative Committee opened a case against him for praying, reading the Bible, and discussing religious issues. The case file includes testimony from a classified witness whose words the court accepted even without questioning him, depriving the defense of the opportunity to ask him questions. The prosecutor asked for three years of suspended sentence for Alyev with a probation period of four years.\nIn his final statement, \"In the first century C.E. a young man of 33 years stood trial on charges of inciting rebellion against the state. The witnesses' testimonies contradicted each other, the prosecution could not prove his guilt, but the verdict, nevertheless, turned out to be guilty. That man was Jesus Christ. Today, in the twenty-first century, I, a young man of 33, stand before the court accused of a crime against the constitutional order and security of the state. When I hear the charge of undermining the constitutional order and threatening the security of the state, I wonder at the inconsistency and absurdity of the charge. It's like drawing a sheep with fangs and claws: on paper it's possible, but in life it's not.\"\nI grew up imbibing the culture of at least three nations: Russian, Azerbaijani and Ukrainian,\" Aliyev said about himself in his last statement, \"Each of them is dear and close to me equally. [...] Among my friends are quite a few people from various English-speaking countries in Africa and the Chinese. By blood I am an Azerbaijani. Everyone knows about the long-standing hostility between the Azerbaijani and Armenian peoples, but my close friend is Armenian, he was a witness at my wedding. This attitude towards people of different nationalities, races, religions and social status has been formed in me, thanks to my religious upbringing... And now to hear accusations of fomenting ethnic or racial hatred or superiority over others is very surprising to me and to those who know me.\nRuslan Alyev is one of 16 Jehovah's Witnesses in the Rostov region who are charged under Article 282.2 of the Russian Criminal Code because of their religion.\nLaw enforcers mistakenly mistake citizens' religion for participation in the activities of an extremist organization. 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 restrictions or bans on individual practice of the aforementioned doctrine.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2020-12-17T18:00:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/12/5/image_hu_eb22bbce2d1801d6.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/12/5/image_hu_ca643051c003f964.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/12/5/image_hu_60a844627e38292d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/12/5/image_hu_36ca6b4563d10f9b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/12/5.html","regions":["rostov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-2"],"title":"A Rostov-on-Don sentence for practicing faith: one of Jehovah's Witnesses, Ruslan Alyyev, 33, was handed a two-and-a-half year suspended sentence","type":"news"},{"body":"The judge of the Leninsky District Court Vladimir Strokov announces the verdict: to find Ruslan Alyev guilty, to impose a sentence of 2.5 years of suspended imprisonment plus a probationary period of 2.5 years with the obligation to appear for registration once a month. The verdict has not entered into force and will be appealed.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Alyev in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2020-12-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don6/index.html#20201217","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sentence","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On November 30, 2020 Pervomaiskiy District Court of Omsk sentenced Sergey Polyakov to 3 years of imprisonment in a general regime colony, he was taken into custody. Another 3 women were given a suspended sentence by the court: Anastasia Polyakova 2 years 6 months, Gaukhar Bektemirova 2 years and 3 months, Dinara Dyusekeeva 2 years.\nThe verdict has not entered into force, believers will appeal against it. Sergey Polyakov will wait for the appeal while in jail.\nSergey Polyakov and his wife Anastasia, a radiophysicist and lawyer, led a usual life until June 2018, when a criminal case was initiated against them. About two weeks later, in July, their house was searched, during which Sergei was severely beaten. The spouses were later sent to a detention center where they spent 154 days in solitary confinement - Anastasia was the first woman Jehovah's Witness in the history of modern Russia to be imprisoned for her faith. The couple spent another 91 days under house arrest. On July 13, 2018, they filed a lawsuit with the European Court of Human Rights.\nThe veterinary doctor Dinara Dyusekeeva and her friend Gaukhar Bektemirova were under investigation about a year after the Polyakovs. In the summer of 2019, a case was also filed against them, which was connected to the case of Anastasia and Sergei, and the believers were under obligation to appear.\nThe women were charged with involvement, while Sergei Polyakov was charged with organizing and financing a banned religious organization. This is how the investigator qualified the fact that the believers talked to others about God and gathered for religious service together.\nDuring the trial, none of the interviewed witnesses confirmed that the defendants had caused them any harm or made threats, although some witnesses criticized the religious views of believers.\nAmong the evidence of their \"guilt\" were 20 biblical cartoons and the Bible in different languages. As in other cases against Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, there are no victims in criminal cases against the Polyakovs, Dyusekeeva or Bektemirova.\nThe defendants themselves, testifying, explained that they \"exercised their constitutional right to spread their religious beliefs\" because \"Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation applies to all believers. They categorically rejected their involvement in extremism.\nAs Sergey Polyakov stated in his last word, the history of Jehovah's Witnesses persecution in the Soviet Union proved that believers do not threaten society and respect the authorities. His wife Anastasia brought arguments to the judge proving that she and her husband and fellow believers are judged solely for their faith in Jehovah, not for crimes.\n\"My desire for peace is connected not only with my non-participation in military conflicts, but also with my rejection of violence against other people,\" Gauhar Bektemirova said. \"I am confident in my rightness. My position is shared by many reasonable people around the world,\" Dinara Dyusekeeva noted in her testimony. On November 10, the believer made a last word in the process, emphasizing: \"Neither I nor my friends have committed any crime.\nJudge Denis Pershukevich ignored inconsistencies in the case and the arguments of the believers, admitting all 4 defendants guilty of extremism. Sergey Polyakov will have to go to the colony for his faith. The court decided to include 5 months of believer's stay in the pre-trial detention center and 3 months under house arrest as the time served. The sentence did not come into force, the believers will appeal against it.\nRussian human rights organizations, as well as the international community, consider the criminal prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia to be illegitimate.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2020-11-30T19:22:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/11/12/image_hu_44c83bdba91ae661.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/11/12/image_hu_47b9c37fa528caf0.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/11/12/image_hu_d4789da9a42df955.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/11/12/image_hu_170b8fb513ea6966.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/11/12.html","regions":["omsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","liberty-deprivation","suspended","282.2-1","282.2-2","282.3-1","families"],"title":"An Omsk court sentenced a 48-year-old Jehovah's Witness to a three-year sentence in a correctional facility. His wife and two other women received a suspended sentence","type":"news"},{"body":"Judge of the Pervomaisky District Court of Omsk Denis Pershukevich sentences Sergey Polyakov to 3 years of imprisonment in a general regime colony. At the same time, the court decides to include 5 months of the believer's stay in a pre-trial detention center and 3 months under house arrest in the served term. The court sentenced Anastasia Polyakova to 2 years and 6 months of probation. Gaukhar Bektemirova and Dinara Dyusekeyeva also receive suspended sentences of 2 years and 3 months, as well as 2 years, respectively. Believers do not agree with the guilty verdict and will appeal against it.