Pavel Brilkov with his wife on the day of the appeal near the Kemerovo Regional Court
Two Years Suspended Instead of Three Years of Forced Labor for Reading the Bible In Kemerovo, The Court of Appeal Changed the Sentence of a Pensioner
Kemerovo RegionPavel Brilkov, one of Jehovah's Witnesses from Prokopyevsk, will serve a two-year suspended sentence for his faith by the decision of Kemerovo Regional Court on March 12, 2024. Two months earlier, a lower court had sentenced him to two years and ten months of forced labor, despite his disability and retirement age.
Addressing the appeals board, Brilkov said that he considers the case fabricated, and himself innocent. "My conscience is calm because I have not violated either the Criminal Code or the law of God - by my actions I have not caused any harm to anyone," he said in his final plea.
The criminal prosecution of Brilkov began in March 2023. Until the verdict was passed, he was under recognizance not to leave.
In the Kemerovo Region, 18 Jehovah's Witnesses were prosecuted, including three women.