An appeal in Birobidzhan upheld the verdict for Tatyana Zagulina. The Believer Was Given a 2.5-Year Suspended Sentence

On September 16, 2021, the court of the Jewish Autonomous Region did not satisfy the appeal of 37-year-old Tatyana Zagulina. The verdict came into force: the believer was sentenced to 2 years and 6 months of suspended sentence and 2 years of restriction of freedom.

"I have never participated in anything that would undermine the constitutional order and threaten the security of the state. I don't understand at all how I could be accused of this. The court convicted me, but did not provide a single piece of evidence of my guilt. There is not a single one of my actions and statements that would prove extremist motives. In the case, I never saw evidence of my guilt. My faith, on the contrary, calls to love people and even enemies," said Tatyana Zagulina, speaking with her last word before the appeals board. The believer has the right to appeal the court's decision in cassation and international instances.

On April 1, 2021, the Birobidzhan District Court sentenced Tatyana Zagulina to 2.5 years of suspended imprisonment, finding her guilty of participating in the activities of a banned organization, despite the absence of victims and evidence of extremist actions in the case. None of the witnesses questioned in court heard extremist calls from the believer, they all described her as a peaceful and non-confrontational person. According to Tatiana herself, she was convicted only for believing in Jehovah God, so she appealed the verdict.

In February 2020, Tatyana Zagulina was included in the federal list of Rosfinmonitoring and her bank accounts and cards were blocked. Due to her recognizance not to leave, the believer has been restricted in her right to move freely for more than 1.5 years. Tatyana's husband, Dmitry, is also facing persecution for his faith, and his bank accounts have been blocked since March 2019. Law enforcement officers actually deprived the couple of the opportunity to fully take care of their school-age child.

A total of 23 Jehovah's Witnesses are being prosecuted in the Jewish Autonomous Region.

International and Russian human rights activists condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in contemporary Russia. Vladimir Ryakhovskiy, a member of the Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights, says: "In our country, the right to religion, including joint religion, is enshrined in the Constitution. The doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses was not forbidden in our country. It turns out that if the followers of some creed gather at home or online, then we are necessarily talking about participation in the activities of a banned organization? No, I don't."