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Polyakovs and Others in Omsk","date":"2020-11-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/omsk2/index.html#20201130","regions":["omsk"],"tags":["sentence","liberty-deprivation","suspended","282.2-1","282.2-2","282.3-1","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Denis Pershukevich in the Pervomaisky District Court of Omsk begins, but does not finish, read out the verdict in the case. The announcement of the verdict will continue on Monday, November 30.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Polyakovs and Others in Omsk","date":"2020-11-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/omsk2/index.html#20201127","regions":["omsk"],"tags":["sentence","liberty-deprivation","suspended","282.2-1","282.2-2","282.3-1","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On November 24, 2020, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky City Court found the believer guilty of activity of extremist organization but reclassified his actions from part 1 (organization) to part 2 (participation) of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code. He was appointed two years conditionally with a probation period of three years. The prosecutor demanded six years of the penal colony.\nThe sentence did not come into force. Sergey Ledenyov did not plead guilty and intends to appeal the decision. \"My conscience is pure before God and people,\" he said in his last word to Judge Natalia Lychkova. \"When a person commits a real crime, he is expected to repent in the last word. I still can't understand what I need to repent. That I am one of Jehovah's Witnesses? In other words, that I deeply believe in Jehovah and tell others about him? Or that we gathered together with friends? What exactly is my crime? The entire investigation has proven that the worship meetings that I am accused of are purely peaceful, legal, non-hazardous religious activity, which was not banned by any court.\"\nThe criminal prosecution of Sergey Ledenyov lasts almost 2 years. Searches in houses of believers were conducted in December 2018. He was charged with organizing the activities of a banned organization for discussing the Bible with other people. A year later, in 2019, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky City Court found many violations in the case and returned it to the prosecutor, but the supervisory authority finally insisted that the case be considered in court.\nLaw scholars and human rights activists both in Russia and abroad unanimously condemn the authorities' actions against Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2020-11-25T09:03:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/11/7/image_hu_16db46ff70834484.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/11/7/image_hu_ff6443c597170a88.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/11/7/image_hu_970ee40d6a7fa9cd.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/11/7/image_hu_7d0559971a204253.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/11/7.html","regions":["kamchatka"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-2"],"title":"Kamchatka resident Sergey Ledenyov was sentenced to two years of probation for speaking about the moral value of the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky City Court. Judge Natalia Lychkova announces the verdict: to find him guilty of the activities of an extremist organization, reclassifying the actions from part 1 (organization) to part 2 (participation) of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Assign 2 years of suspended imprisonment with a probationary period of 3 years.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ledenyov in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy","date":"2020-11-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petropavlovsk-kamchatskiy/index.html#20201124","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["sentence","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"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_e600a7d9fcda0982.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/11/4/image_hu_e19f4f160e9c8f7b.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/11/4/image_hu_58f2aa45fc62fe65.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/11/4/image_hu_433cbda3d3699802.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":"On October 9, 2020, Dmitry Balayev, judge of the Sverdlovsk District Court of Kostroma, sentenced Jehovah's Witnesses Sergey and Valeriya Rayman to 8 and 7 years of probation, respectively. This is more than the state prosecutor asked. The believers' guilt is a joint home Bible discussion. The verdict has not entered into force.\nThe court found the believing spouses guilty both in organization and participation in activity of extremist organization (part 1 and 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code). State prosecution asked the court to sentence them to 7 years conditionally each. Believers continue to insist on their complete innocence.\n\"The very fact that they were found guilty under 2 mutually exclusive articles at once already testifies to complete misunderstanding of the matter among law enforcers, - said Yaroslav Sivulskiy from the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses, - In reality Sergey and Valeriya simply enjoyed their constitutional right to freedom of religion, no extremist activity is being involved\".\nSergey and Valeria Rayman during the sentencing in court. Kostroma. 9 October 2020 \"For some reason, any attempt to exercise their religious beliefs, which no court has banned, is a crime from the perspective of the investigation. No one was harmed by my actions, and the indictment clearly states: 'No victims’. They could not have been, because the main motive of all my actions is love for people. I am not ashamed of my beliefs that helped me to become a worthy man,\" Sergei Rayman said in his last word.\nValeriya Rayman, addressing to court with last word, has told: \"The persecution by the authorities has had an impact on our life, on our physical and emotional health. And now, for over two years, we have been living under constant stress and anxiety. And all this is due to the unfair accusation of extremism. I have not committed any crime and my conscience is clean before everyone.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2020-10-09T16:16:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/10/4/image_hu_4b5827d6e374f75c.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/10/4/image_hu_61a5246850d4700e.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/10/4/image_hu_c2a4891807e82d05.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/10/4/image_hu_acbdb08a82b67035.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/10/4.html","regions":["kostroma"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["suspended","282.2-1","282.2-2","families","sentence"],"title":"In Kostroma, the Court Sentenced a Family of Jehovah's Witnesses to the Largest Probation Period During Religious Persecution in Russia","type":"news"},{"body":"Dmitry Balayev, judge of the Sverdlovsk District Court of Kostroma, sentences Sergey and Valeriya Rayman to 8 and 7 years of probation, respectively. At the suggestion of the state prosecutor Ivan Bogomolov, the court found them guilty both of organizing and participating in the activities of an extremist organization (parts 1 and 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Raymans in Kostroma","date":"2020-10-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma2/index.html#20201009","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["sentence","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On October 8, 2020, the judge of the Zasviyazhsky District Court of Ulyanovsk, Galina Soshkina, sentenced 6 law-abiding local residents professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses to various terms of imprisonment suspended from 2 years and 2 months to 3.5 years. Until the verdict comes into force, they will be under recognizance not to leave.