Court in Moscow Passed Another Harsh Sentence to Three Jehovah's Witnesses—From 4.5 to 6.5 Years in a Penal Colony for Their Faith

On July 12, 2023, the Savelovsky District Court of Moscow found three Jehovah's Witnesses guilty of extremism for "commenting on portions of [Bible] texts." Anatoliy Marunov was sentenced to 6.5 years in a penal colony, Sergey Tolokonnikov— to 5 years, and Roman Mareyev— to 4.5 years.

More than 100 people went to the courthouse to support the believers. Anatoliy Marunov, 69, who was under house arrest during the investigation and trial was taken into custody after the verdict was announced. All three still plead not guilty and can appeal the verdict.

The lawyer for the defendants expressed his view on the charge, which, in his opinion, "is based on the principle of criminalization of a person's actions depending on the religion he professes". He stated: “Actions normal for every believer: spreading one's religious beliefs and participating in worship, according to the state prosecution, become a crime solely because such actions are committed by Jehovah's Witnesses. In this regard, I believe that the charges violate the rights of the believers, since it does not describe an actual crime, but is based on discrimination on religious grounds.”

The criminal prosecution of some believers in Moscow began one early October morning of 2021, when searches were carried out at 8 addresses. Mareyev, Marunov and Tolokonnikov became defendants. After many hours of interrogation, the believers were placed in a temporary detention facility. By the time the verdict was passed, Roman and Sergey had spent more than 20 months in a detention center, while Anatoliy was under house arrest.

Each of them encountered hardships. At first, Roman Mareyev did not have a bed in the detention center and he had to sleep on the floor. Sergey Tolokonnikov was taken out in the morning for evening court sessions and was not allowed to take any food or water with him. Anatoliy Marunov, who was under house arrest, was forbidden even short walks necessary for his health.

In June 2022, the believers' case was taken to court. The charge was based on an audio recording of conversations with an FSB agent who pretended to be interested in the Bible. During the hearings, the defense pointed out that the use of the name Jehovah in a conversation cannot indicate any extremist activity.

The defendants described how they were supported by fellow believers: “Letters came from all over the world! And once, when we were taken out of the courthouse at 1:30 in the morning, we heard applause, and when we got into the prison van, a group of supporters sang a song we knew.”

To date, 13 Jehovah's Witnesses are being prosecuted for their faith in Moscow; six more of them have been sentenced to prison terms ranging from 4 to 6 years. A report by the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance expressed concern that "the anti-extremist legislation [of the Russian Federation] is used against certain religious minorities, in particular against Jehovah's Witnesses." The ECRI noted that the 2017 decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation “effectively prohibits Jehovah’s Witnesses throughout the country from practicing their faith” (p. 101).