Darya and Venera Dulova, Aleksandr Prianikov

Darya and Venera Dulova, Aleksandr Prianikov

Darya and Venera Dulova, Aleksandr Prianikov

Unjust Verdicts

Court of Appeal in Yekaterinburg Again Overturned the Guilty Verdict of Believers from Karpinsk. Case Returned to Prosecutor

Sverdlovsk Region

On July 6, 2023, four months after the RF Supreme Court overturned the acquittal of Jehovah’s Witnesses from Karpinsk, the Sverdlovsk Regional Court ruled that the case against Aleksandr Prianikov, Venera and Darya Dulova, be returned to the prosecutor.

The believers unswervingly maintain their innocence. At the appeal hearing, Venera Dulova said: “I believe this criminal case was fabricated; I consider it religious repression, because my religion is the only reason for the charge.” Her daughter, Darya, added: “I can say with a clean conscience that I am not guilty of either extremism or participating in the activity of banned religious organizations.”

All accusations brought against the three believers by the investigation boil down to conversations about the Bible. Aleksandr Prianikov asked the court of appeal: “What is the danger to the public? Whom have I harmed? It never even crossed my mind that a conversation with someone on topics like family happiness, comfort for those who mourn, and a future earthly paradise is so dangerous that it warrants prosecution under serious charges and the threat of being thrown into prison."

The Dulovas and Prianikov have been defending their innocence in court since September 2019. The Sverdlovsk Regional Court twice overturned guilty verdicts against the believers. The court of cassation also took their side. However, the prosecutor's office appealed these decisions to the RF Supreme Court, which, contrary to its own explanations at the Plenum in 2021, overturned the acquittal.

The European Commission for Democracy Through Law warned the Russian Federation back in 2012 that the anti-extremism law “on account of its broad and imprecise wording... gives too wide discretion... thus leading to arbitrariness” and that it carries “potential dangers to individuals.” 10 years later, the ECHR condemned the actions of the Russian authorities in relation to Jehovah's Witnesses, pointing out that a large-scale repressive campaign was launched against the followers of this religion.

The Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk

Case History
In June 2018, Venera Dulova and Aleksandr Prianikov were detained for talking about the Bible. A criminal case was initiated against them under an article against extremism. A year later, Darya Dulova became the third defendant in the case. In January 2020, they were given suspended sentences ranging from 1 year to 2.5 years. The court of appeal in Yekaterinburg overturned the verdict and returned the case to the court of first instance. This time, the prosecutor requested a more severe punishment, but the court duplicated the first verdict. In March 2022, the court of appeal again overturned the verdict, acquitting the believers. The court of cassation upheld this decision. However, the RF Supreme Court overturned it in March 2023 and returned the case to the appeal stage, which returned the case to the prosecutor’s office, after which the court of cassation sent it for a new appeal hearing. A fourth appellate decision upheld the verdicts against Aleksandr and Venera. Darya is exempt from criminal liability, as the statute of limitations has expired. All three believers are defendants in another criminal case for their faith.
Timeline

Persons in case

Dulova
Darya
Dulova
Venera
Prianikov
Aleksandr

Criminal case

Region:
Sverdlovsk Region
Locality:
Karpinsk
Suspected of:
"Participated in Karpinsk... together with a group of people, being fully aware that the religious organization Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia was declared extremist and its activity banned in the Russian Federation, in its activity by directly taking part in events, carrying out propaganda of its activity, familiarizing with religious literature."
Court case number:
11802650042000038
Initiated:
July 30, 2018
Current case stage:
the verdict entered into force
Investigating:
Investigative Department in the town of Krasnoturinsk of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Sverdlovsk Region
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:
282.2 (2)
Court case number:
1-11/2021 (1-184/2020; 1-5/2020; 1-167/2019)
Court:
Karpinsk City Court of the Sverdlovsk Region
Case History
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