\nSergey Mysin was sentenced to 3.5 years of suspended imprisonment plus 10 months of restriction of freedom, his actions were reclassified under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. His wife, Natalia Mysina, was sentenced to 2 years and 2 months of suspended imprisonment plus 7 months of restriction of freedom. Mikhail Zelensky was sentenced to 2 years and 6 months of suspended imprisonment plus 8 months of restriction of freedom. Andrey Tabakov was sentenced to 3 years and 3 months of suspended imprisonment plus 10 months of restriction of freedom. Aleksandr Ganin was sentenced to 3 years of suspended imprisonment plus 9 months of restriction of freedom. Khoren Khachikyan was sentenced to 2 years and 4 months of suspended imprisonment plus 7 months of restriction of liberty. The property of believers has not been confiscated, it has been seized.\nThe state prosecutor asked for a sentence of 3 to 7 years in a colony with the confiscation of savings and cars in the amount of 1.57 million rubles, which were seized. The believers themselves asked the court to fully acquit them.\nSergei Mysin told the court in his final statement: \"Neither I, nor my family, nor my friends are extremists, and never have been. I have nothing to be ashamed of, and I am not guilty either before the law of my country, or before my conscience, or before the Creator, Jehovah God\" (full text).\nAndrei Tabakov told the court: \"The indictment says that each of us committed a deliberate crime against the foundations of the constitutional order and the security of the state. But I don't understand how exercising my constitutional right to have beliefs and share them with others can lead to such serious consequences for the state. I don't understand how you can call extremists people who, even at the cost of their own lives, reject any violence\" (full text).\nKhoren Khachikyan said: \"I do not presume to teach those who undertook to eradicate the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, but there is one simple and very important feature: the stronger the persecution of a sincerely believing Christian, the stronger his faith becomes\" (full text).\n","category":"verdict","date":"2020-10-08T15:51:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/10/3/image_hu_8a696096c5fce514.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/10/3/image_hu_182aeee2c8d15134.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/10/3/image_hu_ee2dd714f8226f67.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/10/3/image_hu_412381955eeac695.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/10/3.html","regions":["ulyanovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-1","282.2-2","families"],"title":"A verdict was passed on 6 believers in Ulyanovsk. All of them were sentenced to suspended imprisonment for terms up to 3.5 years","type":"news"},{"body":"Judge of the Zasviyazhsky District Court of Ulyanovsk, Galina Soshkina, found all six guilty under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\nSergey Mysin is sentenced to 3 years and 6 months of suspended imprisonment plus 10 months of restriction of liberty, followed by a probationary period of 4 years (his actions were reclassified under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). His wife, Natalya Mysina, is sentenced to 2 years and 2 months of suspended imprisonment plus 7 months of restriction of liberty, followed by a probationary period of 2 years and 6 months.\nMikhail Zelensky is sentenced to 2 years and 6 months of suspended imprisonment plus 8 months of restriction of freedom, followed by a probationary period of 3 years.\nAndrey Tabakov was sentenced to 3 years and 3 months of suspended imprisonment plus 10 months of restriction of liberty, followed by a probationary period of 4 years.\nAleksandr Ganin was sentenced to 3 years of suspended imprisonment plus 9 months of restriction of liberty, followed by a probationary period of 3 years.\nKhoren Khachikyan is sentenced to 2 years and 4 months of suspended imprisonment plus 7 months of restriction of liberty, followed by a probationary period of 2 years and 6 months.\nThe property of believers has not been confiscated, it has been seized.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zelenskiy and Others in Ulyanovsk","date":"2020-10-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ulyanovsk/index.html#20201008","regions":["ulyanovsk"],"tags":["sentence","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"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_90e6d400b65cd012.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/09/10/image_hu_c86f1b9e6bd29eb6.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/09/10/image_hu_2f6497d14e7f9c2c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/09/10/image_hu_66d319b908187f24.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":"Judge of the Yelizovsky District Court of the Kamchatka Territory Yulia Piskun softens the qualification of the defendants' actions from Part 1 of Article 282.2 to Part 2 of Article 282.2 and renders a verdict: to sentence spouses Konstantin and Snezhana Bazhenov, as well as 73-year-old Vera Zolotova, to 2 years suspended sentence with a probationary period of 3 years and subsequent restriction of freedom for 6 months.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Bazhenovs and Others in Yelizovo","date":"2020-09-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yelizovo/index.html#20200925","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["sentence","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"September 16, 2020 Penza Regional Court commuted the sentence of Vladimir Alushkin, replacing 6 years in prison with 4 years of suspended sentence. To his wife, Tatiana, and 4 more believers the court left the sentence - 2 years conditionally - in force. The believers did not admit guilt in extremism. The verdict came into force.\nPersecution of Penza believers has already lasted for 3 years. Even before the criminal cases were initiated, operatives had been following them for several months, recording that believers had not renounced their religious beliefs after the ban of Jehovah's Witnesses legal entities in Russia and continued to gather for joint Bible studies.\nJuly 15, 2018. Vladimir Alushkin was arrested for the first time. He spent 3 days in a TDF and then 181 days in pre-trial detention center #1 in Penza region.\nOn January 14, 2019 Alushkin was released from the pre-trial detention center. The court placed him under house arrest, where he spent an extra 11 months. His fellow believers Vladimir Kulyasov, Andrei Magliv (helps his wife take care of her elderly mother) and Denis Timoshin spent 515 days under house arrest).\nOn December 13, 2019, Alushkin was arrested for the second time. He was taken into custody in the Leninsky District Court of Penza, after Judge Roman Tanchenko announced the decision: Vladimir Alushkin was sentenced to 6 years in prison, his wife, Tatyana, to 2 years of suspended imprisonment. The court also sentenced Galia Olkhova, Denis Timoshin, Andrey Magliv and Vladimir Kulyasov to 2 years of suspended imprisonment. Even before the verdict came into force, Alushkin was transported from Penza to one of the detention facilities in Mordovia.\nOn March 25, 2020. Vladimir was released from the pre-trial detention center again. This happened after the Penza Regional Court overturned the sentence of December 13 and sent it for a new trial. Vladimir Alushkin (and the rest of the accused) received a preventive measure in the form of subscription on his not leaving.\nOn July 9, 2020. First Court of Cassation returned Alushkin's case and 5 of his associates for new appeal consideration to Penza regional court. Even before the announcement of the decision of the appeal instance, which softened Alushkin's sentence under part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and left in force the conditional punishment for the rest, the believers were under the subscription about not leaving.\n\"It is good that the believers will not go to prison. And yet the court unfairly found them guilty of extremism. There are no victims, no harm or even intentions to inflict it. All their guilt is that in the name of their religion there is the word combination \"Jehovah's Witnesses\", which propaganda methodically covers with myths about a threat to society. Although the Russian authorities themselves have repeatedly assured that this religion is not banned,\" Yaroslav Sivulsky of the European Jehovah's Witnesses Association commented on the court ruling.