Yevgeniy Sokolov

Yevgeniy Sokolov

Yevgeniy Sokolov

Unjust Verdicts

Court in Zeya Gave Yevgeniy Sokolov a 3-Year Suspended Sentence. He Defends his Beliefs in Two Courts

Amur Region

On May 29, 2024, Arina Fedorova, judge of the Zeya District Court of the Amur Region, gave Yevgeniy Sokolov, 48, a 3-year suspended sentence. He attended the last hearings via video conferencing, as he is simultaneously being tried in another criminal case in Voronezh — 7400 kilometers from Zeya.

The court found him guilty of participating in the activity of an extremist organization. The believer was also given a probation period of 3 years with deprivation of the right to engage in leading and participating in any activity of public organizations for 3 years and additional restriction of freedom for 10 months. The prosecutor requested a 3-year sentence in a penal colony. The verdict has not entered into force.

The Zeya case was initiated in December 2022. The charge was based on hidden audio and video recordings of meetings for worship, which, at the direction of the FSB, were made by a woman who pretended to be interested in the Bible.

Speaking before the court, Sokolov said: "I am not acting against the constitutional foundations of the state, but on the contrary, I am defending my constitutional right, which I am guaranteed — to practice my Christian religion together with others."

The Amur Region today holds the record for the number of Jehovah's Witnesses imprisoned in penal colonies — 13 believers are already serving time for their peaceful beliefs.

The Case of Sokolov in Zeya

Case History
In December 2022, the FSB in Zeya initiated a second criminal case against Yevgeniy Sokolov for his worship. The first case was initiated two years earlier in Voronezh. Then the believer's home was searched, and he spent almost 5 months in a pretrial detention center. In Zeya, he was banned from certain actions. Sokolov was accused of participating in Jehovah's Witnesses meetings, where the believers discussed Bible teachings with friends. As it turned out, the woman, who pretended to be interested in the Bible, on the instructions of an FSB officer, made hidden audio-video recordings of meetings for worship. The prosecutor requested a punishment for the believer 3 years in prison. In May 2024, the court gave him a 3-year suspended sentence, 3 months later the court of appeal upheld this decision.
Timeline

Persons in case

Sokolov
Yevgeniy

Criminal case

Region:
Amur Region
Locality:
Zeya
Suspected of:
"carried out the preparation and conduct of religious meetings"
Court case number:
12207100001000065
Initiated:
December 15, 2022
Current case stage:
the verdict entered into force
Investigating:
Branch of the Federal Security Service of Russia in the Amur Region
Articles of Criminal Code of Russian Federation:
282.2 (2)
Court case number:
1-83/2024
Court of First Instance:
Zeyskiy District Court of the Amur Region
Judge of the Court of First Instance:
Arina Fedorova
Case History
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