Regional Court Building, Saratov (December 2019)

Regional Court Building, Saratov (December 2019)

Regional Court Building, Saratov (December 2019)

Unjust Verdicts

The Saratov Regional Court did not change the sentences of six Jehovah's Witnesses. For their faith, they will be sent to a colony for terms ranging from 2 to 3.5 years

Saratov Region

On December 20, 2019, an appeal hearing was held on the appeal against the verdict against Saratov believers Konstantin Bazhenov, Aleksey Budenchuk, Felix Makhammadiev, Aleksey Miretsky, Roman Gridasov, and Gennady German. The lower court's brutal sentence upheld.

All six pleaded not guilty, they insist on their complete innocence. There is not a single victim in the case, and the investigation and the prosecutor's office were unable to provide the court with any evidence of the real crimes of believers, except for participating in peaceful worship, reading the Bible and singing Christian songs.

Earlier, on September 19, 2019, the judge of the Leninsky District Court of Saratov, Dmitry Larin, decided to sentence Konstantin Bazhenov and Alexei Budenchuk to 3 years and 6 months in prison, Felix Makhammadiev to 3 years, Roman Gridasov, Gennady German and Alexei Miretsky to 2 years. Also, all were additionally sentenced to a ban on holding senior positions in public organizations for a period of 5 years and restriction of freedom for 1 year. They were found guilty of violating the notorious Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of extremist activity).

In the morning at 11:00 a.m., about 200 people came to the courthouse at 85 Michurina Street to find out if justice would be restored to peaceful countrymen. "The flames of religious repression are flaring up more and more, and many do not understand how this is possible in the twenty-first century," said Yaroslav Sivulsky, a representative of the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses. "We will continue to pray for our fellow believers, as well as for the authorities, that they come to their senses and stop hunting people for their religious beliefs."

The verdict has entered into force. Believers will seek its abolition in Russian and international instances.

Case of Bazhenov and Others in Saratov

Case History
In September 2019, Judge Dmitry Larin immediately sent 6 Saratov residents to prison for a term of 2 to 3.5 years just for reading the Bible, singing songs and praying. Since 2017, security forces have been conducting covert surveillance of believers. In the summer of 2018, their homes were searched with banned literature planted. While the investigation was underway, they had to go to a pre-trial detention center, under house arrest and under recognizance not to leave. A year later, despite the absence of victims in the case, the believers were found guilty. Upon arrival at the Orenburg colony, 5 out of 6 convicted believers were beaten by the staff of the institution. Mahammadiev was hospitalized, and the rest were placed in a punishment cell for a while. Saratov prisoners of conscience have mastered various professions in prison. In May 2020, Mahammadiev and Bazhenov were stripped of their Russian citizenship and, after their release, deported from Russia. All 6 believers have already served their sentences. In September 2022, the cassation court dismissed the complaint, and the verdict and the appellate ruling were unchanged.
Timeline

Persons in case

Bazhenov
Konstantin
Budenchuk
Aleksey
German
Gennadiy
Gridasov
Roman
Makhammadiyev
Feliks
Miretskiy
Aleksey

Criminal case

Region:
Saratov Region
Locality:
Saratov
Suspected of:
according to the investigation, together with others he conducted religious services, which is interpreted as “organising 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:
11807630001000037
Initiated:
June 9, 2018
Current case stage:
the verdict entered into force
Investigating:
Investigative Department of the FSB Directorate of Russia for the Saratov Region
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:
282.2 (1)
Court case number:
1-333/2019
Case History
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