Dmitriy Terebilov

Dmitriy Terebilov

Dmitriy Terebilov

Inside Penal Colonies and Detention Centers

Dmitriy Terebilov Imprisoned for His Faith  Faces Extension of His Sentence for Talking About God with a Cellmate. New Case Initiated

Kostroma Region

On April 20, 2023, Dmitriy Terebilov, who has already served a year and a half of his term in a penal colony for his faith, became a defendant in a new criminal case. The reason it was initiated was simply that he answered questions from a cellmate about the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses.

Terebilov now faces a more than twofold increase of his prison term from 3 to 8 years.

Since the end of May 2023, he has been in Detention Center No.1 in Kostroma.

Interestingly, Dmitriy himself learned about the Bible when previously serving a prison term. Immediately he changed for the better and the administration of the penal colony was so impressed that they themselves petitioned for his parole. However, for the same Christian beliefs, in September 2021, Dmitriy was sent to a strict regime colony.

The Case of Terebilov in Kostroma

Case History
In July 2018, police officers with riot police searched Dmitry Terebilov’s apartment in his absence. A year later, the Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against the believer for participating in the activity of an extremist organization. Soon the home of Terebilov was searched again. The believer was placed under a recognizance agreement and was added to the Rosfinmonitoring list. In September 2020, Dmitriy’s case went to court, which a year later sentenced him to 3 years in a strict regime penal colony. The court of appeal and then the court of cassation left the verdict unchanged. Terebilov served his sentence in penal colony No.1 in the Kostroma Region. In April 2023, Dmitriy became a defendant in a new criminal case for having conversations about the Bible with another prisoner. After his prison term ended, the believer was left in a pretrial detention center, where he awaits a new sentence.
Timeline

Persons in case

Terebilov
Dmitriy

Criminal case

Region:
Kostroma Region
Locality:
Kostroma
Suspected of:
According to the investigation he ”distributed ... items of literature, included in the Federal List of Extremist Materials, which contained information intended to excite religious strife, propounded exclusivity, superiority of Jehovah’s Witnesses teachings and inferiority of those citizens who do not confess this teaching … took part in meetings”
Court case number:
11902340011000049
Initiated:
June 13, 2019
Current case stage:
the verdict entered into force
Investigating:
Investigative Unit for the Tsentralny District of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Kostroma Region
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:
282.2 (2)
Court case number:
1-18/2021 (1-375/2020)
Court:
Sverdlovskiy District Court of the City of Kostroma
Judge:
Yekaterina Molodova
Case History

The Second Case of Terebilov in Kostroma

Case History
In April 2023, the Investigative Committee in Kostroma initiated a second criminal case under an article for extremism against Dmitriy Terebilov, who was serving the initial sentence for his faith in Jehovah God in a penal colony. The reason was that the believer answered questions from a cellmate who feigned interest in the Bible. He was charged under an article for involving others in the activity of a banned organization. In January 2024, the case went to court. At the hearing, it turned out that the investigation used letters that Dmitriy received while in the penal colony and entries from his personal diary as evidence. In September 2024, instead of being released from the penal colony, the believer was transferred to a pretrial detention center. In January 2025, the court sentenced Dmitriy to 5 years and 5 days in a strict regime penal colony.
Timeline

Persons in case

Terebilov
Dmitriy

Criminal case

Region:
Kostroma Region
Locality:
Kostroma
Suspected of:
"took conspiracy measures to conceal his activity in the banned local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses in Kostroma in places of detention: he held frequent and short conversations... chose the appropriate time for studying the Bible" (from the decision to initiate criminal proceedings)
Court case number:
1230230011000044
Initiated:
April 20, 2023
Current case stage:
verdict did not take effect
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:
282.2 (1.1), 282.2 (2)
Court case number:
1-9/2025 (1-128/2024)
Court of First Instance:
Sverdlovskiy District Court of the City of Kostroma
Judge of the Court of First Instance:
Dmitriy Gorokhov
Case History
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