\nAndrey Magliv and Natalia Kulyasov Vladimir and Snezhana Olkhova Galiya Timoshin Denis It is noteworthy that on October 1, 2019 the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention of the UN Human Rights Council declared Vladimir Alushkin's arrest as unlawful. \"An appropriate measure of protection,\" the document says, \"would be the unconditional release of Vladimir Alushkin and the granting of his enforceable right to receive compensation and damages.\n","category":"sentence","date":"2020-09-16T23:02:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/09/7/7_2_hu_404727eba237e67a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/09/7/7_2.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/09/7/7_2_hu_48da5a170ea2b575.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/09/7/7_2_hu_e0cbad2f77e5f4fb.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/09/7.html","regions":["penza"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","suspended","282.2-1"],"title":"The appeal filed in the City of Penza reversed the prison sentence for Vladimir Alushkin. Six believers received a suspended sentence.","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 10, 2020, the Berezovsky City Court of Kemerovo region handed a guilty verdict to Hasan Kogut, a 37-year-old father of a minor child. The believer was sentenced conditionally to two-and-a-half years with a probation period of two years. He strongly denied the guilty charge of extremism, stating that he was convicted for his faith.\n\"30 states openly condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses and hope that this misunderstanding will soon be over. I'm not going to give up my faith in Jehovah, and making me do it is a crime,\" Hassan Kogut said in a final statement to the court, stressing that he is not being tried for crimes but for religious beliefs.\nJudge Elena Bigeza, having listened to the argumentation of the believer, sentenced him to suspended sentence, although the prosecutor asked for 2 years of colony for Kogut.\nJuly 22, 2018 the house of a resident of Berezovsky Hassan Koghut was searched. But he was only detained on 6 February 2019, the same day that the regional FSB department opened a criminal case against him for involvement in extremist activities. Immediately after his arrest, Kogut was placed in a detention center for 2 days, and later - for 202 days under house arrest. The court then relaxed his restraining order until he signed a notice not to leave.\nAccording to the case file, Hassan Koghut gathered with his fellow believers for religious meetings, \"continuing\" the activities of a legal entity, a banned religious organization. By doing so, a believer \"committed a deliberate crime against the foundations of the constitutional order and security,\" the indictment said.\nHassan Kohut\u0026rsquo;s support group outside the courthouse The trial of Hassan Kogut lasted more than a year. During that time, many witnesses testified that they had not heard a believer call to hatred, violence or anti-state slogans - none of which is listed in the legislation on countering extremist activity. The presence of extremism in Kogut's words analyzed during the court sessions was also denied by the expert Vadim Shiller from Kemerovo.\n\"The course of the process indicated that law enforcers act on the basis of misinformation about believers. For example, in her speech the state prosecutor stated that Jehovah's Witnesses invented the doctrine of hell as a place of torment for sinners, although among Christian religions it is the Witnesses who deny the existence of fiery hell. This nuance is an indicator of how law enforcement in general treats the facts, if we talk about the criminal cases against Jehovah's Witnesses,\" - commented on the sentence representative of the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses Yaroslav Sivulsky.\nThe case of Hasan Kogut was separated from the case of other Berezovsky believers - Vadim Levchuk and Sergey Britvin, who were sent to the colony for 4 years by the court on September 2, 2020, based on similar charges.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2020-09-10T17:24:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/09/5/image_hu_5076a489cb507c97.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/09/5/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/09/5/image_hu_f80038bb430955fb.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/09/5/image_hu_60494d2d0d42abd3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/09/5.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-2"],"title":"Hasan Kogut, a believer from Beryozovsky, was handed a two and a half year suspended sentence for participating in meetings with fellow believers","type":"news"},{"body":"Hassan Kogut addresses the court with the last word, not admitting guilt in extremism. Judge Elena Begeza sentences him to 2.5 years of probation with a probation period of 2 years.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kogut in Beryozovsky","date":"2020-09-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky/index.html#20200910","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom","sentence","suspended","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On August, 3, 2020, the appeal court commuted the sentence imposed on a 61-year-old believer by the Pskov City Court, replacing 6.5 years of imprisonment with a suspended sentence. A few hours after the verdict was pronounced, Gennady was released from the pre-trial detention center.\nThe news is being updated\n","category":"verdict","date":"2020-08-03T21:49:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/08/1/image_hu_d1ed4925abeeb45a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/08/1/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/08/1/image_hu_35100e51907ac683.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/08/1/image_hu_6062f5b46d91d19a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/08/1.html","regions":["pskov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","liberty-deprivation","mitigation","suspended","282.2-1","282.3-1"],"title":"The Pskov Regional Court replaced Gennadiy Shpakovskiy's prison sentence with a suspended sentence. The believer has already been released.","type":"news"},{"body":"The Pskov Regional Court replaces Gennady Shpakovsky's prison sentence with a 6.5-year suspended sentence. On the same day, the believer is released from the pre-trial detention center, but the unfair conviction is considered to have entered into force. It can be appealed.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shpakovskiy in Pskov","date":"2020-08-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pskov/index.html#20200803","regions":["pskov"],"tags":["appeal","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The April 1st verdict to the believer — a husband and father of two children — provides a list of material evidence by which one can judge the nature of his ‘crime’: “Religious cards; religious games; envelope with religious pictures; Bible domino; folder with Bible comics; box with postcards.\"\nAn eloquent list of \"evidence of guilt\" is supplemented by \"two Bibles; three diaries; seven notebooks; two halves of a notebook; the book \"Is there a caring Creator\"; the book \"Spivanik in Praise of Yegovya\"; the booklet \"First Encounter with God's Word\"; \"The Bible. Modern translation\"; the book \"New Testament and Psalms\"; the book \"On People Who Never Part with the Bible\"; the booklet \"Consolation for the Suffering from Depression\"; photo album\". In addition, the list includes laptops, tablets, phones, storage devices.\nAt the same time, the state prosecutor Oksana Slastina recommended that the court sentence Igor Ivashin to 7 years in prison with serving the sentence in a general regime colony. In his last speech, the believer unsuccessfully tried to reach out to the judge: \"There are no victims in my criminal case, there is not even a statement against me. There is nothing! But a serious accusation has been made. Unfounded!\" On April 1, 2020, Zhanna Schmidt, judge of the Lensky District Court of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), handed down a harsh sentence to Igor Ivashin: 6 years of suspended imprisonment for believing in Jehovah God.