Unjust Verdicts

The Court of Cassation rejected the appeal of Jehovah's Witness Andrey Gubin against the verdict of the Birobidzhan District Court

Jewish Autonomous Area

On October 25, 2022, the Ninth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Vladivostok considered Andrey Gubin's cassation appeal against verdict and appeal ruling, according to which he was sentenced to imprisonment for a term of 2 years and 6 months suspended for his religion.

The believer considers himself innocent and unjustly convicted. At one time, the Local Religious Organization of Jehovah's Witnesses in Birobidzhan was liquidated by the decision of the Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region. In its appellate ruling in the case, the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation stated that "members of this local organization are not deprived of the opportunity to perform their own religious worship." Gubin believes that he exercised this right. He tried to draw the attention of the Court of Cassation to this and many other rehabilitating circumstances of the case, but the verdict was not overturned.

The criminal prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia is puzzling to many legal scholars and human rights activists.

Case of Gubin in Birobidzhan

Case History
In February 2020, the FSB of Russia opened a criminal case against Andrey Gubin. The believer was accused of participating in the activities of a banned organization. Since September 2020, the case has been heard in the district court. Gubin himself said at one of the hearings that extremism and terrorism contradict his inner convictions, views and feelings. The Bible helped Andrew become a calm and peaceful man in his youth, but now he is being persecuted for adhering to the teachings of this book. In September 2021, the court sentenced Andrey Gubin to 2.5 years. In 2022, the appellate court upheld the verdict. The believer’s appeal to the court of cassation was also rejected.
Timeline

Persons in case

Gubin
Andrey

Criminal case

Region:
Jewish Autonomous Area
Locality:
Birobidzhan
Suspected of:
According to the investigation, he "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:
12007990001000008
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:
1-43/2021 (1-461/2020)
Court:
Суд Еврейской автономной области
Case History