An Appeal Filed in Khanty-Mansiysk Reversed Andrey Sazonov's Sentence and Ordered the Case to Be Retried

On May 19, 2022, the collegium of the Court of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Area-Yugra overturned the sentence of Andrey Sazonov and sent the case for a new trial to the Uray City Court by a differently constituted bench.

Two months earlier, Judge Ilnur Gilmanov of the Uray City Court found Andrey Sazonov guilty of organizing and financing extremist activities, despite the fact that the testimony of witnesses and the results of the examination refuted the charge. The believer was fined 500,000 rubles.

Sazonov holds the position of head of one of the departments at the Urayteploenergia enterprise. He was awarded diplomas from the city administration, as well as from the management of the enterprise, where he has been working for many years.

The Judicial Collegium for Criminal Cases of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area-Yugra Court granted the convict's petition, removing the appointed lawyer from the courtroom, therefore, as in the city court, Andrey Sazonov defended himself. Addressing the Court of Appeal, he emphasized: “I exercise my constitutional right to believe in Jehovah God and live in accordance with my religious beliefs. And it's not a crime. Therefore, finding me guilty only for my religious beliefs is evidence of discrimination.”

International and Russian human rights activists and public organizations condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. In November 2021, the public committee “Freedom of Conscience” stated: “The decision of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of Russia must be implemented in judicial practice. The state must admit its mistake, and law enforcement agencies and courts must stop the repressions against Jehovah's Witnesses. The state should apologize to believers.”