\nThe criminal case against Igor Ivashin was initiated after large-scale police raids in the summer of 2018. His home was searched, during which the security forces seized the items listed above. The investigation considered the presence of these items in Igor's apartment to be convincing \"evidence\" of his extremist activities.\nEarlier, in November 2019, Judge Sergei Osmushin returned Ivashin's case to the prosecutor. The court then noted that \"it is not possible to understand\" what the expert opinions in the criminal case testify to \"at all.\" Obviously, the \"evidence\" of the crime provided by the investigation also looked unconvincing. Nevertheless, the retrial of the case in the new composition of the court eventually ended in a guilty verdict.\nDespite the fact that the prosecutor's office asked to sentence Igor Ivashin to real imprisonment, the judge still sentenced him to probation. Also, according to the judge, \"the prosecution did not prove that the defendant committed propaganda to induce the rupture of family and family relations, a call to refuse medical intervention.\" The judge excluded these points from the charges.\nJudging by the text of the verdict, Zhanna Schmidt also admitted that the Supreme Court of Russia did not prohibit individuals from professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses and \"did not deprive its followers of the right ... the exercise of independent worship.\" Article 28 of the Russian Constitution also does not prohibit \"the practice of any religion individually or in community with others.\" However, despite the convincing arguments of the defense, the court decided that Igor Ivashin was guilty of committing a crime under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation – that he \"carried out religious instruction and religious preaching\", as well as \"sang choral religious songs\".\n","category":"trial","date":"2020-04-08T16:05:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/04/7/image_hu_a55b90b459b9e8b9.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/04/7/image_hu_8b1b816ff5d82f65.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/04/7/image_hu_de87e89a763257e9.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/04/7/image_hu_aa4285d06ac82719.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/04/7.html","regions":["sakha"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended"],"title":"Envelope Inscribed \"Bible Quiz\": Igor Ivashin, Sentenced to Six Years’ Probation, Will Receive Back Material Evidence of His ‘Crime’","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 1, 2020, Zhanna Schmidt, judge of the Lensky District Court of the Republic of Sakha, sentenced 43-year-old Igor Ivashin to six years of suspended imprisonment for believing in Jehovah God and discussing the Bible. Ivashin called the accusations of extremism far-fetched: there is no evidence and no victims in the case.\nIn the past, geologist, and in recent years, locksmith Igor Ivashin, along with 22 other co-religionists, was detained on the basis of accusations of extremism in June 2018. Prior to that, employees of the Investigative Committee and the Center for Countering Extremism monitored local Jehovah's Witnesses for a year and a half and listened to Ivashin's telephone conversations.\nThe believer was the only defendant in this case. All his guilt was that he continued to discuss the Bible with his fellow believers, sing religious songs together and pray to God after 396 legal entities - organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses - were banned in Russia.\n\"The prosecution asks to convict me under the article extremism, seeing it in the fact that I sang songs, watched films with my friends and carried out religious preaching. And since the state prosecutor is well aware that these actions cannot constitute a crime in themselves, he sees my guilt in the fact that I sang not just songs, but songs of Jehovah's Witnesses. It turns out that my so-called guilt is that I am a Jehovah's Witness,\" Ivashin said in his last speech, calling the accusations of extremism unsubstantiated.\nThe judge, not heeding the arguments of the believer, issued a guilty verdict, although not as severe as the prosecutor demanded - the prosecutor Oksana Slastina requested seven years in a general regime colony. As a result, Ivashin received 6 years probation with a probationary period of three and a half years. In addition, the court banned Ivashin from holding senior positions in any public organizations for five years. He also forbade for one year without permission to leave Lensk and change his place of work without notifying the regulatory authorities.\nDespite the relative leniency of the sentence, the suspended sentence with probation condemns the believer to a life of constant fear, since he can go to prison at any time if law enforcement authorities consider his individual religion \"an extension of the organization's activities.\" Ivashin intends to appeal the verdict.\nThe verdict to Igor Ivashin comes against the backdrop of the European Union's demand to stop bullying Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. Ivashin is already the 32nd Jehovah's Witness to be convicted by the Russian legal system. Eight believers are currently serving sentences in penal colonies for their beliefs, some of whom have been beaten and humiliated.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2020-04-01T10:06:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/04/1/image_hu_69dffb410a78fa5e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/04/1/image_hu_500599acb4340116.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/04/1/image_hu_dfbe8afe7d914da1.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/04/1/image_hu_6e91848312d4a5f1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/04/1.html","regions":["sakha"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended"],"title":"In Yakutia, a Judge Sentenced a Father of Two Children to Six Years’ Probation for Believing in Jehovah","type":"news"},{"body":"Tatyana Kalganova, judge of the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Khabarovsk, declares Yevgeny Aksyonov guilty of extremist activities because of his religion. He was sentenced to 2 years of suspended imprisonment. In addition, he was sentenced to restriction of liberty for another 6 months, during which he cannot leave his home at night. Aksyonov himself insists on his innocence, considers the accusation false, and the court's decision unjust, and prepares an appeal.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Aksenov in Khabarovsk","date":"2020-02-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk3/index.html#20200218","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["sentence","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Natalia Firsova, judge of the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Khabarovsk, announces the verdict. Nikolay Polevodov and Stanislav Kim were found guilty under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. They were sentenced to 2 years of suspended imprisonment with a probation period of 2 years. The believers consider themselves innocent and intend to appeal the verdict.\n(In addition, Kim and Polevodov are tried in another court for their faith, but under part 1 of p. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.)\n","caseTitle":"Case of Polevodov and Kim in Khabarovsk","date":"2020-02-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk/index.html#20200204","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["sentence","282.2-2","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On January 27, 2020, a judge of the Karpinsky City Court of the Sverdlovsk Region, Svetlana Gabbasova, decided in the case of three peaceful civilians under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code (participation in extremism). All received suspended sentences lasting from one to two and a half years plus restrictions solely on the basis of their religious views.\nAlexander Pryanikov received the harshest sentence - 2.5 years probation with a probationary period of 2.5 years. Venera Dulova was given a 2-year suspended sentence with a probationary period of 2 years; Darya Dulova — 1 year probation with a probationary period of 1 year.\nAll three are additionally forbidden to visit crowded places and change their place of residence. When changing jobs, it is necessary to notify the supervisory authorities. Twice a month it is necessary to report to the police. If the terms of the probation period are violated, the suspended sentence may be replaced by a real prison term.