Appeal in Nizhny Novgorod Approved the Conviction of Kirill Yevstigneev for His Faith

On August 1, 2022, the Nizhny Novgorod Regional Court, presided over by Judge Olga Yaroshenko, upheld the sentence handed down to one of Jehovah's Witnesses Kirill Yevstigneev, 42—3 years' suspended imprisonment for his belief in Jehovah God.

Addressing the court, the believer emphasized: "I am one of Jehovah's Witnesses and therefore I will never plan to commit extremist actions, as well as approve or support other people who commit similar criminal acts. These are my religious and life beliefs."

The verdict has entered into force. Kirill Yevstigneev still insists on his innocence. He has the right to appeal the verdict in cassation.

In July 2019, mass searches were carried out in the homes of local believers in Nizhny Novgorod. In total, 31 families suffered from the actions of the security forces in the region, including Kirill and his wife. In September of the same year, a criminal case was opened against Yevstigneev on charges of financing the activities of an extremist organization.

The accusation was based on the fact that in April 2019, Kirill Yevstigneev was at a party in a rented room, where they acted out scenes based on the plots of Soviet films, danced, listened to secular music and played games. For this "crime" the prosecutor requested 6 years of real imprisonment.

On June 7, 2022, the European Court of Human Rights declared the accusations against Russian Jehovah's Witnesses groundless and awarded them millions of euros in compensation for unfair criminal prosecution.