Sergey Galyamin, Vladimir Spivak, Anatoliy Lyamo and Aleksandr Vasichkin at the courthouse

Sergey Galyamin, Vladimir Spivak, Anatoliy Lyamo and Aleksandr Vasichkin at the courthouse

Sergey Galyamin, Vladimir Spivak, Anatoliy Lyamo and Aleksandr Vasichkin at the courthouse

Unjust Verdicts

Court in Teykovo Considered the Common Religious Practice of Jehovah's Witnesses to Be Extremism. Four Believers Were Ordered to Pay Between 600,000 and 1,100,000 Rubles for Their Beliefs

Ivanovo Region

On February 29, 2024, Sergey Kochetkov, judge of the Teykovo District Court of the Ivanovo Region, sentenced Vladimir Spivak, Aleksandr Vasichkin, Sergey Galyamin and Anatoliy Lyamo to large fines for practicing their faith.

None of the convicted persons pleaded guilty. They can appeal the verdict. The state prosecutor requested fines between 700,000 and 1,200,000 rubles be imposed on the men. The court fined the believers slightly less: Vladimir Spivak 600,000, Sergey Galyamin 650,000, Aleksandr Vasichkin and Anatoliy Lyamo 1,100,000 rubles each.

Friends came to the courthouse to support the believers, February 29, 2024.
Friends came to the courthouse to support the believers, February 29, 2024.

Vasichkin and Spivak first encountered searches back in 2015; Vladimir and his wife were under surveillance by security forces. Later, in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic in April 2020, the homes of the believers were again searched, and a criminal case was initiated. It went to court in January 2023 and was examined for just over a year. Throughout this time, the men were under recognizance agreements.

Two secret witnesses who had attended meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses' several times in the past, testified in court. They explained that they had not heard any calls for violence, religious hatred or overthrow of the government; they also could not confirm the accusations against the believers and admitted they had not been threatened by them. Other witnesses for the prosecution described the defendants positively.

The charges were based, among other things, on the expert study of Tatyana Belova, PhD in Philosophy. She allegedly identified the voice of Sergey Galyamin on one of the recordings and made her conclusions based on this. However, a phonetic expert study conducted by another expert proved that it was not Galyamin's voice.

Despite their own difficulties, the four believers try to support their fellow believers who find themselves in similar circumstances. Aleksandr Vasichkin said: "I try to attend court hearings of other believers. I went to help one of my friends rebuild their house after a fire."

In the Ivanovo Region, 13 Jehovah's Witnesses are currently being prosecuted for their faith in 5 criminal cases.

The Case of Vasichkin and Others in Teykovo

Case History
In April 2020, security forces raided the apartments of Jehovah’s Witnesses in the town of Teykovo. A day earlier, the Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case for organizing the activity of an extremist organization against Vladimir Spivak, Aleksandr Vasichkin, Sergey Galyamin and Anatoliy Lyamo. All believers were placed under a recognizance agreement. A year later, the investigator charged Lyamo also for financing the activity of an extremist organization. In August 2021, charges were added to Aleksandr Vasichkin for participating in the activity of an extremist organization. The charges were based on the testimony of two secret witnesses. In January 2023, the case of the believers went to court. In February 2024, the judge sentenced the believers to large fines: Spivak — 600,000, Sergey Galyamin — 650,000, Aleksandr Vasichkin and Anatoliy Lyamo — 1,100,000 rubles each.
Timeline

Persons in case

Criminal case

Region:
Ivanovo Region
Locality:
Teykovo
Suspected of:
According to the investigation, they "deliberately participated in the implementation of the goals of the religious organization Jehovah's Witnesses in Teikovo, by organizing and directing events ... propaganda of its activities"
Court case number:
12001240014000096
Initiated:
April 10, 2020
Current case stage:
the verdict entered into force
Investigating:
SCh SU of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia in the Ivanovo region
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:
282.2 (1), 282.3 (1)
Court case number:
1-1/2024 (1-24/2023)
Court of First Instance:
Тейковский районный суд Ивановской области
Judge of the Court of First Instance:
Сергей Кочетков
Case History