The Case of Yuliya Pasynkova in Mednogorskiy

Senior Lieutenant of Justice A. A. Khasanov, investigator of the Zelenchuksky Interdistrict Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Karachay-Cherkess Republic, initiates a criminal case against Yulia Pasynkova under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.

The case goes to the Urup District Court, it will be considered by Ida Uzdenova, the same judge as Yulia's mother-in-law, Tatyana Pasynkova.

Judge Uzdenova recuses herself. The case is transferred to Judge Galina Evsegneeva, who on the same day passes a guilty verdict on Yulia's husband, Alexei.

Judge Yevsegneeva recuses herself.

The case is submitted to the Khabez District Court of the KCR, it will be considered by Judge Nariman Abdokov.

Yulia Pasynkova is included in the list of extremists of Rosfinmonitoring. Her accounts are blocked, she is experiencing difficulties in receiving disability benefits for her son.

Yuliya Pasynkova testifies. According to her, a peaceful conversation about God with fellow believers without calls for violence and discrimination cannot pose a public danger. The believer emphasizes that there is no evidence that as a result of the meetings for worship, anyone in the region was in danger or in need of special protection. "The prosecution neither cites a single statement of an extremist nature from me, nor any quotes from extremist literature on my part... In this case, a reasonable question arises: did it really happen?" says Yuliya.

The prosecutor requested for Yuliya Pasynkova a 5-year suspended sentence with a ban on religious activity and a 4-year probation period. The believer is caring for her minor son with a disability, but the prosecutor reckons that she has no mitigating circumstances.

Yuliya Pasynkova gives her final statement.

The Supreme Court of the Karachayevo-Circassian Republic upholds the verdict handed down earlier to Yulia Pasynkova — a 5-year suspended sentence.

The Fifth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Pyatigorsk partially granted Yuliya Pasynkova's appeal — both additional penalties (restriction of freedom for 1 year with a ban on engaging in activity related to managing and participating in the work of public religious organizations for a period of 4 years) were excluded from the verdict.

In her cassation appeal, the believer stated that the courts essentially equated participating in a peaceful meeting for worship, which has no signs of extremism, with a crime. Pasynkova also challenged the 4-year ban on participating in the activity of religious organizations, calling it an unjustified restriction of her right to freedom of religion, guaranteed by the RF Constitution.

Yuliya emphasized that the verdict did not affect her alone. Together with her husband, Aleksey, who also faced criminal prosecution, she is raising a son with a severe intellectual disability. The child cannot be left alone even for a short period; and the state disability payments into his account cannot be accessed; the requirement to report monthly to the probation office places an additional burden on the family. "Therefore, it's not just me being punished but also my son Timofey," the believer says.