"I Was Found Guilty Only for Being One of Jehovah's Witnesses." Court of Appeal Upheld the Suspended Sentence for Valeriy Vyaznikov

On January 11, 2023, the Primorye Territory Court upheld the verdict of Valeriy Vyaznikov, a 60-year-old resident of Luchegorsk, – a 2.5-year suspended sentence for participating in the "activity of a banned organization." The believer considers this decision unjust.

The court considered the fact that Vyaznikov is one of Jehovah's Witnesses to be evidence of extremism. The defendant noted: "I was convicted only for peacefully practicing my religion, which was demonstrated by the fact that I once talked about my beliefs and the teachings of the Bible with a young man who turned out to be a law enforcement officer."

The book "The People Who Are Steadfast Under Persecution," published in 2023 by religious scholar Sergei Ivanenko, PhD in Philosophy, and Elena Volkova, PhD in Cultural Studies, notes: "Russia is the only country where they [Jehovah's Witnesses] are accused of extremism."

It is noteworthy that about 26% of the nearly 800 Jehovah's Witnesses prosecuted in Russia for their faith are over 60 years old.