From left to right: Nikolay Zhugin, Pavel Lekontsev, Sergey Logunov, Vladimir Kochnev and Vladislav Kolbanov in the courtroom. July 2023

From left to right: Nikolay Zhugin, Pavel Lekontsev, Sergey Logunov, Vladimir Kochnev and Vladislav Kolbanov in the courtroom. July 2023

From left to right: Nikolay Zhugin, Pavel Lekontsev, Sergey Logunov, Vladimir Kochnev and Vladislav Kolbanov in the courtroom. July 2023

Unjust Verdicts

Court of Appeal in Orenburg Upholds the Suspended Sentence of Five Believers

Orenburg Region

According to the decision of the Orenburg Regional Court, on January 24, 2024, the verdict entered into force for five Jehovah's Witnesses — Vladislav Kolbanov, Vladimir Kochnev, Pavel Lekontsev, Nikolay Zhugin, and Sergey Logunov received suspended sentences from 2.5 to 3.5 years for friendly meetings with fellow believers.

The state prosecutor requested that the court of appeal uphold the verdict. The believers' lawyer called the prosecution's demands groundless, stressing that in the verdict the court specifically noted: "Actions aimed at inciting hatred and enmity, calls for violence... the defendants are not charged."

The believers themselves once again stated that they consider any guilty decision unjust and infringing on their right to freedom of religion. "It is impossible to establish from the appealed verdict on what basis the court refused to consider the actions imputed to me as exercising my right to freedom of religion within the framework of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses," Nikolay Zhugin noted in his appeal. Vladimir Kochnev emphasized: "The court did not establish the presence of motives of religious hatred or enmity in my actions. All my actions were completely peaceful."

The Case of Kochnev and Others in Orenburg

Case History
In May 2018, the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation initiated a criminal case against Vladimir Kochnev, Vladislav Kolbanov, Pavel Lekontsev, Sergey Logunov and Nikolay Zhugin. The believers from Orenburg were accused of organizing and financing the activity of an extremist organization and participating in it. This was because of meetings with friends in a café. After their homes were searched, three men were released under recognizance agreements, and two were detained. Kochnev spent 76 days in pretrial detention and 72 days under house arrest, while Kolbanov spent 149 days under house arrest. In December 2019, the case went to court, but a month later it was returned to the prosecutor’s office due to the vague nature of the charges. The retrial of the case by another judge began in February 2021. The charge is based on the testimony of the undercover agent V. Yudin. In August 2023, the judge gave the believers suspended sentences: Logunov and Zhugin — 2.5 years, Kochnev — 2 years and 8 months, Lekontsev — 3 years, and Kolbanov — 3.5 years. The court of appeal upheld the verdict.
Timeline

Persons in case

Kochnev
Vladimir
Kolbanov
Vladislav
Lekontsev
Pavel
Logunov
Sergey
Zhugin
Nikolay

Criminal case

Region:
Orenburg Region
Locality:
Orenburg
Suspected of:
according to the investigation, together with others he conducted religious services, which is interpreted as “organising and participating in the activity of an extremist organisation” (with reference to the decision of the Russian Supreme Court on the liquidation of all 396 registered organisations of Jehovah’s Witnesses)
Court case number:
11802530021000017
Initiated:
May 14, 2018
Current case stage:
the verdict entered into force
Investigating:
Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Orenburg Region
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:
282.2 (2), 282.3 (1), 282.2 (1)
Court case number:
1-1/2023 (1-2/2022; 1-139/2021; 1-62/2020; 1-501/2019)
Court:
Промышленный районный суд г. Оренбурга
Judge:
Диана Судоргина
Case History