\nThe believers intend to appeal the illegal verdict on the basis of confessional affiliation. The religion of Jehovah's Witnesses is not prohibited in Russia.\nPryanikov and the Dulovs have become the latest victims of law enforcement agencies that interpret the usual practice of religion as participation in extremist activities or its organization. The case against the believers has been under investigation since July 30, 2018, although Aleksandr and Venera were first detained for distributing (unbanned) religious literature back in April 2016. Then they were accused of theft without evidence.\nTwo years later, they were equally unsubstantiated accused of extremism. The case involves a religious examination of personal notes and telephone conversations between Alexander and Venus, which established two facts: they talked about religion; religion is related to Jehovah God. That's all the \"crime\", the investigation of which took a year and a half. 19-year-old Daria Dulova became the youngest defendant in cases against Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.\nAfter the verdict in Karpinsk, the number of those unjustly convicted for believing in Jehovah in Russia reached 37.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2020-01-27T08:12:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/01/39/image_hu_f4857a1079465ea9.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/01/39/image_hu_fd872bc8b1e95df3.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/01/39/image_hu_b014f2fdb6094e02.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/01/39/image_hu_927af9760f9fa97d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/01/39.html","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","282.2-2","families","suspended"],"title":"In Karpinsk, the Faith of a Man and Two Women Leads to Criminal Convictions","type":"news"},{"body":"On January 20, 2020, in Karpinsk (Sverdlovsk region), the hearing of arguments began in the case of Alexander Pryanikov, Venera Dulova and her 19-year-old daughter Daria. At the hearing in the Karpinsky City Court, the prosecutor demanded a suspended sentence of 3 years for Alexander and Venera and 2 years for Daria.\nAlso, the prosecution asks to appoint 3 years of probation for Alexander and Venus and 2 years of probation for Daria.\nThe catchy case against Alexander Pryanikov and Venera Dulova was initiated in the summer of 2018. Later, Daria was included in it. All this time, the investigation tried to collect evidence of the guilt of peaceful believers under the grave article of the Criminal Code - 282.2 (2) (participation in extremist activities), but found only the facts of reading the Bible with friends.\nThe sentencing is expected on January 27 at 9:30 a.m. The presiding judge is Gabbasova S.V.\n","category":"trial","date":"2020-01-21T10:44:05+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/01/16/image_hu_f4857a1079465ea9.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/01/16/image_hu_fd872bc8b1e95df3.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/01/16/image_hu_b014f2fdb6094e02.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/01/16/image_hu_927af9760f9fa97d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/01/16.html","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["prosecutor-request","suspended","families"],"title":"In Karpinsk, Prosecution Asks 2 and 3 Years of Suspended Sentence for 3 Citizens, Including One Hearing Impaired","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 13, 2019, the Leninsky District Court of Penza announced a verdict to 6 citizens whose faith was not liked by the security forces. Vladimir Alushkin was arrested in the courtroom. His wife, Tatiana, and their co-religionists Galiya Olkhova, Denis Timoshin, Andrey Magliv and Vladimir Kulyasov were given suspended sentences of 2 years.\n\"Our hearts go out to the six Jehovah's Witnesses convicted today, including Vladimir Alushkin and his wife, Tatiana,\" said Yaroslav Sivulsky of the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses, \"Vladimir's 6-year prison sentence is one of the harshest sentences handed down to Jehovah's Witnesses since the ban in 2017. Unfortunately, such sentences are becoming the norm in modern Russia. It is especially significant that the Russian authorities continue to stubbornly ignore unanimous criticism from authoritative international organizations, governments and human rights activists. The current state of religious freedom in Russia is reminiscent of the worst periods of Soviet history, but, as we know, even under the yoke of the Soviet machine, Jehovah's Witnesses did not abandon their faith. Similarly, since the ban in 2017, tens of thousands of our brothers and sisters in Russia have remained strong in their faith despite the constant threat of arrest and imprisonment. We have no doubt that their faith will continue to be strong.\"\nHow did it all begin? In September 2017, the Investigative Committee for the Penza Region decided to increase crime detection rates at the expense of innocent Jehovah's Witnesses. Instead of protecting Penza from dangerous criminals, the department threw reserves for operational-search measures against believers.\nOn July 15, 2018, groups of law enforcement officers led by Major Alexander Bukov simultaneously broke into the apartments of civilians in Penza. After interrogations, which lasted well after midnight, criminal cases were opened against four believers under various parts of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation – participation in the activities of an extremist organization or organization thereof. Vladimir Alushkin was sent to pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Penza region for 184 days. Vladimir Kulyasov, Andrey Magliv and Denis Timoshin were placed under house arrest for the same period.\nA year later, on July 10, 2019, Roman Tanchenko, a judge of the Leninsky District Court of Penza, accepted the criminal case for his proceedings. At the same time, he extended the detention of Vladimir Alushkin, Vladimir Kulyasov, Andrey Magliv and Denis Timoshin under house arrest.\nAccording to the verdict of the court, Vladimir Alushkin will go to a colony for 6 years, his wife, Tatiana, was sentenced to 2 years of suspended imprisonment. Galia Olkhova, Denis Timoshin, Andrey Magliv, Vladimir Kulyasov were also sentenced to 2 years of suspended imprisonment. Lawyers intend to appeal the verdict.\nIt is noteworthy that the court openly ignored the resolution of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, issued on the complaint of Vladimir Alushkin. His arrest was declared illegal, and what was happening to Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia was called \"systemic and institutionalized persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses.\" Russian 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":"verdict","date":"2019-12-13T13:43:49+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/12/1471/alushkiny_v_zale_suda2_hu_9f5c5dc7493d2b4b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/12/1471/alushkiny_v_zale_suda2_hu_32116054ede46397.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/12/1471/alushkiny_v_zale_suda2_hu_50b34a7c0c0f353d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/12/1471/alushkiny_v_zale_suda2_hu_21f6eddb3d0d52c5.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/12/1471.html","regions":["penza"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","families","liberty-deprivation","suspended"],"title":"Vladimir Alushkin was sentenced to 6 years in a real colony by the Penza court for his faith. What was he guilty of?","type":"news"},{"body":"Judge Roman Tanchenko announces the verdict. All six believers were found guilty. Vladimir Alushkin will go to a colony for 6 years, his wife, Tatyana, was sentenced to 2 years of suspended imprisonment. Galia Olkhova, Denis Timoshin, Andrey Magliv, Vladimir Kulyasov were also sentenced to 2 years of suspended imprisonment. Lawyers intend to appeal the verdict.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Alushkin and Others in Penza","date":"2019-12-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/penza/index.html#20191213","regions":["penza"],"tags":["sentence","liberty-deprivation","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Andrey Magliv, Vladimir Kulyasov, Denis Timoshin were sentenced to 4 years in prison, and Tatyana Alushkina and Galiya Olkhova were sentenced to 3 years each. Everyone except Vladimir Alushkin is asked by the prosecutor to replace the prison with forced labor. Meanwhile, the UN Working Group officially recognized Alushkin's arrest as arbitrary.