Convicted Twice for the Same Thing. Appeal in Moscow Confirmed 5 Years in Prison for Aleksandr Serebryakov

On May 22, 2025, the verdict in the second case of 48-year-old Aleksandr Serebryakov came into force. A panel of judges of the Moscow City Court, chaired by Galina Lebedeva, agreed to his prison term but lifted the additional restriction of liberty that the believer was to serve after his release.

The prosecutor asked the court of appeal to send the criminal case for a new trial, and the believer asked to acquit him. Aleksandr noted that the second sentence, according to which he was given 5 years in prison, "is actually a revision of a sentence that has already entered into force with the imposition of a sentence for the same crime."

The second criminal case against Serebryakov was based on materials from his first case, which were literally copied from there. The lawyer called this "an obvious attempt to prosecute A.G. Serebryakov twice for the same crime with an increase and severity of the punishment imposed... which is unacceptable." In addition, the verdict is based on several expert opinions, the compilers of which did not appear in court for questioning. At the same time, there are no documents confirming their identity and the presence of special knowledge in the case materials.

By the time of the appeal hearing, Serebryakov had spent about a year and a half in a pre-trial detention center. Currently, 17 Jehovah's Witnesses from Moscow and the Moscow region are in custody.