Ivan Shulyuk with his wife Yuliya on the day of the appeal hearing

Ivan Shulyuk with his wife Yuliya on the day of the appeal hearing

Ivan Shulyuk with his wife Yuliya on the day of the appeal hearing

Unjust Verdicts

Court of Appeal in Krasnoyarsk Upheld Ivan Shulyuk's Verdict: 7-Year Suspended Sentence for His Beliefs

Krasnoyarsk Territory

On September 19, 2023, by the decision of a panel of judges of the Krasnoyarsk Regional Territorial Court chaired by Diana Davydenko, the sentence against Ivan Shulyuk, 47, a Jehovah's Witness from Siberia, entered into force.

In May 2023, the court imposed a 7-year suspended sentence on Shulyuk with a 4-year probation period. They viewed discussing the Bible, praying and singing religious songs with friends as organizing the activity of an extremist organization. The believer does not agree with the verdict that entered into force. In his final statement to the court of appeal, he said that the investigation is confusing concepts, as it "deliberately interprets legitimate religious activity as being the activity of a banned legal entity."

In the Krasnoyarsk Territory, 30 Jehovah's Witnesses have already faced prosecution for their faith and 10 of them have been convicted. Human rights activists unanimously condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. Elizabeth Clark, an international expert on human rights and European Union law, said: "Jehovah’s Witnesses... have been facing increasing persecution of its members in Russia for exercising their rights to freedom of religion or belief. This violates Russia’s commitments to international law and its own constitution."

The Case of Shulyuk in Nazarovo

Case History
Ivan Shulyuk’s grandparents were subjected to repression for their faith in the 1940s and 1950s. In 2020, their grandson, a peaceful believer from Nazarovo, faced the same persecution. In June, Ivan ended up in a temporary detention center after mass searches in his city. The Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against him, on suspicion of organizing the activity of an extremist organization, solely because of his religion. Shulyuk spent about 1 month in custody, then he was released under a recognizance agreement. In August 2021, the case went to court. The case materials contained conclusions of expert studies confirming that the faith of Jehovah’s Witnesses is not prohibited and there are no signs of extremism in the examined materials. In May 2023, the City Court of the Krasnoyarsk Territory gave the believer a 7-year suspended sentence. The court of appeal upheld the decision in September.
Timeline

Persons in case

Shulyuk
Ivan

Criminal case

Region:
Krasnoyarsk Territory
Locality:
Nazarovo
Suspected of:
According to the investigation, he is "a leader with broad functionality" and "forms a strong opinion about the need to continue the activity of the religious organization Jehovah's Witnesses despite its ban."
Court case number:
12002040035000015
Initiated:
June 17, 2020
Current case stage:
the verdict entered into force
Investigating:
Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Krasnoyarsk Territory and the Republic of Khakassia
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:
282.2 (1)
Court case number:
1-4/2023 (1-26/2022; 1-365/2021)
Court of First Instance:
Nazarovo City Court of the Krasnoyarsk Territory
Judge of the Court of First Instance:
Lev Afanasyev
Case History
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