\nThe prosecutor requested such severe sanctions on December 5, 2019, speaking in a debate in the Leninsky District Court of Penza. All the \"guilt\" of peaceful Penza residents is faith in Jehovah God. Six people are defendants in the case. Four men are under house arrest and two women are under recognizance agreement. The case is replete with falsifications and inconsistencies. Believers are accused of extremism, although these accusations are not confirmed by witnesses or international arbitrators. A crime is called a joint discussion of the Bible, singing songs with fellow believers, conversations with others about God. Investigators unreasonably consider these actions to be the organization of the activities of a religious organization banned in Russia, although the Supreme Court of Russia did not prohibit the faith of Jehovah's Witnesses itself.\nEven before the arrest, the special services monitored the believers for several months, then in July 2018 they staged mass searches and detentions. Vladimir Alushkin, whom the prosecutor's office considers the \"leader\" of local believers, was sent by the court to a pre-trial detention center, where he stayed for about six months and was then released under house arrest.\nThe defense tried to appeal against the arrest and measure of restraint of the believers, demanding that the appellate instances declare them illegal. However, the judges of the Penza Regional Court refused to do this and repeatedly extended the terms of the preventive measure.\nAt the same time, the panel of judges ignores the opinion of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, according to which the activities, in particular, of Vladimir Alushkin (and since he is called the \"leader\", the rest of the arrested Jehovah's Witnesses) cannot be considered extremist. \"All the activities in which Alushkin took part are an absolutely peaceful religious discussion,\" the UN Working Group said in a document.\nDuring the trial, several witnesses, including the main prosecution witness, did not confirm that the defendants' actions were in any way related to extremism. From the interrogations of other witnesses given during the court hearings, it follows that the investigation falsified their preliminary testimony, and some openly exerted pressure.\nThe continuation of the debate is scheduled for 10.12.2019. There will be a defense.\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-12-05T15:51:27+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/12/1450/web_image_alushin_vladimir_hu_66ed08d09368c457.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/12/1450/web_image_alushin_vladimir_hu_63592e7cf956cc7c.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/12/1450/web_image_alushin_vladimir_hu_352d226901714db8.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/12/1450/web_image_alushin_vladimir_hu_28b0543ff7f52e25.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/12/1450.html","regions":["penza"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["prosecutor-request","liberty-deprivation","suspended","labor","families","fabrications"],"title":"In Penza, the prosecutor asked Vladimir Alushkin for 7 years of real prison! The supervisory body ignored the opinion of the UN on this case ","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_8f8db288d526e6b2.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/12/552/3148.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/12/552/3148_hu_6e10c866d8b498e9.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/12/552/3148_hu_7886495f56b299f6.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_ebf358a1894dd600.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/12/547/akopyan4501_0_0_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/12/547/akopyan4501_0_0_0_hu_61e31a015a6e0439.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/12/547/akopyan4501_0_0_0_hu_5b30c12b309343b9.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":"Roman Khairullin, a 37-year-old Izhevsk resident, who in 2017 committed a pogrom in the building where Jehovah's Witnesses had previously held services, sentenced the magistrate's court to 11 months of suspended imprisonment, to pay compensation for damages and legal costs in total.\nOn the night of May 20, 2017, in the wake of the aggression against believers that swept across Russia after the liquidation of all 396 registered Jehovah's Witnesses organizations, Roman Khairullin entered a building on Krasnoposselskaya Street in Izhevsk through a broken window. With a heavy metal object, he destroyed furniture, a false ceiling, interior doors, audio and video equipment, tore out metal electrical panels, and activated fire extinguishers. The man explained his barbaric actions by a negative attitude towards the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. The actions of Roman Khairullin were recorded by CCTV cameras.\n","category":"victory","date":"2018-11-12T22:29:23+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/11/512/izhevsk-top3278_0_hu_1fd55b8976a5133e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/11/512/izhevsk-top3278_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/11/512/izhevsk-top3278_0_hu_df4b52a9790376ce.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/11/512/izhevsk-top3278_0_hu_8d505f46d3a324ef.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/11/512.html","regions":["udmurtia"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["vandalism","violent-raid","hatred-attacks","suspended"],"title":"In Udmurtia, a sentence was passed for a pogrom committed on the basis of hatred","type":"news"},{"body":"It took the Russian authorities 9 years to implement the cunning plan. The chronology of the main stages, as well as the statements of analysts, are given in a 7-minute video.\nVideo footage of raids on peaceful Jehovah's Witnesses is shocking. How did law-abiding Jehovah's Witnesses become \"extremists\" in Russia?\nDecember 2009: The Supreme Court of the Russian Federation declared 34 publications of Jehovah's Witnesses \"extremist\"; LRO of Jehovah's Witnesses \"Taganrog\" was liquidated\nAugust 2011: a criminal case under the article \"extremism\" was initiated against 16 Taganrog residents.\nApril 2013: Searches at the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia\nFebruary 2014: the beginning of systematic planting of \"extremist\" materials to believers, followed by searches.\nApril 2015: Jehovah's Witnesses are banned from importing Bible publications into Russia; Millions of magazines detained by Russian customs\nMarch 2016: guilty verdict for all 16 Taganrog residents; The sentence is up to 5.5 years in prison conditionally.\nJuly 2016: action of armed special forces against believers in Karelia; pressure on believers in different parts of Russia begins\nApril 2017: Russian Supreme Court liquidates all 396 Jehovah's Witnesses organizations in Russia citing \"extremism\"\nMay 2017: The first believer, Dennis Christensen, was sent to a pre-trial detention center in the city of Oryol.\nDecember 7, 2017: A St. Petersburg court legalized the seizure of real estate that housed the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia; the property is owned by a foreign owner, the Pennsylvania Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society.\nDecember 20, 2017: The Leningrad Regional Court declared the Russian translation of the Bible distributed by Jehovah's Witnesses as \"extremist material.\"\nApril 2018: searches were conducted in Ufa, Anatoliy Vilitkevich was sent to a pre-trial detention center\nAlyona Vilitkevich : At 6:40 a.m., the doorbell rang.\nAlfiya Ilyasova: I was at home with my children.\nVenera Mikhailova: I saw armed men on the street.\nOlesya Yakimova: There were riot police vests, masks and machine guns.\nElena Kozhevnikova: There was a very loud knock, I had to open it.\nGulfiya Khafizova: When my husband opened the doors, this young man put a gun to my husband's face.\nVenera Mikhailova: A search has begun. They threw everywhere, climbed everywhere.\nGulfiya Khafizova: We were not allowed to communicate with each other, we were not allowed to call anyone.\nOlesya Yakimova: When we were brought to the investigative committee, going up to the 2nd floor, my mother immediately became ill, and she fainted.