Case of Spirin in Furmanov

Investigator of the FSB of Russia in the Ivanovo region A. Dmitriev initiates a criminal case against 32-year-old Yevgeniy Spirin. According to investigators, he, together with others, conducted worship services, which is interpreted as "organizing the activities of an extremist organization" (with reference to the court decision to liquidate the local organization of Jehovah's Witnesses).

The FSB conducts searches in the city of Furmanov in the homes of citizens who are suspected of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Yevgeny Spirin was detained and interrogated.

Larisa Zubova, judge of the Oktyabrsky District Court of Ivanovo, sends Spirin to a pre-trial detention center for 2 months.

The court extends the term of Spirin's imprisonment for another 3 months.

The Ivanovo Regional Court releases Yevgeny Spirin from the pre-trial detention center and transfers him to house arrest. By that time, the believer had spent 160 days in prison.

The term of the preliminary investigation has been extended until January 21, 2020. A. Dmitriev, senior investigator of the Investigative Department of the FSB of Russia for the Ivanovo Region, petitions for the extension of Spirin's house arrest until the same period.

Larisa Zubova, judge of the Oktyabrsky District Court of Ivanovo, releases Yevgeny Spirin from house arrest, where the believer spent 167 days. No other preventive measure has been imposed.

The hearing in the case of Yevgeny Spirin is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. on February 3, 2020. They will be held in the Furmanovsky City Court of the Ivanovo Region. Meetings are also due to take place on 4 and 5 February.

The first hearing in the criminal case of Yevgeny Spirin is underway. About 30 people came to support him. The judge, Yuriy Alexandrovich Gnedin, accepts the reference from Yevgeny's place of work and copies of some printouts from the human rights portal Credo.press. Yevgeny files a motion to terminate the criminal case. The judge rejects it, arguing that the petition was filed prematurely and must be submitted again later.

The next hearing is scheduled for February 5 and 6, 2020.

20 people come to the hearing. An expert handwriting expert is being interrogated, who confirms that after the search report was drawn up, additions were made in it elsewhere.

The court proceeds to the questioning of an expert linguist. At the next meeting, it is planned to interrogate a religious scholar and an expert psychologist.

30 people come to the meeting. Religious scholar T. P. Belova is being interrogated. She baselessly claims that Yevgeny's actions can be attributed to the activities of a banned organization. At the request of the lawyer, the court watches a television report dated April 21, 2014, from which it is obvious that Belova has a negative attitude towards Jehovah's Witnesses. The court should not take into account the conclusions of biased experts, so the lawyer petitions for the disqualification of specialist Belova. Judge Yuriy Gnedin rejects the petition.

The meeting is held without listeners due to quarantine. A defense witness says that thanks to the Bible, he quit smoking, swearing, and began to lead a highly moral life. He gives an extremely positive description of Yevgeny Spirin, emphasizing that he encouraged respect for authority and respect for representatives of other religions.

The hearing on the criminal case of Yevgeny Spirin continues in the Furmanovsky City Court. Only participants in the process are allowed into the hall.

Defense witnesses, including Spirin's former neighbor, are being questioned. She refutes the information set forth in the negative characteristics of the defendant, allegedly recorded from her words by the district police officer. Witnesses speak positively of the believer. According to them, he never spoke critically about the constitutional order and people of other religions.

Interrogation of Yevgeny Spirin. The court is trying to find out whether he is the organizer or participant of the banned Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. Spirin states that he has never been neither, but simply professes the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses; his religious beliefs are based only on the Bible, which he studies on his own with the help of publicly available materials on the Internet; discussed with friends not the creeds of any organization, but thoughts from the Bible; respects representatives of other faiths, respects the right of choice of religion by everyone; I am grateful to the state for granting me the right to alternative civilian service, which I willingly completed despite its duration (3.5 years), as I wanted to help people.

The next hearing is scheduled for July 3. The process proceeds to the stage of debate of the parties.

During the debate of the parties, the prosecutor requests 7 years in prison for Yevgeny Spirin. The believer reiterates that he did not conduct extremist activities and was not a member of banned organizations.

In the debate, the defendant himself speaks. "I did not commit illegal acts, did not create illegal organizations and did not violate the law of the Russian Federation, and joint discussion of the Bible with friends is an inalienable right enshrined in the Constitution," the believer declares. He draws the court's attention to the fact that the testimony of witnesses at the trial refutes the accusatory position of the prosecutor.

The court adjourns until July 21. On this day, Spirin must speak in court with his last word. No date has been set for announcing the verdict, but the court may issue a verdict on the same day.

The debate of the parties continues. After the final exchange of remarks, the court adjourned until July 27. On this day, Yevgeny Spirin will address the court with his last word. It is possible that the verdict will be announced on the same day.

Yevgeniy Spirin addresses the court with his last word. Read the transcript.

Judge Yuriy Gnedin of the Furmanovsky City Court of the Ivanovo Region declares Yevgeny Spirin guilty under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and imposes a fine of 700,000 rubles, but taking into account the fact that he spent 160 days in a pre-trial detention center and 167 days under house arrest, the total amount of the fine payable is 500,000 rubles. Although Yevgeniy does not agree with the guilty verdict and intends to appeal it, he himself, his friends and relatives are happy that the punishment is not associated with imprisonment.

It becomes known that the prosecutor's office appealed the verdict handed down on July 28 to a higher court. This means that the believer still faces imprisonment.

The Ivanovo Regional Court continues the debate on the case. The prosecutor asks to cancel the verdict of the first instance and sentence Spirin to 7 years in prison. The defense insists on his complete innocence. The Judicial Collegium shall adjourn the hearings. On October 13, the believer will address the court with the last word.

A panel of judges of the Ivanovo Regional Court, chaired by Yulia Andrianova-Strepetova, upholds the sentence handed down by the Furmanov City Court in July, when the court of first instance imposed a fine of 700,000 rubles on him for "extremism" (taking into account the time spent by Spirin in detention, the amount payable is 500,000 rubles).