Criminal Investigation and Trial

In Orenburg, the court refused the investigator to toughen the measure of restraint for two believers

Orenburg Region

On April 10, 2019, Irina Inozemtseva, judge of the Leninsky District Court of Orenburg, to the delight of about 120 people who came to support believers Vladimir Kochnev and Vladislav Kolbanov, refused the investigator, who wanted to toughen the preventive measure for them, forbidding them to leave their homes at night.

For the past 56 days, Vladimir Kochnev and Vladislav Kolbanov have been prohibited only from communicating with other defendants in their case, including by phone and via the Internet, as well as from receiving and sending mail. Prior to that, for 121 days, they were also forbidden to leave the house at night, but on February 12, 2019, the same court lifted this restriction. In total, Vladimir Kochnev spent 78 days in a pre-trial detention center and another 70 days under house arrest, while Vladislav Kolbanov spent 2 days behind bars and another 146 days under house arrest.

The court hearing lasted just over 2 hours. The meeting room could accommodate only 20 listeners, the rest were left to wait for the result. It was obvious from the faces and statements of the Orenburg residents that the persecution to which their fellow believers were subjected in the city and throughout Russia greatly strengthened their faith, courage and Christian unity.

The Case of Kochnev and Others in Orenburg

Case History
In May 2018, the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation initiated a criminal case against Vladimir Kochnev, Vladislav Kolbanov, Pavel Lekontsev, Sergey Logunov and Nikolay Zhugin. The believers from Orenburg were accused of organizing and financing the activity of an extremist organization and participating in it. This was because of meetings with friends in a café. After their homes were searched, three men were released under recognizance agreements, and two were detained. Kochnev spent 76 days in pretrial detention and 72 days under house arrest, while Kolbanov spent 149 days under house arrest. In December 2019, the case went to court, but a month later it was returned to the prosecutor’s office due to the vague nature of the charges. The retrial of the case by another judge began in February 2021. The charge is based on the testimony of the undercover agent V. Yudin. In August 2023, the judge gave the believers suspended sentences: Logunov and Zhugin — 2.5 years, Kochnev — 2 years and 8 months, Lekontsev — 3 years, and Kolbanov — 3.5 years. The court of appeal upheld the verdict.
Timeline

Persons in case

Criminal case

Region:
Orenburg Region
Locality:
Orenburg
Suspected of:
according to the investigation, together with others he conducted religious services, which is interpreted as “organising and participating in the activity of an extremist organisation” (with reference to the decision of the Russian Supreme Court on the liquidation of all 396 registered organisations of Jehovah’s Witnesses)
Court case number:
11802530021000017
Initiated:
May 14, 2018
Current case stage:
the verdict entered into force
Investigating:
Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Orenburg Region
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:
282.2 (2)
Court case number:
1-1/2023 (1-2/2022; 1-139/2021; 1-62/2020; 1-501/2019)
Court:
Промышленный районный суд г. Оренбурга
Judge:
Диана Судоргина
Case History