\nElena Kozhevnikova: I ran up to my sister, she was already lying on the floor, on the dirty floor. We shouted, \"Help, somebody!\"\nOlesya Yakimova: And just a crowd of people, men who surrounded me, looked at all this, as if it was really some kind of farce and circus.\nElena Kozhevnikova: Then the ambulance came. She was taken away. Her daughter was released with her, but I was not.\nOlesya Yakimova: That is, I actually almost lost my mother that day.\nAlfiya Ilyasova: I'm not afraid for myself, I'm afraid for my children. And what will they do without me.\nSuzanne and Artur Ilyasov: We didn't do anything wrong, but they came at us with machine guns, and as if we were some kind of criminals.\nOver the following months, dozens of such searches and arrests were carried out in Russia.\nYaroslav Sivulsky from the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses: \"During the hearing of the case in the Supreme Court, representatives of the Ministry of Justice repeatedly argued that the court's decision would not affect ordinary believers in any way. It will apply only to legal entities, but what do we see in fact? Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, which guarantees freedom of conscience and religion, is being violated, and the norms of international law are being violated.\"\nMassimo Introvigne, Founding Director of the International Center for the Study of New Religions (Italy): \"During the fascist period, Jehovah's Witnesses faced persecution. However, they were not persecuted for extremism, but quite the opposite. They were persecuted for pacifism, for refusing to cooperate with the fascist regime, for not supporting militant speeches and public sentiments. It can be said that they were persecuted for not being extremists. So when I found out that Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia were being persecuted for extremism, it sounded ridiculous to me.\"\nMikhail Sitnikov, journalist: \"It turns out that in my country it is so easy to deal with, I emphasize this word \"crack down\", with a fairly large number of believers, with their dignity, their religious feelings. If it happened in some movie, yes, probably, it would be great, it would be a godsend - to show how you can mock people.\nAlexander Verkhovsky, member of the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation: \"Many of these repressive mechanisms are invented not for any particular group, but for some other threat, not religious, strictly speaking, but rather political. And then they are often used in quite unexpected ways.\nGerhard Bézier, religious scholar: \"Therefore, it would be very insidious to transfer the term 'extremism', a political term, to the religious sphere.\"\nMassimo Introvigne: \"I have yet to meet a single expert who would not agree that Russia's actions towards Jehovah's Witnesses are illegal, given the international Convention on Human Rights, which Russia is a signatory.\"\nAlexander Verkhovsky: \"In fact, with regard to Jehovah's Witnesses, this means that all, well, at least adult Jehovah's Witnesses, can potentially be prosecuted.\"\nMikhail Sitnikov: \"How to understand this? Like, look, you and I, like rabbits, can do anything. And not even just with you. But here he is, a Dane, because of him, a representative officially comes from Denmark, and we sneezed on it. As we did, so we will keep it. Intimidation? Who should be intimidated?\"\nAlexander Verkhovsky: \"There is not a single democratic country where such a mechanism would exist.\"\nMassimo Introvigne: \"One of Russia's goals is to give a semblance of legitimacy to the decision to liquidate Jehovah's Witnesses.\"\nGerhard Bézier: \"We must not give up trying to convey to the public what is happening.\"\nAs of August 8, 2018, there are 26 believers in the pre-trial detention center.\n","category":"overview","date":"2018-08-08T13:28:11+03:00","duration":"7:48","image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/08/414/how_jws_became_an_extremists_hu_78d1ab7bc705d235.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/08/414/how_jws_became_an_extremists.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/08/414/how_jws_became_an_extremists_hu_fc43d2caaf6c2d2a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/08/414/how_jws_became_an_extremists_hu_c4f217835929130a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/08/414.html","regions":[],"subtitle":null,"tags":["Bible-ban","video","analytics","review","mro","plant","search","suspended","liquidation","bible-ban","human-rights-defenders","sizo"],"title":"How were believers in Russia turned into \"extremists\"?","type":"video"},{"body":"On the evening of March 17, 2016, the Rostov Regional Court essentially upheld the conviction of 16 Taganrog Jehovah's Witnesses. All sixteen believers were sentenced to heavy fines, and four were sentenced to more than 5 years of suspended imprisonment. The defendants, as well as their fellow believers across Russia, are shocked by the blatantly unjust verdict. The court considered the usual peaceful religious activities of Taganrog residents to be a crime. The reason is that in 2009 the court liquidated a legal entity - the local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses \"Taganrog\" (the decision was appealed to the European Court of Human Rights). The lawyers drew the court's attention to Russian legislation, according to which the liquidation of a legal entity does not deprive individual believers of the right to freedom of religion. \"During the appeal hearing, it became clear that judges Shelekhov, Malysheva and Kuznetsov were not ready to defend believers from a fictitious accusation,\" says lawyer Anton Omelchenko.- When we reviewed the meager arguments of the prosecution, I asked the collegium, if the verdict was guilty, to honestly reflect in it that believers were sentenced only for reading aloud a passage from a psalm, or from the Gospel of John. or from the Acts of the Apostles.\" \"This is the first time in modern Russia that people have been criminally punished just for their faith,\" said Yaroslav Sivulsky of the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, \"The decision of the Rostov Regional Court discredits Russian justice, returning Russian reality to the sad times of religious repression.\"\n\"Our dear fellow believers, men and women, young and old, peaceful and law-abiding people, were considered extremists, dangerous criminals. You can't call it anything other than a perversion of justice,\" says Vasily Kalin of the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. As God-fearing Christians, Jehovah's Witnesses do not pose any threat to society. The forces of Russian law enforcement, prosecutors and judges deserve much better use.\"\nThe believers intend to seek justice in this case.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2016-03-18T10:00:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2016/03/84/taganrog_16_podsudimyh_1_1_1_hu_d04b751f92f4d7fe.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2016/03/84/taganrog_16_podsudimyh_1_1_1.jpg","webp":"/news/2016/03/84/taganrog_16_podsudimyh_1_1_1_hu_490946eacb9741de.webp","webp2x":"/news/2016/03/84/taganrog_16_podsudimyh_1_1_1_hu_26a00d12849d3c0f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2016/03/84.html","regions":["rostov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","fine","suspended","liquidation","mro"],"title":"Conviction of 16 believers from Taganrog entered into force ","type":"news"},{"body":"Judge Alexei Vasyutchenko sentences: he finds 16 Jehovah's Witnesses guilty and imposes heavy fines on them. In addition, Aleksandr Skvortsov and three other believers were sentenced to 5.5 years of suspended imprisonment.\nAnatoly Krasikov, head of the Center for the Study of Problems of Religion and Society at the Institute of Europe of the Russian Academy of Sciences, comments on this decision: \"This is a violation of the law and the Constitution. They [Jehovah's Witnesses] have been persecuted for a long time and absolutely illegally. I have letters from Jehovah's Witnesses about how they are persecuted, written during the Soviet period. They are also being persecuted now.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skvortsov and Others in Taganrog","date":"2015-11-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/taganrog/index.html#20151130","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sentence","expert-comments","suspended"],"type":"timeline"}]