Criminal trial

The Industrial District Court of Khabarovsk hears the case of 6 believers

Khabarovsk Territory

In Khabarovsk, court hearings are being held in the case of Polevodov and others . A friendly party at a local café on November 10, 2018 was the reason to accuse six believers of extremism at once. In the dock are: Nikolai Polevodov, Stanislav Kim, Vitaly and Tatyana Zhuk, Svetlana Sedova and 70-year-old Maya Karpushkina.

From the testimonies of witnesses questioned in court, it is clear that the meeting in the café was not religious in nature and had nothing to do with extremism. The appearance of dozens of riot policemen shortly after the start of the meeting shocked both the café staff and the believers present.

It is noteworthy that two criminal cases were initiated against Nikolay Polevodov and Stanislav Kim at once. Believers are forced to defend themselves in two courts, the sessions of which are sometimes scheduled for the same day. More recently, harsh sentences have been handed down in similar cases, each of which also has 6 accused. This is the case of Alushkin and others in Penza and the case Bazhenova and others in Saratov, on which an appeal decision of the court is expected on December 20, 2019.

The Case of Polevodov and Others in Khabarovsk

Case History
In November 2018, OMON officers raided a friendly gathering in a café, after which Nikolay Polevodov, Stanislav Kim, Vitaliy and Tatyana Zhuk, Svetlana Sedova and Maya Karpushkina ended up under investigation. The men were sent to a pretrial detention center, and later placed under house arrest. In the end, the Investigative Committee charged the believers: the men with organizing the activity of an extremist organization, and the women with participating in it. Hearings of the court of first instance over 14 months, revealed the groundlessness of the charges, and the case was returned to the prosecutor’s office. In December 2021, it went to court again. In June 2024, Polevodov, Zhuk and Kim were sent to a penal colony for 8.5 years, 8 years and 4 months and 8 years and 2 months, respectively. Tatyana Zhuk and Svetlana Sedova were given a 5-year suspended sentence and Maya Karpushkina 4 years. Kim and Polevodov, who were defendants in another criminal case for their faith, simultaneously defended their beliefs in another court. In October 2024, the court of appeal reduced the sentences by 1 year and changed the men’s to suspended sentences.
Timeline

Persons in case

Karpushkina
Maya
Kim
Stanislav
Polevodov
Nikolay
Sedova
Svetlana
Zhuk
Tatyana
Zhuk
Vitaliy

Criminal case

Region:
Khabarovsk Territory
Locality:
Khabarovsk
Suspected of:
According to the investigation, they organized the activity of the religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses in the city of Khabarovsk (with reference to the decision of the RF Supreme Court to liquidate all 396 registered organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses)
Court case number:
11802080002000049
Initiated:
November 10, 2018
Current case stage:
the verdict entered into force
Investigating:
Investigative Department of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Khabarovsk Territory
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:
282.2 (2), 282.2 (1)
Court case number:
1-6/2024 (1-15/2023; 1-216/2022; 1-1031/2021)
Court:
Industrialnyy District Court of the City of Khabarovsk
Judge:
Roman Chiskovskiy
Case History
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