Court in Shuya Fined 5 Jehovah's Witnesses for Reading the Bible Together. They Must Pay the State From 380 to 950 Thousand Rubles

On January 29, 2024, Anton Mokin, judge of the Shuya City Court of the Ivanovo Region, sentenced Aleksey Arkhipov, Svetlana Ryzhkova, Svetlana Shishina, and the couple Dmitriy and Yelena Mikhaylov to large fines for their faith in Jehovah God.

Aleksey Arkhipov was fined 380,000, Svetlana Shishina 400,000, Svetlana Ryzhkova 480,000, Yelena Mikhaylova 560,000, and her husband Dmitriy Mikhaylov 950,000 rubles. The prosecution requested a fine of 1,200,000 rubles for Mikhaylov, taking into account the time of detention; for Mikhaylova and Ryzhkova — 600,000 rubles; for Shishina and Arkhipov — 400,000 rubles. The believers insist on their innocence and have the right to appeal.

"Actually, I am accused of believing in God," commented Dmitriy Mikhaylov on the accusation. "I am charged with discussing religious topics with my friends." He also emphasized that the linguistic forensic expert study did not reveal signs of extremism in the materials examined. His wife Yelena said: "The charges against me are serious, but there is no concrete evidence."

Svetlana Shishina, a mother of two, said: "I have always respected people of different religious denominations, and I teach my children to do the same." "The charges against me are far-fetched, unfounded and not lawful," said Svetlana Ryzhkova. Aleksey Arkhipov, in turn, emphasized: "I have never plotted or intended to commit any illegal actions against the authorities, nevermind undermining the foundations of the constitutional order and state security, as this contradicts my beliefs as a Christian and a God-fearing person."

Criminal prosecution of the believers began in 2018; their homes were searched. Later it turned out, that prior to that, a hidden video camera had been installed at least at one of the addresses, and one person, on the instructions of the special forces, feigned interest in the Bible. After his arrest, Dmitriy Mikhaylov spent 6 months in a pretrial detention center. His wife, together with other women whose husbands were imprisoned for their faith in God, sent an open letter to the Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights. In response to this letter, a request was sent to the General Prosecutor's Office to check the legality and validity of the criminal prosecution of citizens professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. However, the criminal prosecution did not stop. The case was returned twice to the investigator for revision and after 4 years it was re-submitted to the court, which considered the case for 1.5 years.

On April 26, 2019, the UN Human Rights Council Working Group on Arbitrary Detention issued an opinion on Dmitriy Mikhaylov's complaint, calling on the Russian authorities to stop his criminal prosecution and grant him the right to compensation and reparation.