Photo: Valentyn Osadchuk in the courtroom (2019)

Seizure of Property

A court seized a believer's car and money in Vladivostok

Primorye Territory

On April 16, 2019, the judge of the Frunzensky District Court of Vladivostok, Sergey Olkhovsky, arrested the car and money of Valentin Osadchuk, accused of participating "in an extremist community" for his religious beliefs. On the same day, it became known about the completion of the preliminary investigation and the transition of the case to the stage of familiarization of the accused with the case materials.

The court argued the decision on the seizure of property by the fact that Osadchuk is accused of acts for which the court can impose a fine of 400 thousand to 800 thousand rubles and confiscate property. According to the law, confiscation of property is possible only if it is obtained "as a result of committing crimes" provided for by the "extremist" article of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. How Osadchuk could get a car and money during the service, neither the investigator nor the court explained. (According to FSB investigator O. Tunyk, Valentin Osadchuk's extremism consisted in the fact that he participated in worship services of believers - he read the Bible, prayed, sang religious songs and talked with fellow believers on biblical topics.) Before his arrest, Osadchuk earned his living as an individual entrepreneur and worked as a sales manager.

Nevertheless, in order to ensure the execution of a possible sentence, the judge arrested a Nissan Presage car (born in 2001) and 26 thousand rubles seized during a search of the believer's house. It was decided to "transfer the money for storage" to the FEO of the FSB of Russia in the Primorsky Territory.

Valentin Osadchuk is under house arrest, the court replaced this measure of restraint with his detention in a pre-trial detention center, where he spent 275 days.

Case of Osadchuk and Others in Vladivostok

Case History
In April 2018, the Federal Security Service of Russia for the Primorye Territory opened a criminal case against Jehovah’s Witnesses from Vladivostok. Believers were searched. Valentyn Osadchuk spent 9 months in pre-trial detention and 77 days under house arrest. In April 2019, he was accused of organizing the activities of an extremist organization, and 6 elderly women — Lyubov Galaktionova, Nailya Kogai, Nina Purga, Nadezhda Anoykina, Raisa Usanova and Yelena Zayshchuk — were accused of participating in it. Soon the case was received by the Leninsky District Court, but a month later the judge returned it to the prosecutor. This decision was upheld twice by the appellate court. Since January 2021, the case has been re-examined in the same court by Maksim Anufriev. With regard to Zayshchuk, the case was suspended due to her advanced age and state of health. In May 2022, the prosecutor requested a sentence of 6.5 years in prison for Valentin Osadchuk, and a 5-year suspended sentence for women. In June, the court sentenced the believers to suspended sentences ranging from 2 to 6 years. In September 2022, the appeal upheld the verdict.
Timeline

Persons in case

Criminal case

Region:
Primorye Territory
Locality:
Vladivostok
Suspected of:
according to the investigation he participated in religious services, which is interpreted as 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:
11807050001000038
Initiated:
April 9, 2018
Current case stage:
The verdict entered into force
Investigating:
Investigative Department of the Directorate of the FSB of Russia for the Primorskiy Region
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:
282.2 (2), 282.2 (1)
Court case number:
1-14/2022 (1-136/2021; 1-414/2019)
Court:
Ленинский районный суд г. Владивостока
Judge:
Максим Ануфриев
Case History

Case of Zayshchuk in Vladivostok

Case History
In April 2018, the Federal Security Service of Russia for the Primorye Territory opened a criminal case against Jehovah’s Witnesses from Vladivostok. Believers were searched. Valentin Osadchuk spent 9 months in pre-trial detention and 77 days under house arrest. In April 2019, he was accused of organizing the activities of an extremist organization, and 6 elderly women—Lyubov Galaktionova, Nailya Kogay, Nina Purge, Nadezhda Anoykina, Raisa Usanova and Yelena Zayshchuk—were accused of participating in it. Soon the case was received by the Leninsky District Court, but a month later the judge returned it to the prosecutor. This decision was upheld twice by the appellate court. Since January 2021, the case has been re-examined in the same court by Maksim Anufriyev. With regard to Zayshchuk, the case was suspended due to her advanced age and state of health.
Timeline

Persons in case

Criminal case

Region:
Primorye Territory
Locality:
Vladivostok
Suspected of:
According to the investigation, she participated in worship services, which is interpreted as participation in the activities of an extremist organization
Court case number:
11807050001000038
Initiated:
April 9, 2018
Current case stage:
Appeal
Investigating:
Joint Directorate of the Federal Security Service of Russia in the Primorsky Territory
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:
282.2 (2)
Court case number:
1-648/2022 (1-14/2022; 1-136/2021; 1-414/2019)
Case History