Natalia Kriger with her husband Valery outside the courthouse

Natalia Kriger with her husband Valery outside the courthouse

Natalia Kriger with her husband Valery outside the courthouse

Unjust Verdicts

Appeal in Birobidzhan Returned the Case Against Believer Natalia Kriger for a New Hearing

Jewish Autonomous Area

On September 22, 2022 the court of the Jewish Autonomous Region reconsidered the appeal of Natalya Kriger at the direction of the 9th Court of Cassation of general jurisdiction. The new panel of judges overturned the first-instance sentence of 2.5 years of probation and returned the case for a new trial to the trial court.

Earlier, 18 Jehovah's Witnesses from Birobidzhan were convicted for their faith and given suspended sentences of 2 to 2.5 years. The sentence of 14 of them came into force.

Russian human rights activists and the international community condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. The ECtHR recognized this persecution to be groundless and unlawful.

The Kriger case in Birobidzhan

Case History
In May 2018, the home of a Birobidzhan resident, Natalya Kriger, was searched by law enforcement officers. Three days earlier, a criminal case was initiated against her husband Valeriy for extremism, and in February 2020, the FSB initiated a criminal case against Natalia herself. She was accused of continuing the activity of an extremist organization. In August 2020, the believer’s case went to court. The prosecutor requested a sentence of 4 years in prison for her, and in July 2021 the court gave the believer a 2.5-year suspended sentence. The court of appeal upheld the verdict, but in August 2022, the court of cassation sent the case back for a new appeal, which, in turn, returned the case for review to the court of first instance to another judge. He also gave the believer a 2.5-year suspended sentence. The court of appeal upheld this verdict.
Timeline

Persons in case

Kriger
Nataliya

Criminal case

Region:
Jewish Autonomous Area
Locality:
Birobidzhan
Suspected of:
According to the investigation, she committed deliberate actions related to the resumption and continuation of the activities of the local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses in the city of Birobidzhan
Court case number:
12007990001000007
Initiated:
February 12, 2020
Current case stage:
The verdict entered into force
Investigating:
UFSB of Russia in the Jewish Autonomous Region
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:
282.2 (2)
Court case number:
1-37/2023 (1-713/2022; 1-46/2021; 1-464/2020)
Court:
Биробиджанский районный суд ЕАО
Judge of the Court of First Instance:
Куликов Александр
Case History